# YouTube Ads Scraper — Google Ads Transparency (`aiscraperdev/youtube-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor Scrape YouTube ads from Google Ads Transparency Center by advertiser, keyword, or URL. Returns direct CDN video URLs — not broken redirects. No login or API key required. - **URL**: https://apify.com/aiscraperdev/youtube-ads-transparency-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Randeep Dhillon](https://apify.com/aiscraperdev) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, Lead generation, Social media - **Stats:** 3 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars ## Pricing from $4.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## YouTube Ads Scraper — Google Ads Transparency Center Extract structured YouTube ad data from the **Google Ads Transparency Center** by advertiser name, domain, or URL. Returns **direct CDN video URLs** — not the broken redirect links that other scrapers return. No login, no API key, no limits. > ⚡ **Unlike competing YouTube ad scrapers**, this actor bypasses iFrame previews and returns raw, direct media CDN URLs — not `displayads-formats.googleusercontent.com` redirects that render blank. Over 60% of rows from other scrapers come back with empty video fields. This actor resolves them all. --- ### What you can do with this scraper - **Competitor research** — see every YouTube ad your competitors are running right now - **Creative intelligence** — build a swipe file of winning YouTube video ad creatives - **Media buying strategy** — analyse ad formats, durations, and CTAs from top advertisers - **Agency reporting** — pull competitor YouTube ad data for client pitch decks in minutes - **Market research** — track YouTube ad trends by brand, domain, or country - **Performance analysis** — use `ad_active_days` to identify long-running profitable creatives --- ### How to use #### Step 1 — Add your search queries The `Search Queries` field accepts three types of input (you can mix them): | Input type | Example | |---|---| | Advertiser name | `Nike`, `Tesla`, `Apple` | | Domain | `nike.com`, `tesla.com` | | Transparency Center URL | `https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR17828074650563772417?platform=YOUTUBE` | You can add multiple queries at once — the actor scrapes all of them in a single run. #### Step 2 — Set your filters | Filter | Options | Default | |---|---|---| | **Region** | Any 2-letter code: `US`, `GB`, `IN`, `ALL` | `ALL` | | **Ad Format** | All / Video / Skippable / Non-skippable / Bumper | `All` | | **Date Range** | Last 7d / 30d / 90d / Custom | `Last 30d` | | **Start Date** | `YYYY-MM-DD` e.g. `2026-01-01` | optional | | **End Date** | `YYYY-MM-DD` e.g. `2026-05-09` | optional | | **Max Results** | Any number, `-1` for all | `100` | #### Step 3 — Run and export Click **Start** and wait for the run to complete. Download your results as **JSON, CSV, or Excel** — ready to use in Google Sheets, Airtable, n8n, Make, or Zapier. --- ### Sample output ```json { "ad_id": "CR04574046308024713217", "ad_format": "Video", "ad_headline": "The Future of Driving", "ad_description": "Order your Tesla today. Free Supercharging included.", "ad_copy": "The Future of Driving — Order your Tesla today.", "ad_destination_url": "https://www.tesla.com/models", "video_url": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/archive/simgad/...", "video_url_hd": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/archive/simgad/...", "cover_image_url": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/...", "ad_preview_url": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR.../creative/CR...", "advertiser_name": "Tesla Inc.", "advertiser_id": "AR17828074650563772417", "advertiser_domain": "tesla.com", "advertiser_verified": true, "first_shown_date": "2026-01-15", "last_shown_date": "2026-05-09", "ad_active_days": 114, "platform": "YouTube", "regions_targeted": ["US", "GB", "IN"] } ```` *** ### Output fields reference #### Ad content | Field | Description | |---|---| | `ad_id` | Unique creative ID from Google (`CR...`) | | `ad_format` | Video / Skippable / Non-skippable / Bumper | | `ad_headline` | Primary headline text | | `ad_description` | Body / description copy | | `ad_copy` | Full combined ad text | | `ad_destination_url` | Actual landing page URL | | `video_url` | **Direct CDN URL** — not a redirect | | `video_url_hd` | High definition direct CDN URL | | `cover_image_url` | Video thumbnail direct URL | | `ad_preview_url` | Link to ad on Google Ads Transparency Center | #### Advertiser info | Field | Description | |---|---| | `advertiser_name` | Brand / company name | | `advertiser_id` | Google Advertiser ID (`AR...`) | | `advertiser_domain` | e.g. `tesla.com` | | `advertiser_verified` | Google verified badge `true` / `false` | #### Delivery data | Field | Description | |---|---| | `first_shown_date` | Date ad first appeared (`YYYY-MM-DD`) | | `last_shown_date` | Most recent appearance (`YYYY-MM-DD`) | | `ad_active_days` | Calculated days running — longer = stronger signal | | `platform` | Always `YouTube` for this actor | | `regions_targeted` | Countries / regions where ad ran | *** ### Input schema reference ```json { "searchQueries": ["tesla", "nike.com"], "region": "US", "adFormat": "all", "dateRange": "last_30_days", "startDate": "2026-01-01", "endDate": "2026-05-09", "maxResults": 200 } ``` *** ### Why this scraper is different | Feature | This actor | Other scrapers | |---|---|---| | Direct CDN video URLs | ✅ Working | ❌ Broken redirects or blank | | YouTube-only filter | ✅ Pre-filtered | ❌ Mixed with Display ads | | No login required | ✅ | ✅ | | `ad_active_days` calculated | ✅ | ❌ | | Verified advertiser badge | ✅ | ❌ | | Deduplication built-in | ✅ | ❌ | *** ### Who uses this - **Video marketers** studying competitor YouTube ad strategies - **Media buyers** analysing ad formats and durations before launching campaigns - **Marketing agencies** building YouTube ad briefs and pitch decks - **Brand managers** monitoring competitor spend and creative direction - **Performance