# Google Ads Transparency Scraper - Competitor Ads (`dataspace/google-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor

Get every Google ad a company runs on Search, YouTube, Shopping, Maps and Play from the Google Ads Transparency Center: images, videos, text ad copy, dates, countries and EU impressions. Search by domain, advertiser name or ID. Monitor mode for new ads.

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

## Pricing

from $1.40 / 1,000 ad 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 Scraper

See **every ad a company runs on Google** — Search, YouTube, Shopping, Maps and Play — straight from the public **Google Ads Transparency Center**. Search by **domain**, **advertiser name**, **advertiser ID** or paste any Transparency Center **URL**, and get clean data for each ad: image or preview, **text ad copy**, **YouTube video link**, first and last shown dates, **countries**, and **impressions per country and platform** (EU).

No login, no cookies, no Google account, no browser. Fast and cheap.

### What can you do with it?

- **Competitor ad intelligence** — see which ads your competitors run right now, where, and for how long (`shownForDays` = a strong signal of a winning ad).
- **Creative & copy research** — collect headlines, descriptions, images and YouTube ad videos for swipe files, trend analysis or AI training.
- **Ad check & lead generation** — in *Advertisers summary* mode, check a list of domains: does each company run Google Ads, and roughly how many ads?
- **Monitoring** — schedule the Actor with *Monitor mode* on and get only the **new ads** since the last run.
- **Market & compliance research** — filter by country, platform, format and date range.

### What data do you get?

One result per ad:

| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| `advertiserName`, `advertiserId`, `advertiserCountry` | Nike Retail BV, AR18378488041124659201, NL |
| `creativeId`, `format` | CR09485851008870383617, TEXT / IMAGE / VIDEO |
| `imageUrl`, `previewUrl` | ad image, or Google's preview link for HTML/text ads |
| `headline`, `description`, `displayUrl`, `sitelinks` | text ad copy, when Google provides it |
| `locations` | store locations attached to local text ads (name, address, city) |
| `youtubeUrl`, `youtubeVideoId` | the YouTube video of video ads |
| `videoUrl`, `videoDurationSeconds` | direct MP4 file and length of video ads hosted by Google (not on YouTube) |
| `firstShown`, `lastShown`, `shownForDays` | 2021-10-25, 2026-10-06, 1808 |
| `countries`, `countryCount` | \["PL", "DE", "NL"], 3 |
| `regions` | per country: first/last shown date, impressions range, impressions per platform |
| `impressionsMin`, `impressionsMax`, `platforms` | total impressions range and split by platform (Search, YouTube, Shopping, Maps, Play) |
| `variantCount`, `variantImageUrls` | all A/B variations of the ad |
| `adUrl` | link to the ad on the Transparency Center |

**About impressions:** Google publishes impression ranges only for ads shown in the **European Union** (Digital Services Act). For other countries you still get the country list and dates, and impression fields are empty.

**About text ads:** Google stores many older text ads only as images. When the ad text is available, you get `headline`, `description` and `displayUrl`; otherwise use `imageUrl`.

In **Advertisers summary** mode you get one result per domain or advertiser: `runsGoogleAds`, `adsCountMin`/`adsCountMax`, the advertiser accounts behind a domain, the latest date an ad was shown, and a link to the Transparency Center.

#### Example output (shortened)

```json
{
  "query": "nike.com",
  "advertiserName": "Nike Retail BV",
  "advertiserCountry": "NL",
  "creativeId": "CR09485851008870383617",
  "format": "TEXT",
  "headline": "Offizielle Nike Website - Neue Power für deinen Style",
  "description": "Dein Weg zum Sieg beginnt hier: Entdecke Nike Sportswear. Präzision und Performance: ...",
  "displayUrl": "www.nike.com/shox",
  "sitelinks": ["Nike Shox", "Nike Shox TL", "Nike Schuhe", "Nike Kleidung", "Die neuesten Nike Styles"],
  "firstShown": "2025-10-24",
  "lastShown": "2026-10-06",
  "shownForDays": 348,
  "countries": ["DE", "AT", "FR", "IT", "LI", "CH"],
  "impressionsMin": 6000,
  "impressionsMax": 7000,
  "platforms": [
    { "platform": "GOOGLE_SEARCH", "impressionsMin": 6000, "impressionsMax": 7000 },
    { "platform": "GOOGLE_MAPS", "impressionsMin": 0, "impressionsMax": 1000 },
    { "platform": "GOOGLE_SHOPPING", "impressionsMin": 0, "impressionsMax": 1000 }
  ],
  "adUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR18378488041124659201/creative/CR09485851008870383617?region=anywhere"
}
```

### How to use

1. Add one or more targets — each line can be a domain (`nike.com`), an advertiser name (`Nike Retail BV`), an advertiser ID (`AR...`) or a Transparency Center URL.
2. Choose **Ads** or **Advertisers summary**, and how many ads per target you want (newest first).
3. Optionally filter by **countries**, **platform**, **format** and **date range**.
4. Click **Start** and export as JSON, CSV, Excel, or via API.

