# Google Ads Transparency Center Scraper (`blues_akg/google-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Google Ads Transparency Center by advertiser, domain or ID. Get ads, formats, dates, regions, creatives and optional ad copy for competitor research and ad intelligence.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/blues\_akg/google-ads-transparency-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Atakan Kerem GOCER](https://apify.com/blues_akg) (community)
- **Categories:** Marketing, SEO tools, Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.20 / 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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Google Ads Transparency Center Scraper

Scrape every ad a company runs on Google — Search, Display, Shopping and YouTube — from the [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com). Enter a domain, an advertiser name or an advertiser ID and get a clean dataset of creatives: format, run dates, the countries each ad ran in, and the ad copy itself.

Built for competitor ad monitoring, creative research and ad-intelligence pipelines.

- **Fast**: about 3,000 ads per minute in standard mode.
- **Reliable**: every request retries automatically through a fresh residential IP; proxies are built in and included in the price.
- **Honest billing**: optional extras are charged only when they actually return data.

### What you get

For every ad:

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `advertiserId`, `advertiserName` | Verified advertiser behind the ad |
| `creativeId` | Stable ID of the creative |
| `format` | `TEXT` (Search ads), `IMAGE` (Display and Shopping ads) or `VIDEO` |
| `domain` | Domain the ad points to |
| `firstShown`, `lastShown` | First and last time the ad was shown |
| `daysShown` | Number of days the creative has been running |
| `imageUrl` | The creative as rendered by Google. For most Search ads this is an image of the complete ad (headline, URL, description) |
| `previewUrl` | Google's interactive preview, when the creative has one |
| `url` | Link to the ad in the Transparency Center |
| `query` | The input line that produced this row |

With **Include countries and variations** (`includeDetails`):

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `regions` | Every country the ad ran in, each with its own first and last shown date |
| `regionCount` | Number of countries |
| `firstShownDate`, `lastShownDate` | Overall run dates |
| `variations`, `variationCount` | All creative variations Google served |

With **Include ad copy** (`includeAdCopy`):

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `adType` | `SEARCH`, `SHOPPING` or `LOCAL` (store ads) |
| `headline` | Ad headline, or the product title for Shopping ads |
| `description`, `displayUrl` | Search and local ad copy |
| `callToAction` | Button text of local ads ("Learn more", "Shop now") |
| `merchant`, `price`, `productImageUrl` | Shopping ad seller, price and product image |

Every row has the same columns, so CSV and Excel exports stay tidy; fields that do not apply are `null`.

### Example output

A real row, with both options on:

```json
{
  "advertiserId": "AR06960500209797300225",
  "advertiserName": "Media Saturn Deutschland GmbH",
  "creativeId": "CR13913371191877304321",
  "format": "TEXT",
  "domain": "mediamarkt.de",
  "firstShown": "2026-04-17T11:56:32Z",
  "lastShown": "2026-09-20T11:31:45Z",
  "daysShown": 157,
  "url": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR06960500209797300225/creative/CR13913371191877304321",
  "query": "mediamarkt.de",
  "regions": [
    { "region": "DK", "firstShown": "2026-04-28", "lastShown": "2026-09-09" },
    { "region": "DE", "firstShown": "2026-04-17", "lastShown": "2026-09-20" }
  ],
  "regionCount": 2,
  "firstShownDate": "2026-04-17",
  "lastShownDate": "2026-09-20",
  "variationCount": 3,
  "adType": "SEARCH",
  "headline": "In der MediaMarkt Onlinewelt",
  "description": "Arbeiten sie schnell und smart mit dem HP LaserJet MFP M234sdw. Erhältlich bei MediaMarkt!",
  "displayUrl": "mediamarkt.de"
}
```

### Input

```json
{
  "queries": ["nike.com", "Adidas AG", "AR18378488041124659201"],
  "region": "DE",
  "adFormat": "TEXT",
  "dateFrom": "2026-08-01",
  "maxAdsPerQuery": 500,
  "includeDetails": true,
  "includeAdCopy": true
}
```

Each query can be:

- a **domain** — `nike.com`, `shop.example.co.uk`
- an **advertiser name** — `Adidas AG`. A brand is usually several legal entities; the run log shows which one was matched. Raise *Advertisers per name search* to cover more of them.
- an **advertiser ID** — `AR18378488041124659201`
- a **Transparency Center URL** — pasted straight from the browser

Filters: country, ad format, and a date range for when the ad was shown.

