How to Create Facebook Ad Mockup

Creating an ad mockup before launching your new Facebook campaign is a smart strategy. A mockup offers you, your team, and your clients a pixel-perfect preview of how the ad will actually look in a social media feed. This article will show you exactly how to do it using various methods, from official Meta tools to simple third-party generators.

What Exactly is a Facebook Ad Mockup (and Why Bother)?

A Facebook ad mockup is a static or interactive preview of your ad before it's published. Think of it as a final dress rehearsal. It shows all the components - the image or video, headline, primary text, call-to-action (CTA) button, and your page name - exactly as they will appear on different devices and in different placements, like the Facebook Feed or Instagram Stories.

Skipping this step might seem like a time saver, but creating a quick mockup can save you from costly mistakes and headaches down the road. Here’s why it’s worth the few extra minutes:

• Get Stakeholder & Client Approval: A mockup is the perfect way to get sign-off from your clients or senior team members. It’s much easier for people to give feedback when they can see a tangible representation of the ad rather than just reading copy in a Google Doc.
• Visualize Your Creative: Seeing your ad in a real-world context helps you spot issues you might otherwise miss. Does your headline get cut off on mobile? Is your image too busy? Is the primary text engaging enough? A mockup answers these questions instantly.
• Prevent Expensive Errors: Catching a typo in a mockup is easy and free. Catching it after you’ve already spent $1,000 on your campaign is painful. Treat the mockup as your last chance to proofread everything carefully.
• Ensure Brand Consistency: You can quickly check if the ad's visuals, tone, and messaging align with brand guidelines before it goes live to thousands of people.

Information You'll Need Before You Start

Before you jump into any of the methods below, gather all the assets for your ad. Having everything organized will make the process much smoother. Here’s your checklist:

• Facebook Page Name & Profile Picture: The name of the Facebook Page running the ad and its associated profile photo.
• Primary Text: The main body of copy that appears above the image or video. This is where you tell your story and describe your offer.
• Media: Your final, high-resolution image, collection of images for a carousel, or video file. Make sure it’s in the correct format and aspect ratio (e.g., 1:1 square for Facebook Feed, 9:16 vertical for Stories).
• Headline: The short, punchy line of text that appears just below your media. It’s meant to grab attention.
• Description: The optional text that appears below the headline. It’s a good spot for a bit more detail or social proof.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): The text on your button. Common choices include “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” “Sign Up,” or “Download.”
• Destination URL: The web page users will be sent to when they click your ad.

With these assets in hand, you're ready to build your mockup.

Method 1: Using Meta's Ad Mockup Tool (Creative Hub)

Meta provides its own tool called the Creative Hub, designed for advertisers to draft, preview, and share ad mockups. It's the most accurate way to preview your ad because it’s the official tool. Getting buy-in is also easier when you share a link directly from Meta's platform.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Navigate to Creative Hub: You can find this inside Meta Business Suite or by going directly to https://business.facebook.com/creativehub.
2. Create Mockup: In the upper-right corner, click the green “Create Mockup” button. A window will pop up asking you to choose your ad format.
3. Choose Your Format and Placements: For this example, let's stick with a standard Single Image or Video ad. After you select it, you'll be taken to the mockup builder. On the right-hand panel, you can now toggle different placements on or off to see how your ad looks in the Facebook Feed, Instagram Stories, Search Results, etc.
4. Build Your Ad: Now’s the fun part. Using the left-hand panel, fill in all the details from the checklist you prepared.
5. Preview Your Ad: As you fill in the fields, the mockup in the center of the screen will update in real-time. Use the toggles on the right to switch between different placement previews like Mobile Feed and Desktop Feed. Pay close attention to how your text and visuals change for each placement.
6. Share the Mockup: Once you’re happy with the result, click the “Share” button in the top right. This will give you a shareable link that you can send to anyone for review - even if they don’t have a Facebook account. They get an accurate, interactive preview of the final ad.

Pros: Guaranteed accuracy, easy to import directly into Ads Manager, shareable links look professional for client approvals. Cons: Requires a Meta Business Suite account, the interface can feel a bit sluggish at times.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Ad Mockup Generator

If you need something faster and don't want to navigate the Creative Hub, several free online tools can generate a Facebook ad mockup in seconds. Sites like AdMockups or Foreplay offer simple interfaces designed for this single task.

The process is generally the same across all of these tools:

1. Visit the generator website. A quick search for "Facebook Ad Mockup Generator" will give you plenty of options.
2. Select the ad format. Most tools let you choose between feed posts, story ads, and different device previews (mobile/desktop).
3. Fill in the text fields. Type or paste your Headline, Primary Text, and Page Name directly into the form.
4. Upload your creative. Add your image or a thumbnail for your video.
5. Download or Screenshot. Once the mockup is generated, you can typically download it as a PNG or simply take a screenshot to share with your team.

Pros: Extremely fast and easy, no login required, great for quick internal revisions. Cons: Might not be perfectly up-to-date with Facebook’s latest UI changes, some free tools may include a watermark on the download.

Method 3: The DIY Approach with Design Tools (Canva, Figma)

For designers or teams that already use tools like Canva or Figma, creating a mockup there might be the most efficient option. This gives you complete creative control and allows you to keep all your campaign assets in one place.

You don't need to build the layout from scratch. Search the community templates for a pre-built component that you can easily customize.

1. Find a Template: In Canva or Figma’s community/template section, search for “Facebook ad mockup” or “social media post template.”
2. Customize It: Pick a template that looks recent and add it to your project. Now you can easily replace the placeholder content:
3. Export and Share: Once you're finished, you can export the mockup as an image file (PNG/JPG) or share a link to the design file for feedback.

Pros: Full creative control, fits into existing design workflows, easy to create multiple variations side-by-side. Cons: More manual than other methods, can become outdated if Facebook changes its user interface.

Quick Tips for Better Ad Mockups

Regardless of the method you choose, keep these best practices in mind to get the most value out of the process.

• Check Character Limits on Mobile: Most of your audience will see your ad on their phone, where screen space is limited. Use the mockup to see if your primary text gets hidden behind a "See More" link or if your headline is too long. Adjust as needed.
• Create Multiple Variations: Don't just make one mockup. Create 3-5 different versions with different hooks, headlines, or images. This is the perfect stage for creative brainstorming before you commit to building the real ads.
• Double-Check for Typos and Grammar: Read every single word out loud. Send the share link to a colleague for a second pair of eyes. This is your final chance to make sure everything is perfect before you start spending money.
• Use Your Final, High-Quality Visuals: Don't use a low-resolution placeholder. Upload the actual, high-quality image or video that's going into the ad so you can get a true sense of its visual impact.

Final Thoughts

Building a Facebook ad mockup is a quick, vital step that helps you catch errors, refine your creative, and get approvals more efficiently. Whether you use Meta's own Creative Hub, a fast third-party generator, or a custom design template, taking a few minutes to preview your ad will save you from making preventable mistakes and help you launch more effective campaigns.

Once your ads are approved and running, the next challenge is understanding their performance in real-time. Instead of getting bogged down in Ads Manager or exporting CSVs, we built Graphed to simplify the reporting process. You can connect your Facebook Ads account in seconds and use simple, conversational language to build dashboards, letting you see exactly which campaigns are driving revenue without the manual busywork.