# Google Ads Transparency Center Scraper & Spy API (`kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor

Fast, browserless scraper for Google Ads Transparency Center. Search by brand, domain, or advertiser ID. Extract ad creatives, image URLs, formats, first/last seen dates, and days active.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Kamer Ozkan](https://apify.com/kamerozkan) (community)
- **Categories:** Marketing, E-commerce, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.50 / 1,000 scraped ad creatives

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 & Spy API

[![Run on Apify](https://apify.com/actor-badge?actor=kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper)](https://apify.com/kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper)
[![Pricing](https://img.shields.io/badge/Pricing-Pay--Per--Event%20\($0.0015\)-blue)](https://apify.com/kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper)
[![Memory](https://img.shields.io/badge/Memory-512%20MB-green)](https://apify.com/kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper)
[![Speed](https://img.shields.io/badge/Speed-1.3s%20per%20query-success)](https://apify.com/kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper)

Extract verified commercial advertisements from the **Google Ads Transparency Center** programmatically without browser overhead, slow rendering, or Google account requirements.

Search by **domain name** (`nike.com`), **brand name** (`Nike`), or verified **Advertiser ID** (`AR...`) to uncover active ad creatives, formats, image URLs, active campaign durations, and destination links.

***

### Why Google Ads Transparency Scraper?

| Feature | What you get |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Pricing** | $0.0015 per ad creative, no subscription |
| **Speed** | About 1.3 seconds per query, no browser |
| **Google login** | Not required |
| **API integration** | Apify REST API, webhooks, Zapier, Make, n8n |
| **Creative formats** | IMAGE, TEXT, VIDEO or ALL |
| **Active duration** | First seen, last seen and days active per creative |

***

### Core Use Cases

- **Competitor Ad Intelligence & Creative Benchmarking:** Monitor competitors' active ad creatives, visual design trends, and seasonal promotional angles.
- **Winning Creative Discovery:** Filter ads by `daysActive > 60` to immediately identify evergreen, profitable ad creatives that competitors keep running.
- **PPC & Media Buying Audits:** Verify whether prospective clients or target brands are actively investing in Google Display, Search, or YouTube campaigns.
- **Brand Protection & Trademark Monitoring:** Detect unauthorized vendors, resellers, or counterfeiters bidding on your brand's trademarked domains and keywords.
- **AI Ad Analysis Pipelines:** Feed extracted ad headlines, images, and copy into LLM pipelines (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) for automated competitor messaging breakdown.

***

### Key Features

- **Direct Internal Protocol Engine:** Connects straight to Google Ads Transparency Center backend endpoints without a headless browser, so runs are fast and use 512 MB of memory.
- **Flexible Entity Resolution:** Search by domain (`shopify.com`), brand name (`Shopify`), or exact Advertiser ID (`AR...`).
- **Format Filtering:** Target specific creative types: `"ALL"`, `"IMAGE"`, `"TEXT"`, or `"VIDEO"`.
- **Comprehensive Ad Metadata:**
  - Creative ID (`CR...`) & Advertiser ID (`AR...`)
  - Verified Advertiser entity name & domain
  - High-resolution Image CDN URLs
  - First Seen Date, Last Seen Date, and Total Days Active
  - Canonical Google Ads Transparency Center verification URL
- **Pay-Per-Result Pricing:** Pay only $0.0015 per ad creative. Zero wasted subscription fees.

***

### Input Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `queries` | Array of Strings | **Yes** | `["nike.com"]` | List of domains, brands, or Advertiser IDs (`AR...`) to scrape. |
| `format` | String | No | `"ALL"` | Ad format filter: `"ALL"`, `"IMAGE"`, `"TEXT"`, or `"VIDEO"`. |
| `maxAdsPerQuery` | Integer | No | `40` | Maximum number of ads to collect per query (1 to 1,000). |
| `maxConcurrency` | Integer | No | `5` | Simultaneous search threads running in parallel. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Object | No | `{ "useApifyProxy": true }` | Apify Datacenter or Residential proxy settings. |

