How to See What Ads Your Competitors Are Running

Before we get into it: use this information with common sense and respect. No one likes a copycat.

What this is genuinely useful for is getting inspiration when you're feeling tapped out, making sure your competitors aren't copying your ads, and keeping an eye on what your agency is running for you in one easy place.

The tool you need is the Meta Ad Library.

What is the Meta Ad Library?

The Meta Ad Library lets you see all the active ads any Facebook or Instagram page is currently running. We use it as a research tool when working with new clients, partly for inspiration and partly to make sure your ads are clearly differentiated from your competitors.

It's simple: type in the name of a page and it shows you everything they have live right now.

How to find it

There are two ways to access it. You can go directly to the library at https://www.facebook.com/ads/library and search for any page by name.

Alternatively, find a business's Facebook Page, scroll to the Page Transparency section, click "See All", and then hit the "Go To Ad Library" button. Although they've updated this for some pages and can be harder to find.

How we use it

A few of our favourite ways to get value from the Ad Library:

• Check whether competitors are copying your ads

• Get inspiration from brands in completely different industries

• See whether your industry is running sales or promotions

• Make sure your ads look and sound different from everyone else in your space

• View all your own active ads in one place (mostly)

The Meta Ad Library is a fantastic tool, but it's just that: a tool. Use it for inspiration and intelligence and it'll serve you well. Use it to copy and you're not building a brand worth buying from.

Want someone else to handle the strategy and inspiration? Get in touch with us today.