Meta Ad Library and Google Ads Transparency Center: how to see competitor ads

An ad library shows which ads your competitors are running right now. Both Meta and Google offer this for free, so it is a good first step before you launch your own campaigns.

What an ad library is

The Meta Ad Library shows ads across Facebook, Instagram and other Meta placements. Google has a separate Ads Transparency Center at adstransparency.google.com. Both are open to everyone, and you can use the Meta Ad Library without logging in to Facebook.

How to search the Meta Ad Library

• Open facebook.com/ads/library.
• Choose a country and the “All ads” category.
• Enter a competitor’s Page name or a keyword.
• Use the filters: active ads, platform, media type and run dates.
• Check the start date: an ad running for months is probably paying back.

How to search Google Ads Transparency Center

• Open adstransparency.google.com.
• Search by advertiser name or website domain. The domain is usually more reliable.
• Choose a region, since the same brand runs different ads in different countries.
• Set the period: the last 30 days first, then wider to find seasonal campaigns.
• Check text, image and video formats separately.

What the libraries do not show

Libraries show creatives, not results. They do not show spend, clicks or sales. In Google you also will not see keywords or targeting settings. So a long run is a signal, not proof of profit.

What to look for in competitor ads

We start new projects this way. It then turns into creative testing, which you can see in our case studies. If you want a team to take this on, see Facebook ads management and Google Ads management.

FAQ