If the overlay is not visible in the ad preview inside Meta Ads, it could be due to one of the following reasons.
Index
Overlay Not Assigned to the Ad
“Show as Collection” Setting Enabled
Meta Media Enhancements Enabled
Asset Access Issues
Wrong Feed Label Selected
1) Overlay Not Assigned to the Ad
Creating an overlay template alone is not enough — it must be assigned to specific ads.
What to Check:
Go to the Overlay section.
Click on “View Ad List” for the relevant overlay template.
Verify whether the toggle is enabled for the ad where the overlay should be applied.
Solution: Assign the overlay to the required ad and ensure the toggle is enabled.
2) “Show as Collection” Setting Enabled at Ad Level
If the “Show as Collection” option is enabled under the Format Display Options at the ad level, the overlay may not apply correctly.
Why This Happens:
Collection format can override the assigned creative format, preventing the overlay from appearing.
Solution:
Disable the “Show as Collection” option.
Re-assign the overlay to the ad.
Refresh the preview.
3) Meta Media Enhancements Enabled
If Meta media enhancements are enabled at the ad level, Meta may automatically optimise and choose a non-overlay image for display.
This can prevent the overlay version from appearing in preview or live ads.
Solution:
Disable all media enhancements at the ad level to ensure only the assigned overlay image is shown.
4) Asset Access Issues
If required permissions are missing or revoked, the API may fail to apply the overlay properly.
Ensure the following access is granted to BigAtom inside Meta Business Manager:
Meta Ad Account → Manage Campaigns access
Facebook Page → Ads access
Lack of these permissions can prevent overlays from being applied correctly.
5) Wrong Feed Label Selected
If an incorrect feed label is selected while creating the ad (against the chosen catalog ID), the overlay will not be applied or pushed correctly to the catalog. This mismatch prevents the system from linking the overlay template to the intended products.
Solution:
Ensure the correct feed label is selected while creating the overlay template.
Verify that the feed label corresponds to the selected catalog ID.
If unsure about the correct feed label, contact support for clarification.