#### Example input

```json
{
  "searchTargets": ["nike.com", "adidas.com"],
  "resultType": "ads",
  "maxAdsPerTarget": 200,
  "regions": ["DE", "FR"],
  "platform": "YOUTUBE",
  "adFormat": "VIDEO",
  "dateFrom": "2026-09-01",
  "includeDetails": true
}
```

### Pricing

Pay per result: **$1.40 per 1,000 results (one result = one ad or one advertiser summary)**, plus a tiny start fee of $0.00005 per run. Platform usage (compute and proxies) is included — you are not charged anything else. Ad details, text copy, YouTube links and country data are included.

| Example | Cost |
|---|---|
| 500 ads of one competitor | $0.70 |
| ad check of 1,000 domains | $1.40 |

Set a maximum cost for a run and the Actor stops when it is reached.

### Tips

- **Advertiser names:** Google may have several accounts with similar names (e.g. one per country). The account with the most ads is used; raise *Max advertiser accounts per name* to include more. For exact results, use the domain or the advertiser ID.
- **Big brands** can have 100,000+ ads — set *Max ads per domain / advertiser* to what you really need.
- **Monitor mode** remembers the ads it returned for each target + filter combination, so scheduled runs return only new ads.
- Ads are kept in the Transparency Center for about one year after they were last shown.

### FAQ

**Is this legal?** The Actor collects only the information Google publishes for transparency in the public Ads Transparency Center, without logging in. Please use the data responsibly and in line with applicable laws.

**Can I use it from my app or AI agent?** Yes — through the Apify API, Python/JavaScript clients, Zapier, Make, or as a tool for AI agents via Apify MCP.

**Missing a field?** Open an issue on the Issues tab — feedback is welcome and new features are added regularly.

### More scrapers by dataspace

- [Google Trends Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/google-trends-scraper) — search interest and trending searches
- [Google Maps Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/google-maps-scraper) — local businesses with phones and websites
- [Google News Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/google-news-scraper) — news articles for any keyword

**Like it?** If this Actor saves you time, please leave a review on the Reviews tab — it helps others find it. Found a problem? Open an issue and it will be fixed quickly.

### Disclaimer

This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google LLC. Google and Google Ads Transparency Center are trademarks of their respective owners and are mentioned only to describe the publicly available data source. It collects only the information that Google publishes in the public Ads Transparency Center for advertising transparency — without logging in and without solving CAPTCHAs. Ad images and videos are returned as links, not copied. Advertiser names are shown as published by Google. You are responsible for making sure that your use of the data complies with applicable laws (including copyright and data protection laws such as GDPR) and with the terms of the source website.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchTargets` (type: `array`):

One per line. Each line can be a <b>domain</b> (<code>nike.com</code>), an <b>advertiser name</b> (<code>Nike Retail BV</code>), an <b>advertiser ID</b> (<code>AR18378488041124659201</code>) or any <b>Google Ads Transparency Center URL</b> (advertiser, single ad or domain search). The type is detected automatically.

## `resultType` (type: `string`):

<b>Ads</b>: one result per ad, with dates, image/preview, countries and more. <b>Advertisers summary</b>: one result per domain or advertiser — does it run Google Ads, how many ads, which advertiser accounts (great for lead lists and quick ad checks).

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

Newest ads first. Big brands can have 100,000+ ads, so set the number you really need.

## `regions` (type: `array`):

Leave empty for all countries (anywhere). Select one or more countries to get only ads shown there.

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

Only ads shown on this Google platform.

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

Only text, image or video ads.

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

Only ads shown in this date range. If you set only one date, the other end is filled in automatically.

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

End of the date range (inclusive).

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

Adds the countries each ad ran in (with first/last shown dates), all ad variations, impressions per country and per platform (EU countries — published by Google under the EU Digital Services Act), text ad copy (headline, description, sitelinks) when Google provides it, and the YouTube link of video ads. No extra charge.

## `onlyNewAds` (type: `boolean`):

Return only ads that were not returned by previous runs with the same targets and filters. Schedule the Actor (e.g. daily) to get alerts about new competitor ads. Seen ads are remembered in the key-value store <code>google-ads-transparency-monitor</code> in your account.

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

When you search by advertiser name, Google may find several accounts (e.g. one per country). The accounts with the most ads are used first.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Requests go to Google directly and switch to a fresh proxy IP automatically if Google blocks them.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTargets": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "resultType": "ads",
  "maxAdsPerTarget": 50,
  "platform": "",
  "adFormat": "",
  "includeDetails": true,
  "onlyNewAds": false,
  "maxAdvertisersPerName": 1,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `ads` (type: `string`):

One item per ad: advertiser, format, image/preview, text ad copy, YouTube link, first/last shown dates, countries and impressions.

## `advertisers` (type: `string`):

One item per domain or advertiser (Advertisers summary mode): runs Google Ads or not, number of ads, advertiser accounts.

## `allFields` (type: `string`):

Every result with all fields, including per-country details and ad variations.

# 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 = {
    "searchTargets": [
        "nike.com"
    ],
    "maxAdsPerTarget": 50,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("dataspace/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 = {
    "searchTargets": ["nike.com"],
    "maxAdsPerTarget": 50,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("dataspace/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 '{
  "searchTargets": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "maxAdsPerTarget": 50,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call dataspace/google-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspace/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/Foe2BRcbwXtCfOc7N/builds/jw4MlWqdGW5JLC3LK/openapi.json