# Google Ads Transparency Scraper (`frabi/google-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor Extract every ad an advertiser runs on Google — search, display, YouTube, Shopping — from the official Ads Transparency Center. Search by brand name, domain, or advertiser ID. No cookies or login needed. - **URL**: https://apify.com/frabi/google-ads-transparency-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Fred A](https://apify.com/frabi) (community) - **Categories:** SEO tools, Automation, E-commerce - **Stats:** 2 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing $2.00 / 1,000 ad scrapeds 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 ## Google Ads Transparency Scraper **See every ad any company runs on Google.** This Actor pulls advertiser creatives straight from Google's official [Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com) — Search ads, Display banners, YouTube video ads, and Shopping — so you can spy on competitors, research a market, or monitor a brand's ad spend over time. No cookies. No login. No browser. Just fast, structured JSON. --- ### What you can do with it - 🔍 **Competitor ad intelligence** — see exactly what creatives a rival is running right now, and how long each has been live. - 🎯 **Ad creative research** — build a swipe file of winning image/video ads in your niche. - 📈 **Market monitoring** — track a brand's active-ad count and creative refresh cadence over weeks. - 🧠 **Lead & agency prospecting** — find companies actively spending on Google Ads (they have budget). ### Input You can search three ways — mix and match as many as you like: | Field | What it does | Example | |---|---|---| | `queries` | Brand / advertiser names to look up | `["Nike", "HubSpot"]` | | `domains` | Verified advertiser domains (most precise) | `["nike.com"]` | | `advertiserIds` | Exact Google advertiser IDs (`AR...`) | `["AR16735076323512287233"]` | Options: | Field | Default | Description | |---|---|---| | `region` | `anywhere` | 2-letter ISO country code (`US`, `GB`, `DE`…) or `anywhere` | | `format` | `any` | Filter to `text`, `image`, or `video` ads | | `fetchDetails` | `false` | Fetch each ad's full detail: format, all creative variants, preview URLs | | `maxResultsPerAdvertiser` | `100` | Cap ads per advertiser (controls cost) | | `maxAdvertisersPerQuery` | `1` | For name queries, how many top matches to scrape | #### Example input ```json { "queries": ["HubSpot"], "domains": ["nike.com"], "region": "US", "format": "image", "fetchDetails": true, "maxResultsPerAdvertiser": 200 } ```` ### Output Each row is one ad creative: ```json { "advertiserId": "AR18378488041124659201", "creativeId": "CR03313499374020984833", "advertiserName": "Nike Retail BV", "domain": "nike.com", "firstShown": "2021-10-25T07:00:00.000Z", "lastShown": "2026-07-04T18:31:09.000Z", "format": "image", "previewImageUrl": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/archive/simgad/15113607928136391589", "adUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR18378488041124659201/creative/CR03313499374020984833", "variants": [ { "type": "image", "url": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/archive/simgad/15113607928136391589" } ] } ``` Export to JSON, CSV, Excel, or pull it via the Apify API. ### How to find an advertiser ID or domain Open [adstransparency.google.com](https://adstransparency.google.com), search a brand, and click it. The URL contains the advertiser ID (`AR...`). Or just pass the brand name as a `query` and let the Actor resolve it. ### Pricing **Pay per result** — you're charged **$0.002 per ad** delivered to your dataset, and nothing else. No monthly rental, no platform-usage surprises. A 500-ad competitor sweep costs **$1.00**. ### Tips - Prefer `domains` or `advertiserIds` over `queries` when you know the exact advertiser — name search can be ambiguous for common words. - Turn on `fetchDetails` only when you need creative variants / preview URLs; it adds one request per ad. - Set a `region` to see what a global brand runs specifically in your market. ### Legal This Actor collects **publicly available** data that Google itself publishes in its Ads Transparency Center for accountability. Use it responsibly and in line with applicable laws and terms. It does not access any private or authenticated data. *** *Not affiliated with or endorsed by Google. "Google" is a trademark of Google LLC.