On October 28, 2026 Meta published two posts about its ads system, and one of them covers the Meta Andromeda update you've probably seen in the news. If you run ads, here's the short version: your ads may get considered more often, you have no new setting to find, and part of your results still depends on what happens on your site.
What is the Meta Andromeda update?
Andromeda is the first step in how Meta picks an ad. Meta uses it to narrow tens of millions of ads to a few thousand for each person. Its ranking models and the auction take it from there.
Meta first described Andromeda in December 2024. The 2026 update is a new version of that same system, built with NVIDIA.
What changed in the 2026 update
- It scores every eligible ad. Meta says the system used to check "the most popular shelves" and now reads "every product label on every shelf, in the same amount of time." The number it gives is over one billion ads per second.
- It sends each ad to specialized models. Meta calls them "expert" models, and this replaces one general model running across everything.
- New ads get help from GenRecs. GenRecs is a separate new system that reads your ad's text and images. Meta says "new ads, refreshed creative and new products get on a faster track to performing."
Here is the sentence that matters for your account:
Meta's example in its advertiser guide is a jacket hanging at the back of the store. It may have been overlooked before, and now the person looking for it can find it. Meta credits Andromeda with a 2.4% increase in conversions on Facebook since 2025. That's Meta's own number for the whole platform, so don't forecast your account from it.
When did the Andromeda update go live?
Meta doesn't give a launch date. Its October 28 post says the system runs "in production," and it reports lifts of 1.37% in Facebook conversions and 0.24% on Instagram Reels from Q3 2026 improvements. If you see a precise date in a playbook, ask where it came from.
Do you need to change anything?
No. There's no setting to change, and Meta says these gains "reach your account with no work from you." Your targeting rules still apply too, because Meta's engineers list them as part of the retrieval step.
The reason for the rebuild does affect you, though. Meta's engineers say AI tools helped advertisers create "hundreds of millions of new ads." That's a much larger pool to stand out in. Meta doesn't say how much harder it gets. Its advice is to "supply more creative variety so the system has more to test and learn from."
What Andromeda won't fix: what happens after the click
Meta's second post from October 28 explains the auction, and that's a different part of the system. Andromeda picks the shortlist. The auction then weighs your bid, the estimated action rate and ad quality, so the highest bid doesn't automatically win.
Meta describes ad quality as "the quality of the whole experience, from the ad itself to what happens after the click." One of its sources is customers:
Late parcels and surprise fees are on that list by name. The guide also says this: "A more relevant ad, backed by a better customer experience, can beat a higher bid."
What to check in your store
This is the line I'd act on after reading both posts:
Meta's Business Help Center page "Best practices for positive customer feedback" gives more detail on most of these.
Shipping speed
- Does the delivery time you show include handling and processing?
- Can customers find your delivery, shipping and return policies, and do they understand them?
- Do customers get tracking?
Support responsiveness
- Do you say how long a reply takes?
- Do you tell customers about a delay, a substitution or an item that went out of stock?
- Do you honor the return, cancellation and exchange policies you advertise, including the ones you wrote years ago and haven't opened since?
Product quality
- Do your photos show the real size?
- Do your size charts work for each country you sell to? Meta's own example is that US sizing may differ from sizing in China.
- If you dropship, who checks quality?
Checkout friction
Meta names checkout friction and unexpected charges without giving a checklist for them, so this part is my suggestion. Buy something from your store on your phone. Note each charge that appears after the product page, and each step that makes you stop.
Before you raise your budget for a sale
The same help page says to "consider advertising that scales with your business's ability to deliver products." If your stock is limited, it suggests running fewer ads or telling customers before they buy when the items will ship.
Black Friday is November 27 this year. More orders than your warehouse or support team can handle lead to the delays these surveys ask about. My Black Friday plan covers the ad side.
What Meta doesn't tell you
Meta gives no number for how much a late parcel or a surprise fee changes your results. Its help page says only that "advertisers with positive customer feedback can see improved performance." The guide also reports an 8.3% increase in ad clicks and a 15.7% uplift in conversions on Facebook in Q2 2026, across its AI improvements, and those figures aren't a forecast for you either.
The Andromeda update gets more of your ads considered. Your shipping, support, product and checkout are still yours to review, and Meta asks you to review them the way you review creative.
Want a second opinion before peak season? Book an ad account audit: I check your tracking, structure and budget, and show you what to change on a call or in a 15-minute video.
