Free AI Ad Creatives Template: Copy, Fill, Ship

Starting from a blank page is the slowest part of making ads. This post gives you a free template for AI ad creatives that you can copy, fill in and reuse. Every section has a short instruction and a filled example next to it, so you can see what a good answer looks like.

The template follows the order of Lesson 4.5: set your look, make ten images, write headlines, make a short video, and line up a test. The lesson walks through it on screen: Make ad creatives in minutes.

Fill in six short boxes once, then reuse them every time you make ads.

How to use this template

Copy the whole template into a note or document. Fill it in before you open any AI tool. Paste the relevant boxes into your requests. After each test, update it.

The example business in this post is invented, a small bakery selling weekend sourdough boxes. It is there to show the format. Swap in your own details.

Box 1: The offer

Instructions. One sentence: what you sell, to whom, with what next step. Avoid listing everything you do.

Template:

I sell [product or service] to [type of customer] who [situation]. The next step is [action] by [date or limit].

Example:

I sell weekend sourdough boxes to families nearby who want fresh bread without a shop trip. The next step is to order by Thursday and collect on Saturday.

Box 2: The look

Instructions. Describe colours, mood, scene type and what to avoid. Paste this into every image request.

Template:

Colours: [two or three, in plain words]. Mood: [friendly, calm, bold, playful]. Scenes: [what is shown and where, plus the light]. Avoid: [text in image, faces, clutter, anything that misrepresents the product].

Example:

Colours: warm cream, deep green, a touch of orange. Mood: friendly and a little rustic. Scenes: close ups of bread on a wooden table in soft daylight. Avoid: text in the image, faces, any pastry or topping we do not sell.

Box 3: Ten image ideas

Instructions. Two ideas from each of five families. Different ideas, not edits.

Template:

1 and 2, product close up: [ ]. 3 and 4, product in use: [ ]. 5 and 6, the result or feeling: [ ]. 7 and 8, the problem scene: [ ]. 9 and 10, plain background with room for a headline: [ ].

Example:

1 and 2: a sliced loaf, steam rising; the box open on the counter. 3 and 4: a hand tearing bread at a table; a child with a jam covered slice. 5 and 6: a table set for Sunday lunch; a full bread basket. 7 and 8: an empty bread bin; a long queue seen from outside a shop window. 9 and 10: a flat green background; a flat cream background.

Generate extra and cut. Reject anything that shows something your customer will not get.

Pick the shapes

Meta's guidance recommends 4:5 vertical for single image ads in Facebook Feed and lists 9:16 for Stories and Reels (aspect ratio guide). Ask for a tall version of each idea you keep.

Box 4: Five headlines per idea

Instructions. Five angles: result, problem, proof, offer, question. Only use proof you can back up.

Template:

Result: [ ]. Problem: [ ]. Proof: [ ]. Offer: [ ]. Question: [ ].

Example:

Result: Fresh bread on your table by Saturday. Problem: Tired of bread that goes stale by lunch? Proof: Baked the morning you collect it. Offer: Order by Thursday, collect Saturday. Question: Want Sunday toast to taste like a bakery?

Note that the "proof" line above is only usable if it is true for your business. Edit it to a fact you can stand behind.

If you also run search ads, Google's help page says responsive search ads accept up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, with headlines up to 30 characters and descriptions up to 90 (Google Ads Help). Counting characters now saves editing later. The example headlines above are mixed lengths, so trim any you want to reuse there.

Box 5: A short video from one photo

Instructions. Pick your best real photo. Describe a small movement. End on the offer.

Template:

Photo: [which one]. Movement: [slow zoom, steam, light sweep]. Text on screen: [headline]. Last frame: [offer and next step]. Length: [short, one idea].

Example:

Photo: the sliced loaf. Movement: slow push in with a little steam. Text: "Fresh bread on your table by Saturday". Last frame: "Order by Thursday, collect Saturday". Length: a few seconds.

Watch the finished clip in full. If an object bends or something appears that was not in the photo, regenerate.

Box 6: The test plan

Instructions. One variable per test. Same audience, budget and link. Fix the length before you launch.

Template:

Test 1 changes: [images]. Held the same: [headline, audience, budget, link]. Length: [days]. Test 2 changes: [headlines]. Test 3 changes: [still against video]. Record after each: [one sentence].

Example:

Test 1 changes: five images. Held the same: headline "Fresh bread on your table by Saturday", audience, budget, link. Length: ten days. Test 2 changes: five headlines on the winning image. Test 3 changes: still image against short video. Record: one sentence in Box 2 after each test.

Meta's A/B testing guidance says to test one variable so ad sets are identical except for it, and recommends at least 7 days, with a maximum of 30 (source). If your customers usually take longer than a week to buy, plan a longer test.

The whole template in one block

Copy this and fill the brackets:

Offer: I sell [ ] to [ ] who [ ]. Next step: [ ] by [ ]. Look: Colours [ ]. Mood [ ]. Scenes [ ]. Avoid [ ]. Ten ideas: close up [ ], in use [ ], result [ ], problem [ ], plain background [ ]. Headlines: result [ ], problem [ ], proof [ ], offer [ ], question [ ]. Video: photo [ ], movement [ ], text [ ], last frame [ ]. Test: change [ ], hold [ ], days [ ], record [ ].

Keep it alive

A template you do not update is a form you filled in once. After each test, write the lesson into Box 2 or Box 3: "Close ups beat lifestyle scenes", "Avoid scenes with extra toppings". After a few rounds, the template carries what you learned about your own customers. For numbers to read after each test, see measuring AI ad creatives. For the reasoning behind the briefing boxes, see how to brief AI like a senior hire.

Before you launch, check that the page your ad links to repeats the same promise. A live website and a page that sells cover that side.

To be walked through filling this template with every step shown, take Lesson 4.5: Make ad creatives in minutes.

Questions people ask

Is the template really free?

Yes. Copy it from this page and use it as often as you like.

Do I have to use all six boxes?

Boxes 1, 2 and 6 matter most. If you skip video, skip Box 5.

Can I use it for organic posts as well as ads?

Yes. The offer, look and headline boxes work for any creative. Only the test plan is specific to paid ads.

Why is the example a bakery?

It is an easy product to picture. The example is invented and shows format only.