* # Actor input Schema ## `queries` (type: `array`): Free-text names to look up in the Ads Transparency Center. Each resolves to the best-matching advertiser(s), then their ads are scraped. Example: "Nike", "HubSpot". ## `domains` (type: `array`): Verified advertiser domains to resolve directly (more precise than a name search). Example: "nike.com". ## `advertiserIds` (type: `array`): Exact Google advertiser IDs (they start with "AR..."). Use these when you already know the advertiser and want every ad, fastest path. ## `region` (type: `string`): Only return ads shown in this country (2-letter ISO code, e.g. US, GB, DE), or "anywhere" for all regions. ## `format` (type: `string`): Filter delivered ads by creative format. ## `fetchDetails` (type: `boolean`): Fetch each ad's full detail (format, all creative variants, image/video preview URLs, regions shown). Slower and makes one extra request per ad, but far richer output. ## `maxResultsPerAdvertiser` (type: `integer`): Stop after this many ads for each advertiser. Lower it to control cost. ## `maxAdvertisersPerQuery` (type: `integer`): For free-text queries, how many of the top matching advertisers to scrape. Increase when a brand name is ambiguous. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Optional. The endpoint works without a proxy; add one to avoid shared-IP rate limits on large runs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "queries": [ "Nike", "HubSpot" ], "domains": [ "nike.com" ], "advertiserIds": [ "AR16735076323512287233" ], "region": "anywhere", "format": "any", "fetchDetails": false, "maxResultsPerAdvertiser": 100, "maxAdvertisersPerQuery": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false } } ``` # 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 = { "queries": [ "Nike" ], "region": "anywhere" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("frabi/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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "queries": ["Nike"], "region": "anywhere", } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("frabi/google-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 '{ "queries": [ "Nike" ], "region": "anywhere" }' | apify call frabi/google-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=frabi/google-ads-transparency-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Google Ads Transparency Scraper", "description": "Extract every ad an advertiser runs on Google — search, display, YouTube, Shopping — from the official Ads Transparency Center. Search by brand name, domain, or advertiser ID. No cookies or login needed.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "umsq07ewZf9sSYQFn" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/frabi~google-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-frabi-google-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/frabi~google-ads-transparency-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-frabi-google-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/frabi~google-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-frabi-google-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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", "properties": { "queries": { "title": "Search queries (brand / advertiser names)", "type": "array", "description": "Free-text names to look up in the Ads Transparency Center. Each resolves to the best-matching advertiser(s), then their ads are scraped. Example: \"Nike\", \"HubSpot\".", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "domains": { "title": "Advertiser domains", "type": "array", "description": "Verified advertiser domains to resolve directly (more precise than a name search). Example: \"nike.com\".", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "advertiserIds": { "title": "Advertiser IDs", "type": "array", "description": "Exact Google advertiser IDs (they start with \"AR...\"). Use these when you already know the advertiser and want every ad, fastest path.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "region": { "title": "Region", "type": "string", "description": "Only return ads shown in this country (2-letter ISO code, e.g. US, GB, DE), or \"anywhere\" for all regions.", "default": "anywhere" }, "format": { "title": "Ad format", "enum": [ "any", "text", "image", "video" ], "type": "string", "description": "Filter delivered ads by creative format.", "default": "any" }, "fetchDetails": { "title": "Fetch full creative details", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch each ad's full detail (format, all creative variants, image/video preview URLs, regions shown). Slower and makes one extra request per ad, but far richer output.", "default": false }, "maxResultsPerAdvertiser": { "title": "Max ads per advertiser", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 5000, "type": "integer", "description": "Stop after this many ads for each advertiser. Lower it to control cost.", "default": 100 }, "maxAdvertisersPerQuery": { "title": "Max advertisers per query", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 10, "type": "integer", "description": "For free-text queries, how many of the top matching advertisers to scrape. Increase when a brand name is ambiguous.", "default": 1 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Optional. The endpoint works without a proxy; add one to avoid shared-IP rate limits on large runs.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": false } } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```