Why does Arabic ad text break?
The problem is not your typing — it is how browsers lay out bidirectional text. When an Arabic sentence contains numbers or English words, the system applies the Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm to decide the direction of each run.
That algorithm sorts characters into three classes:
- Strong right-to-left: Arabic and Hebrew letters.
- Strong left-to-right: Latin letters.
- Neutral: digits, spaces and punctuation such as
( ) ! ? : %
Neutrals are the source of the trouble: their direction is inherited from whatever surrounds them. A punctuation mark sitting between Arabic text and a Latin number can jump to the wrong end of the line entirely.
A familiar example You write خصم 50% لفترة محدودة! and the exclamation mark appears at the start of the line instead of the end, or the percent sign attaches to the wrong side of the number.
How the fixer works
The tool injects invisible directional marks into your text. These are Unicode control characters that never print and take no space, but tell the rendering engine the correct direction for each run:
| Mark | Code point | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| RLM | U+200F | Right-to-left mark: anchors neutrals in Arabic context |
| LRM | U+200E | Left-to-right mark: protects Latin words |
| LRI / PDI | U+2066 / U+2069 | Full directional isolate around a number or Latin run |
With "add directional marks" enabled, every number and Latin run is wrapped in isolates. The number stays readable left-to-right while the sentence as a whole remains right-to-left — which is exactly the correct behaviour.
The fixed text looks identical because the marks are invisible. The difference only shows once the text is rendered inside the ad platform. Do not worry if you see no visual change — copy it anyway.
How to use the tool
- Paste your ad copy into the first box — headline, description or button text.
- Choose the fixes you want from the options. The defaults suit most cases.
- Check the preview, which renders the text in a context resembling a real ad.
- Read the summary to see how many marks were added and how many characters changed.
- Copy the fixed text and paste it straight into your ads manager.
Important when pasting Paste as plain text (Ctrl+Shift+V on most platforms). Rich-text pasting can strip the invisible directional marks and reintroduce the problem.
Correct Arabic punctuation
Arabic has its own punctuation marks that differ in shape and direction from Latin ones. Using a Latin mark inside Arabic text looks unprofessional and can cause rendering issues:
| Use | Latin (wrong) | Arabic (correct) | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comma | , | ، | U+060C |
| Semicolon | ; | ؛ | U+061B |
| Question mark | ? | ؟ | U+061F |
| Decimal separator | . | ٫ | U+066B |
The punctuation option swaps these automatically, while leaving marks inside URLs and English words untouched.
Platform-specific notes
| Platform | Behaviour | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Meta (Facebook / Instagram) | Preserves directional marks, but desktop preview can differ from mobile | Always check the mobile preview before publishing |
| Google Ads | Truncates headlines by character count, and invisible marks sometimes count | Leave 2–3 characters of headroom under the limit |
| TikTok Ads | Sensitive to punctuation at end of line | Enable punctuation fixing and avoid ending a line with a number |
| Snapchat Ads | Limited text space; direction inferred from first character | Start with an Arabic letter, never a digit |
| X (Twitter) | Handles direction automatically but breaks mixed-in links | Put URLs on their own line |
General rule Always start an Arabic sentence with an Arabic letter rather than a digit or English word. In most engines the first strong character in a line sets the paragraph direction.
Common mistakes in Arabic ad copy
- Starting a line with a number: makes the engine treat the whole paragraph as left-to-right. Write "خصم 50%" rather than "50% خصم".
- Latin brackets around Arabic text: they can flip. The tool isolates them automatically.
- Mixing Arabic-Indic and Latin digits in one piece of copy: pick one system and stay consistent.
- Losing date and fraction order on conversion: in Arabic-Indic notation, slash-separated groups are written in the opposite order because they read from the right — 24/7 becomes ٧/٢٤, and 15/08/2026 becomes ٢٠٢٦/٠٨/١٥. The tool handles this automatically, while clock times such as ٩:٠٠ and decimals keep their original order.
- Using tatweel for visual spacing: elongation characters break search and screen readers.
- Pasting straight from Word: it carries hidden formatting characters that confuse platforms. Run it through this tool first.
Frequently asked questions
Why do numbers appear in the wrong place in my Arabic ad?
Because digits are directionally neutral in the Unicode standard, so their placement is inherited from surrounding text. Sitting between Arabic and Latin runs, they can flip to the wrong side. The fix is to isolate them with invisible directional marks, which is exactly what this tool does.
Does the tool change my words?
No. It inserts invisible control characters and, if you choose, swaps Latin punctuation for the Arabic equivalents. The words themselves remain exactly as you wrote them.
Why does the fixed text look identical?
Because directional marks are invisible and occupy no space. The difference appears when the text is rendered inside the ad platform, not in the text box here. Copy it and trust the result.
Do directional marks count toward character limits?
On some platforms yes, particularly Google Ads. That is why the tool shows the character count before and after, and why we recommend leaving a small margin under the maximum.
What is the difference between Arabic-Indic and Latin digits?
The digits "١٢٣" are Arabic-Indic numerals, used in the Levant and Gulf, while "123" are the Western Arabic numerals used globally and across North Africa. Choose whichever suits your audience and stay consistent.
Can I use this for regular content?
Yes. Although it is built for ad copy, it helps with any Arabic text mixed with numbers or English: social posts, email campaigns or website content.
Is my text sent to a server?
No. All processing happens inside your browser with JavaScript. Your ad copy never leaves your device.
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