Facebook Ad Library Scraper - Competitor Ad Creative Intelligence & Spend Analysis

Scrape Meta's Ad Library for competitor Facebook and Instagram ads. Extract ad creatives, copy, CTAs, targeting data, active status, and run dates. Search by Page ID, keyword, or advertiser name. Essential for competitive ad intelligence, creative research, and digital marketing strategy.

Features

• Ad Creative Extraction - Images, videos, carousel cards, and ad copy
• CTA Detection - Call-to-action buttons (Learn More, Shop Now, Sign Up, etc.)
• Active/Inactive Status - Currently running vs. expired ads
• Date Tracking - First seen and last seen dates for ad duration analysis
• Destination URLs - Landing page URLs from ad clicks
• Page Search - Find ads by Facebook Page ID or name
• Keyword Search - Discover ads mentioning specific topics
• Country Filtering - Target ads running in specific countries
• Ad Format Detection - Image, video, carousel, collection identification
• Ad Library Links - Direct links to Meta's Ad Library for each ad
• Anti-Detection - Residential proxies for reliable access
• No Login Required - Uses Meta's public Ad Library
• Demo Mode - Test with sample data before going live

Who Should Use This Actor?

Digital Marketing Agencies

Research competitor ad strategies for client pitches. Show clients what competitors are running and identify creative opportunities.

Performance Marketers

Discover winning ad formats, copy patterns, and CTAs in your vertical. Build a swipe file of high-performing competitor creatives.

Brand Managers

Monitor competitive advertising activity. Track when competitors launch campaigns, change messaging, or target new audiences.

E-Commerce Companies

Find competitor product ads, promotional offers, and seasonal campaigns. Analyze pricing strategies visible in ad copy.

Startup Founders

Research how competitors in your space advertise on Facebook/Instagram. Understand messaging, offers, and landing page strategies before launching your own campaigns.

Political & Public Affairs Teams

Track political advertising, issue advocacy, and public affairs campaigns through Meta's transparency tools.

Quick Start

Demo Mode (Free Test)

{
  "demoMode": true
}

Search by Facebook Page ID

{
  "pageIds": ["123456789", "987654321"],
  "countryCode": "US",
  "adStatus": "active",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "demoMode": false
}

Search by Keyword

{
  "searchTerm": "plumber austin",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "demoMode": false
}

Search by Advertiser Name

{
  "searchTerm": "Nike",
  "searchType": "advertiser",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "demoMode": false
}

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
pageIds	array	-	Facebook Page IDs to scrape ads from
searchTerm	string	-	Keyword or advertiser name to search
searchType	string	keyword	Search by: keyword, advertiser
countryCode	string	US	Country code filter (US, GB, CA, AU, etc.)
adStatus	string	all	Filter: all, active, inactive
adType	string	all	Filter: all, image, video, carousel
maxItems	number	50	Maximum ads to scrape
includeCreatives	boolean	true	Extract ad images/videos
dateFrom	string	-	Ads first seen after this date (YYYY-MM-DD)
dateTo	string	-	Ads first seen before this date
proxyConfiguration	object	Residential	Proxy settings
demoMode	boolean	true	Return sample data for testing
webhookUrl	string	-	Webhook URL for results delivery

Output Format

{
  "adId": "fb-ad-123456789",
  "pageId": "123456789",
  "pageName": "Joe's Plumbing",
  "pageProfileUrl": "https://facebook.com/joesplumbing",
  "bodyText": "Need a plumber? We're available 24/7. Licensed & insured with 500+ 5-star reviews.",
  "headline": "Emergency Plumbing Services",
  "linkDescription": "Same-day service. Free estimates.",
  "callToAction": "Learn More",
  "adFormat": "image",
  "imageUrls": ["https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/..."],
  "videoUrl": null,
  "carouselCards": [],
  "destinationUrl": "https://joesplumbing.com/emergency",
  "adLibraryUrl": "https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=123456789",
  "startDate": "2025-12-01T00:00:00Z",
  "endDate": null,
  "isActive": true,
  "targetLocations": ["United States"],
  "platforms": ["facebook", "instagram"],
  "impressionRange": "1K-5K",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-01-28T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Pricing (Pay-Per-Event)