marketers** identifying long-running profitable video creatives - **Researchers** studying political and issue-based YouTube ad campaigns *** ### Pricing This actor uses **Pay-Per-Result** pricing — you only pay for ads actually scraped. **$4.00 per 1,000 ads** YouTube video ad data is more valuable than display or search ads — direct video CDN URLs, verified advertiser data, and campaign duration signals all in one output. *** ### Tips for best results - The `ad_active_days` field is your most powerful signal — **ads running 90+ days are almost always profitable**. Filter your results by this field first. - Use **residential proxies** for maximum coverage — Google limits results heavily without proxies - Paste a direct Transparency Center advertiser URL with `?platform=YOUTUBE` for fastest and most accurate results - Set `adFormat` to `video` to exclude any non-video creatives - Use `maxResults: -1` carefully — popular brands like Nike can return hundreds of YouTube ads *** ### Limitations - **Ad destination URLs** — Google hides final destination URLs behind click redirects for some ads. Where available, the resolved URL is returned. - **Spend and impressions data** — only available for EU/political/special category ads under Google's transparency requirements. Not available for standard commercial YouTube ads. - **CDN URLs are temporary** — video and thumbnail CDN links expire. Download assets promptly after scraping. - **Verified advertisers only** — Google Ads Transparency Center only shows ads from verified advertisers. *** ### Your complete Ad Intelligence Suite This actor is part of a full cross-platform ad intelligence suite: | Actor | Platform | |---|---| | Facebook & Meta Ads Library Scraper | Facebook + Instagram | | Google Ads Transparency Scraper | Google Display + Search | | YouTube Ads Scraper | YouTube | | TikTok Ads Library Scraper | TikTok | Scrape competitor ads across every major platform from one Apify account. *** ### Related scrapers - Google Ads Transparency Scraper - Facebook & Meta Ads Library Scraper - TikTok Ads Library Scraper - LinkedIn Ads Library Scraper # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Brand name, domain (e.g. nike.com), or full Transparency Center URLs. ## `advertiserID` (type: `string`): Direct Google Advertiser ID (e.g. AR18378488041124659201). Overrides Search Queries if provided. ## `region` (type: `string`): Country code (e.g., US, IN, ALL) ## `adFormat` (type: `string`): Filter by the type of media. ## `dateRange` (type: `string`): Filter by when the ads were shown. ## `startDate` (type: `string`): YYYYMMDD format (e.g., 20250101). Only used if Date Range is 'Custom'. ## `endDate` (type: `string`): YYYYMMDD format (e.g., 20250507). Only used if Date Range is 'Custom'. ## `politicalAds` (type: `boolean`): If enabled, only scrapes political and issue ads. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of ads to scrape per query (-1 for all). ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "nike.com" ], "region": "ALL", "adFormat": "All", "dateRange": "Last 30d", "politicalAds": false, "maxResults": 30 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQueries": [ "nike.com" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("aiscraperdev/youtube-ads-transparency-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "searchQueries": ["nike.com"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("aiscraperdev/youtube-ads-transparency-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "searchQueries": [ "nike.com" ] }' | apify call aiscraperdev/youtube-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=aiscraperdev/youtube-ads-transparency-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Ads Scraper — Google Ads Transparency", "description": "Scrape YouTube ads from Google Ads Transparency Center by \nadvertiser, keyword, or URL. Returns direct CDN video URLs — \nnot broken redirects. No login or API key required.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "2YCsMAhOW5RS8hHPA" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/aiscraperdev~youtube-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-aiscraperdev-youtube-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/aiscraperdev~youtube-ads-transparency-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-aiscraperdev-youtube-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/aiscraperdev~youtube-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-aiscraperdev-youtube-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "searchQueries" ], "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "Search Queries", "type": "array", "description": "Brand name, domain (e.g. nike.com), or full Transparency Center URLs.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "advertiserID": { "title": "Advertiser ID (Optional)", "type": "string", "description": "Direct Google Advertiser ID (e.g. AR18378488041124659201). Overrides Search Queries if provided." }, "region": { "title": "Region", "type": "string", "description": "Country code (e.g., US, IN, ALL)", "default": "ALL" }, "adFormat": { "title": "Ad Format", "enum": [ "Video", "Image", "Text", "All" ], "type": "string", "description": "Filter by the type of media.", "default": "All" }, "dateRange": { "title": "Date Range", "enum": [ "Last 7d", "Last 30d", "Last 90d", "Custom" ], "type": "string", "description": "Filter by when the ads were shown.", "default": "Last 30d" }, "startDate": { "title": "Start Date (Custom)", "type": "string", "description": "YYYYMMDD format (e.g., 20250101). Only used if Date Range is 'Custom'." }, "endDate": { "title": "End Date (Custom)", "type": "string", "description": "YYYYMMDD format (e.g., 20250507). Only used if Date Range is 'Custom'." }, "politicalAds": { "title": "Political / Issue Ads Only", "type": "boolean", "description": "If enabled, only scrapes political and issue ads.", "default": false }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of ads to scrape per query (-1 for all).", "default": 30 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```