Which ads is your competitor running,and why are they still live?
Pull a competitor's ads from the Meta Ad Library and score each one on hook, call to action, offer and how long it has been running. See the awareness stage they leave empty, too.
Rather hand the job over? In our Competitor & Market Intelligence service we run this tool for you; scope and monthly price are published.
Competitive intelligenceWhat the Meta Ad Library is, and what it does and does not show
Meta's Ad Library tools page describes it as a searchable database of all active ads across Meta technologies. You do not need an account to see what a competitor is saying.
| Information | Commercial ads | Political and social issue ads |
|---|---|---|
| Ad copy and link title | Yes | Yes |
| Start date and whether it is still running | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms it ran on | Yes | Yes |
| Impression range | No | Yes |
| Spend range | No | Yes |
Field definitions are in Meta's Ad Library API documentation.
How to review competitor ads in the panel
- 1Enter the competitor
A brand name or Facebook Page ID; choose the country.
- 2Ads come in
Up to 50 ads are pulled per search.
- 3Filter
Active only, last 30 or 90 days, platform.
- 4Read each one
The selected ad's score breakdown appears on the right.
- 5See the pattern
Hook types, call-to-action and offer rates, average run time.
- Filters only use fields the library actually provides; there is no format filter that cannot work.
- Ads started in the last 7 days are counted separately, so you can spot a new campaign.
- If the connection drops, the screen does not say "no ads"; it says the provider needs re-authorising.
- To bring an angle you found into your own ads, see the Instagram ads guide.
The creative score: four measurable dimensions
| Dimension | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Hook | Is there an opening line, is it readable, is the angle clear |
| Call to action | Is there an action such as "shop now", "book" or "sign up" |
| Offer | Is there a discount, free shipping, a trial or a deadline |
| Staying power | How many days the ad has been running |
Hook types: problem, result, social proof, price or offer, unclear. Visual quality is not scored; the library does not return the creative itself.
Scores are calculated by calling the creative score function itself. An ad that has stopped running is capped at 45.
The awareness stage a competitor leaves empty
Before buying, customers pass through several awareness stages, and each stage needs different ad copy. The panel spreads a competitor's ads across these stages; the real finding is the stage left empty.
| Stage | How to write an ad for it |
|---|---|
| Unaware of the problem | Do not mention the product. Open with a fact, story or surprising figure your audience cares about; the goal is recognition, not a sale. |
| Aware of the problem | Describe the pain in their own words. Hint at the solution at the end; keep the product name in the background. |
| Aware of the solution | Explain the solution category and compare options. Why this route, why now; do not push the brand yet. |
| Aware of the product | Show the concrete difference from competitors: features, proof, customer results. |
| Ready to buy | Make the offer clear: price, guarantee, delivery, deadline. Leave one call to action that removes the last doubt. |
Limits and next steps
- The library covers Meta ads only; Google and TikTok ads come from other sources.
- An ad's image or video arrives as a snapshot link and does not enter the score.
- For niche searches across a wider archive and competitor tracking, use the ad intelligence screen.
- For the wider market picture, see market intelligence.
We walk through the four signals worth reading in the library in our competitor ad library article. If you want competitor tracking done for you, see our competitive intelligence service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Meta Ad Library?
Meta's public archive of every ad running on Facebook and Instagram. Anyone can search it.
Is the Meta Ad Library free?
Yes. You do not need an ad account or payment to use it.
Can I see a competitor's ad spend?
Not for commercial ads. Meta provides spend and impression ranges only for political and social issue ads.
What does the panel add on top of the library?
Hook, call-to-action, offer and staying-power scores for each ad, the competitor's overall pattern and the awareness stage they leave empty.
Does the creative score judge the visuals?
No. The library does not return the creative itself, so visuals are not scored and the screen says so.
How many ads does a search return?
Up to 50 ads per search. Filters are applied to that list.
Why does a long-running ad matter?
Advertisers switch off ads that do not work. An ad still running after months is probably performing.
Can I see TikTok or Google ads too?
This screen covers Meta ads only. For a wider archive search there is the ad intelligence screen.
Sources
The official documentation behind the technical points on this page:
- [1]Meta Transparency Center: Ad Library tools
Official description of the library as a searchable database of all active ads.
- [2]Meta Business Help Center: About Meta Ad Library
What the library contains and who can search it.
- [3]Meta Ad Library API
Spend and impression fields are only populated for political and social issue ads.
Related pages
- Competitive intelligence serviceWe run competitor tracking for you.
- Ad intelligenceNiche search across a wider archive and competitor tracking.
- Market intelligenceThe wider market picture.
- Instagram adsBring the angle you found into your own ads.
- ChatGPT AdsChatGPT ads are sponsored placements shown below the answer in OpenAI's chat assistant, to users on the free and Go plans; ads went live in Turkey on 17.09.2026.
- Niche SpyNiche Radar reads up to 60 ads and 30 brand records from an ad archive for the niche you type; every result is calculated from that sample.
- Ad AssistantThe Ad Assistant reads recent data from your Meta ad account and gives you a ranked list of what to do today.
Stay a step ahead of your rivals.
The ad library needs the Pro, E-commerce Standard, Plus Starter or Creator Pro plan (or a plan above one of them in the same family). The full panel is free with no time limit: brand, accounts, reports. Allowance: 10 captions a month, 2 images a month, 1 videos a month, 1 brand, 1 user.