Event	Description	Price
ad_scraped	Per ad scraped	$0.01

Example costs:

• 50 competitor ads: 50 x $0.01 = $0.50
• 200 ads from keyword search: 200 x $0.01 = $2.00
• 500 ads across 10 competitors: 500 x $0.01 = $5.00
• Demo mode: $0.00

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Competitor Ad Swipe File

{
  "pageIds": ["competitor_page_1", "competitor_page_2", "competitor_page_3"],
  "countryCode": "US",
  "adStatus": "active",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "demoMode": false
}

Build a creative swipe file of active competitor ads.

Scenario 2: Industry Ad Research

{
  "searchTerm": "personal injury lawyer",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "adStatus": "active",
  "maxItems": 200,
  "demoMode": false
}

Discover how competitors in your industry advertise on Facebook.

Scenario 3: Seasonal Campaign Tracking

{
  "searchTerm": "Black Friday deals",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "dateFrom": "2025-11-01",
  "dateTo": "2025-12-01",
  "maxItems": 500,
  "demoMode": false
}

Track seasonal advertising patterns and promotions.

Webhook & Automation Integration

Webhook Configuration

{
  "searchTerm": "your industry keyword",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "webhookUrl": "https://your-endpoint.com/webhook"
}

Zapier / Make.com / n8n

1. Create a webhook trigger in your automation platform
2. Copy the webhook URL to webhookUrl
3. Route results to Google Sheets, Slack, Airtable, etc.

Popular automations:

• New competitor ads -> Slack channel (creative team awareness)
• Active ads -> Google Sheets (competitive ad database)
• Ad creatives -> Airtable (swipe file management)
• Weekly ad digest -> Email to marketing team

Apify Scheduled Runs

Schedule weekly runs to track competitor ad changes.

Official API Alternatives

Meta Ad Library API

Meta provides an official Ad Library API:

• Pros: Official, real-time, structured data
• Cons: Requires Facebook developer app, rate limits, complex authentication
• Best for: Building integrations with Meta's ad transparency tools

Alternative Ad Intelligence Tools

• SpyFu - Google Ads competitor data ($39-$79/month)
• SEMrush - Multi-platform ad intelligence ($129+/month)
• BigSpy - Social ad spy tool ($9-$99/month)
• AdSpy - Facebook/Instagram ad database ($149/month)

This Scraper's Advantages

1. No API key needed - Uses Meta's public Ad Library
2. Simple search - Page ID or keyword, no complex setup
3. Full creative extraction - Images, videos, copy, CTAs
4. Active/inactive tracking - Monitor campaign lifecycles
5. Country filtering - Target specific markets
6. Pay-per-result pricing (vs monthly subscriptions)

FAQ

Q: Do I need a Facebook account?

A: No. This scraper uses Meta's public Ad Library. No login required.

Q: How do I find a competitor's Page ID?

A: Visit their Facebook Page, click "About," and look for "Page Transparency." The Page ID is in the URL or transparency section. You can also search by advertiser name.

Q: Can I see ad targeting data?

A: Meta's Ad Library shows limited targeting info (countries, platforms). Detailed demographic targeting is only visible in your own Ads Manager.

Q: How far back does the Ad Library go?

A: Meta's Ad Library stores ads from approximately 2018 onwards. Inactive ads are retained for 7 years.

Q: Can I track when competitors launch new ads?

A: Schedule weekly runs and compare results to identify new creatives.

Common Problems & Solutions

"No ads found for Page ID"

• Verify the Page ID is correct (numeric ID, not page username)
• The page may not have any active ads
• Try searching by advertiser name instead

"Rate limited by Meta"

• Wait 10-15 minutes between runs
• Reduce maxItems to smaller batches
• Meta's Ad Library has rate limits on automated access

"Demo data showing"

• Set demoMode: false - no account required for real scraping

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Built by John Rippy | Actor Arsenal