***

### Example JSON Output

Each record represents one verified ad creative:

```json
{
  "query": "nike.com",
  "advertiserId": "AR11604595304388132865",
  "advertiserName": "NIKE EUROPEAN OPERATIONS NETHERLANDS B.V.",
  "creativeId": "CR12345678901234567890",
  "format": "IMAGE",
  "imageUrl": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/simgad/123456789...",
  "firstSeen": "2026-08-01",
  "lastSeen": "2026-10-06",
  "daysActive": 66,
  "adUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR11604595304388132865/creative/CR12345678901234567890",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-06T19:33:14+00:00"
}
```

***

### Code Examples

#### Python (apify-client)

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_API_TOKEN")

run_input = {
    "queries": ["shopify.com", "stripe.com"],
    "format": "IMAGE",
    "maxAdsPerQuery": 20,
}

## Run the Actor and wait for completion
run = client.actor("kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

## Fetch ad records from dataset
for ad in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(f"[{ad['advertiserName']}] {ad['format']} ad active for {ad['daysActive']} days: {ad['adUrl']}")
```

#### JavaScript / Node.js (apify-client)

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: 'YOUR_APIFY_API_TOKEN',
});

const runInput = {
    queries: ['airbnb.com'],
    format: 'ALL',
    maxAdsPerQuery: 50,
};

const run = await client.actor('kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper').call(runInput);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();

console.log(`Extracted ${items.length} competitor ads:`, items);
```

#### cURL

```bash
curl --request POST \
  --url "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/kamerozkan~google-ads-transparency-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_API_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "queries": ["nike.com"],
    "format": "IMAGE",
    "maxAdsPerQuery": 30
  }'
```

***

### Pricing Details

This Actor operates under **Pay-Per-Event (PPE)**:

- **Per Scraped Ad Creative ($0.0015):** Charged only for successfully extracted ad creative records.
- 1,000 ad creatives cost $1.50.
- Example: 2 domains with `maxAdsPerQuery: 40` return up to 80 creatives, at most $0.12.

***

### How to use

1. Open the Actor and enter one or more domains (`shopify.com`), brand names (`Shopify`) or Advertiser IDs (`AR...`) in **queries**.
2. Pick a **format** (`ALL`, `IMAGE`, `TEXT` or `VIDEO`) and set **maxAdsPerQuery** to cap the cost.
3. Click **Start**. Each ad creative appears as one row in the dataset.
4. Export the results as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read them through the API (examples above).
5. To repeat the check, save the input as a task and add a schedule.

***

### FAQ

**Do I need a Google account or an API key?**
No. The Actor reads the public Google Ads Transparency Center without logging in.

**Can I search by domain instead of Advertiser ID?**
Yes. A domain or brand name is resolved to the matching advertiser first. If a brand has several advertiser accounts, use the exact `AR...` ID for precise results.

**I want alerts when a competitor launches or stops ads. Is this the right Actor?**
This Actor gives you a snapshot of the current creatives. For a change feed (new, stopped, resumed and changed creatives across scheduled runs) use [Google Ads Transparency Scraper - Creative Monitor](https://apify.com/kamerozkan/google-ads-verified-change-monitor). You can take the Advertiser IDs from this Actor's output.

**Why did a query return fewer ads than maxAdsPerQuery?**
The advertiser has fewer creatives in the selected format. You are only charged for creatives returned.

***

### Support and feedback

- Found a bug or missing a field? Open an issue on the **Issues** tab of this Actor. We reply within
  48 hours and ship most fixes within a few days.
- Have an idea for a feature? Issues are the fastest way to get it built.
- If the Actor saves you time, a short review on this page helps other users find it.

# Actor input Schema

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

Enter domain names (e.g. 'nike.com', 'shopify.com'), brand names, or Google Advertiser IDs (starting with 'AR...').

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

Filter ads by format: All, Images only, Text ads only, or Video ads only.

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

Maximum number of ad creatives to collect per search query.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Number of concurrent queries executed simultaneously.

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

Select Apify datacenter or residential proxies for large volume scrapes.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "nike.com",
    "airbnb.com"
  ],
  "format": "ALL",
  "maxAdsPerQuery": 40,
  "maxConcurrency": 5,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Default dataset containing collected ad records.

# 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",
        "airbnb.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("kamerozkan/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",
        "airbnb.com",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("kamerozkan/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",
    "airbnb.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call kamerozkan/google-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,kamerozkan/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/vXxT9gBOkAJiCBFLi/builds/lMh5xgM6J1JdsNNDN/openapi.json