### Pricing

Pay per result, no monthly fee. Proxies are included.

| Event | Price | When it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Actor start | $0.00005 | Once per run |
| Ad (dataset item) | $0.0012 | Each ad returned |
| `detail` | $0.002 | Each ad, when *Include countries and variations* is on and the data was retrieved |
| `ad-copy` | $0.002 | Each ad where ad copy was actually extracted |

| Typical run of 1,000 ads | Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard | $1.20 |
| With countries and variations | $3.20 |
| With countries, variations and ad copy | about $3.60 – $4.00 |

Set **Maximum cost per run** in the run options to cap your spend. The scraper checks the remaining budget before each batch and stops cleanly at the limit.

### Notes and limits

Written plainly so you know what you are buying:

- **Ad copy is not available for every ad.** Google serves most Search ads as a rendered image rather than text; for those, `imageUrl` shows the complete ad and no `ad-copy` charge applies. In testing, copy was extracted for roughly 40% of Search ads, for most Shopping ads, and for the local/store ads among video results. Layouts that have not been verified are skipped rather than guessed, so you never pay for mislabelled text.
- **Querying by advertiser ID** returns creatives without the destination `domain`, because Google does not attach it. Query by domain if you need that column on every row.
- **Video creatives** come with Google's preview URL, not a direct YouTube link.
- **Result counts** shown by Google are approximate ranges; the scraper paginates through everything the API actually returns.
- **Speed with extras**: countries and ad copy need one extra request per ad through residential proxies, which brings throughput to roughly 150 ads per minute.
- The scraper reads **public transparency data only**. It collects no personal data and needs no login or cookies.

### FAQ

**Can I monitor a competitor continuously?**
Yes. Add the Actor to a [Schedule](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) and set *Shown from* to fetch only recent creatives. Runs that find nothing new cost only the start fee.

**How do I find an advertiser ID?**
Search the brand in the Transparency Center and copy the `AR…` value from the URL — or pass the brand name and let the Actor resolve it.

**I searched a brand name with a country and got nothing.**
The matched legal entity may not advertise in that country (the log names the entity). Search by domain instead, or raise *Advertisers per name search*.

**Something broke or a field is missing.**
Open an issue on the Issues tab. Problems are usually a change on Google's side and get fixed quickly.

# Actor input Schema

## `queries` (type: `array`):

One per line. Accepts a website domain (nike.com), an advertiser name (Adidas AG), an advertiser ID (AR18378488041124659201) or an Ads Transparency Center URL.

## `region` (type: `string`):

Return only ads shown in this country.

## `adFormat` (type: `string`):

Text = Search ads. Image = Display and Shopping ads. Video = YouTube ads.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Only ads shown on or after this date (YYYY-MM-DD).

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Only ads shown on or before this date (YYYY-MM-DD).

## `maxAdsPerQuery` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many ads for each domain or advertiser. Big brands run tens of thousands of ads, so set this to what you actually need.

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Adds every country the ad ran in, with first and last shown dates per country, and all creative variations. Charged as one 'detail' event per ad.

## `includeAdCopy` (type: `boolean`):

Adds the ad text: headline, description and display URL for Search ads; product title, merchant and price for Shopping ads. Charged as one 'ad-copy' event only for ads where text was actually extracted.

## `maxAdvertisersPerName` (type: `integer`):

A brand name can match several legal entities (Adidas AG, Adidas America...). Scrape this many of the best matches; the ad limit applies to each of them.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "region": "ALL",
  "adFormat": "ALL",
  "maxAdsPerQuery": 100,
  "includeDetails": false,
  "includeAdCopy": false,
  "maxAdvertisersPerName": 1
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One item per ad creative: advertiser, format, destination domain, first and last shown dates, days running and the Transparency Center link. Rows also carry the countries the ad ran in and its creative variations when 'Include regions and variations' is on, and the headline, description, merchant or price when 'Include ad copy' is on.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "queries": [
        "nike.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("blues_akg/google-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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "queries": ["nike.com"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("blues_akg/google-ads-transparency-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "queries": [
    "nike.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call blues_akg/google-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,blues_akg/google-ads-transparency-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/zRvHcHqPzdUsn6jwe/builds/IC6UzaTJnFNfVdxHs/openapi.json