# Google Ads Transparency Scraper (`brightgro/google-ads`) Actor

Give advertiser domains or Google advertiser ids and get the ads each one runs, from the Google Ads Transparency Center: advertiser, verified status, format, first and last shown dates, ad link and preview image. Data from the DataForSEO SERP API.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/brightgro/google-ads.md
- **Developed by:** [Brightgro LLC](https://apify.com/brightgro) (community)
- **Categories:** Marketing, SEO tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.00 / 1,000 ads

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 Scraper

Give advertiser domains or Google advertiser ids and get the ads each one runs, as Google lists them in its Ads Transparency Center. Use it to watch competitors' ads, find who is advertising, or check how long an ad has run. The data comes from the DataForSEO SERP API.

### Input

- Advertiser domains or ids: up to 20, for example `nike.com`, a full link, or an advertiser id such as `AR13752565271262920705`.
- Country: one of 18 countries (US by default), or ALL for every region.
- Platform: all, Google Search, YouTube, Google Shopping, Google Maps or Google Play.
- Ad format: all, text, image or video.
- Ads per target: 10 to 200. The default is 40.

### Output

One row per ad:

| Field | What it holds |
|---|---|
| target, region | What you asked for |
| rank | The ad's place in the Transparency Center list |
| advertiser_name, advertiser_id, verified | The advertiser account and whether Google verified it |
| creative_id, format | Google's id for the ad, and text, image or video |
| first_shown, last_shown | When the ad was first and last shown (UTC) |
| ad_url | The ad's page in the Google Ads Transparency Center |
| preview_image_url, preview_url | The ad's preview, where Google gives one |

Sample row:

```json
{"status": "ok", "target": "dataforseo.com", "region": "United States", "rank": 1, "advertiser_name": "Dataforseo OU", "advertiser_id": "AR13752565271262920705", "verified": true, "creative_id": "CR04854618748897722369", "format": "text", "first_shown": "2023-06-03 10:12:13 +00:00", "last_shown": "2024-11-18 15:21:39 +00:00", "ad_url": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR13752565271262920705/creative/CR04854618748897722369?region=US"}
```

A target that is not a domain or an advertiser id gets one `invalid_input` row. A target with no ads gets one `no_ads` row. A provider error gets one `provider_error` row. None of these is charged.

### Price

One `ad` event for each ad row, at the price shown on this page. You pay only for ads that come back. The run asks for no more ads than its spending limit can pay for, and stops when the limit is reached.

### Limits

- Each target takes about 15 to 90 seconds, because Google Ads Transparency results are prepared as a task.
- The list shows the ads Google has on record for that advertiser; text of the ad itself is in the preview image.

# Actor input Schema

## `targets` (type: `array`):

Up to 20 advertiser domains (nike.com or a full link) or Google advertiser ids (AR followed by digits).

## `country` (type: `string`):

Where the ads were shown. ALL searches every region.

## `platform` (type: `string`):

Where Google showed the ad.

## `format` (type: `string`):

Keep only this format.

## `maxAdsPerTarget` (type: `integer`):

The most ads to return for each domain or id (10 to 200).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "targets": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "country": "US",
  "platform": "all",
  "format": "all",
  "maxAdsPerTarget": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Give advertiser domains or Google advertiser ids and get the ads each one runs, from the Google Ads Transparency Center: advertiser, verified status, format, first and last shown dates, ad link and preview image. Data from the DataForSEO SERP API.

# 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 = {
    "targets": [
        "nike.com"
    ],
    "maxAdsPerTarget": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("brightgro/google-ads").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 = {
    "targets": ["nike.com"],
    "maxAdsPerTarget": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("brightgro/google-ads").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 '{
  "targets": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "maxAdsPerTarget": 10
}' |
apify call brightgro/google-ads --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/97OnrvABk2yXzwOWK/builds/JAe0XYjIf3N3c5mgS/openapi.json