Facebook Ads Library is a tool accessible to everyone for improving advertising and developing effective campaigns. Facebook Ads Library allows you to search and view competitors’ ads on Facebook in search of inspiration and references.
What is the Facebook Ads Library and why you need it
Facebook Library is a vast archive storing data about advertising placements across Meta platforms. The service makes it easy to find relevant ad categories by studying the content of well-known brands and direct competitors. It is a legal and free way to analyse advertising on social networks. Using the FB Ads Library, you can access data on both active and discontinued campaigns.
| Ad campaign monitoring method | Free Facebook Ads Library | Paid competitor analysis spy tools (AdSpy, BigSpy, AdPlexity, etc.) |
| Advantages | Official and transparent data provided directly by Meta about each advertiser | Spying on ads not only on Meta, but also Google, TikTok, etc. Identifying profitable ads and options to copy successful creatives |
| Disadvantages | No performance data (likes, impressions) and no filters by ad effectiveness | High cost, need to familiarise yourself with features in advance, possible data incompleteness |
How to find competitors’ ads through the FB Ads Library
Previously, working with FB Library required a registered Facebook account, but now the FB Library is available to everyone. Simply go to a competitor’s page on Facebook, navigate to the «Page transparency» tab on the left sidebar, click «See all», then «Go to Ad Library» and start your free ad analysis.
Search algorithm via the Facebook Ads Library main page:
- Select a country.
- Select a category: All ads or Issues, elections or politics.
- Enter keywords (brand, product / service name, location, etc.) on which targeted advertising is based.
- Use the filters available in Facebook Library to refine your search (ad language, date, platform, ad type, status).
The Facebook Ads Library is a virtually inexhaustible source of inspiration, as new data appears here every day. It is therefore worth jotting down interesting ideas or taking screenshots to use favourite references in future ad campaigns. Or make individual changes straight away using the Facebook Ads Manager.
What you can learn from the FB Ads Library: what it shows and what it doesn’t
The main data shown by the FB Ads Library: creative text, image, video, reach, launch date. Many users make the mistake of only viewing active ads. But by selecting «All», you can see discontinued ads with campaign timelines and content, drawing conclusions about their success and reach. The Ads Library does not show budget, CTR, or conversions.
What to pay attention to when analysing data through Facebook Ads Library:
- Image type: stock, AI-generated, photo shoot, etc.
- Image content and style: colours, faces, people, etc.
- The type of CTA (call to action) being used.
- The ad’s focus: service, price, uniqueness of the offer, etc.
- Platforms where the ads are shown and whether there is a difference between ads (if there is, which specific elements differ depending on the platform).
When searching for ads on Instagram (Profile – Three dots – «About this account» – «Active ads»), you can additionally view the account creation date, the company’s country of location, changes to the profile name, and total followers.
How to use FB Library to improve your own campaigns
The Facebook Ads Library is a place where you can easily come across creative graphics, interesting video, atmospheric imagery, or another reference that will inspire creativity. However, it is worth remembering that outright plagiarism will not improve your ad campaign – on the contrary, it can damage your reputation.
What you should do with the Facebook Library:
- analyse competitors’ creatives and offer structures;
- look for current working formats in your niche;
- draw inspiration from ideas rather than copying others’ ads.
Common mistakes when working with Facebook Ads Library include: ignoring filters (searching by name without keywords), viewing only active ads, analysing visual content without considering text, geography, and display time. The FB Library provides data over an extended period, so it is worth analysing the archive over 3–6 months to avoid a distorted understanding of a competitor’s strategy.
Limitations of the Facebook Ads Library and how to work with them
The FB Ads Library restricts access to ads in special categories (real estate, finance, politics, etc.) for unregistered users. To access the data, you need to log in to Facebook, after which the full Facebook Library becomes available, provided you are 18 years of age or older.
Information may also be missing for certain regions and private accounts. It is also important to understand that the Facebook Ads Library is updated regularly, but with a delay. It may take up to 24 hours before ads appear. To keep track of competitors’ advertising activity, it is worth checking for updates every day.
The Facebook Ads Library is a free and transparent tool for specialists providing professional SMM services, as well as small and medium business owners who want to manage their advertising campaigns in Facebook Ads Manager more effectively.
