# Google Ads Transparency Scraper (`khadinakbar/google-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor Scrape ad creatives, copy, images, videos, formats, regions, and run dates from Google Ads Transparency Center. Monitor competitor advertising, track political ads, and conduct ad intelligence research — no Google account or login required. - **URL**: https://apify.com/khadinakbar/google-ads-transparency-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Khadin Akbar](https://apify.com/khadinakbar) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, SEO tools, MCP servers - **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 scraped ads This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. 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 — No Login Required ### What does Google Ads Transparency Scraper do? Google Ads Transparency Scraper extracts all active and historical ads from [Google's Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com/) — a public database of every ad Google has ever served. Search any competitor's domain or brand name and get structured data on every ad they're running: copy, headlines, formats, landing pages, regions, platforms, and run dates. No Google account, no API key, no login required. ### Why use Google Ads Transparency Scraper? - **Competitor ad intelligence** — See every ad your competitors are running across Google Search, Display, YouTube, and Maps, updated in real-time. - **Free alternative to AdSpy / BigSpy** — Tools like AdSpy, BigSpy, and SpyFu charge $100–500/month for similar data. This actor gives you the same Google-sourced data at a fraction of the cost. - **AI-ready structured output** — Returns clean JSON that Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI agents can immediately analyze, summarize, and act on. - **No authentication required** — Google's Transparency Center is fully public. No cookies, no sessions, no risk of account bans. ### What data can Google Ads Transparency Scraper extract? | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `advertiser_name` | string | Company name as shown in Google's database | | `advertiser_id` | string | Google's unique advertiser ID (e.g. AR12345678) | | `ad_headline` | string | Main headline of the ad creative | | `ad_text` | string | Body copy / description of the ad | | `ad_format` | string | TEXT, IMAGE, VIDEO, or SHOPPING | | `ad_image_url` | string | URL of the ad image (for display ads) | | `ad_video_url` | string | YouTube URL (for video ads) | | `destination_url` | string | Landing page users are taken to | | `regions_shown` | array | Countries where this ad is running (e.g. ["US", "GB"]) | | `platforms` | array | Google platforms: GOOGLE_SEARCH, YOUTUBE, DISPLAY, MAPS | | `first_shown_date` | string | Date the ad first started running | | `last_shown_date` | string | Date the ad was last seen | | `is_political_ad` | boolean | Whether Google classifies it as a political ad | | `scraped_at` | string | ISO 8601 timestamp of extraction | | `source_url` | string | The Transparency Center URL scraped | --- ### How to Scrape Google Ads Transparency Center #### 1. Basic competitor research (search by domain) Enter your competitor's domain in **Advertiser Domain or Name**, set **Search By** to "Domain", and click Start. ```json { "searchQuery": "nike.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "US", "adFormat": "ALL", "maxResults": 100 } ```` #### 2. Find all text ads for a brand ```json { "searchQuery": "amazon.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "US", "adFormat": "TEXT", "maxResults": 50 } ``` #### 3. Scrape display/image ads for a specific market ```json { "searchQuery": "booking.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "GB", "adFormat": "IMAGE", "maxResults": 30 } ``` #### 4. Use the API (JavaScript example) ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_APIFY_API_TOKEN' }); const run = await client.actor('USERNAME/google-ads-transparency-scraper').call({ searchQuery: 'shopify.com', searchType: 'domain', countryCode: 'US', adFormat: 'ALL', maxResults: 200, }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); console.log(`Scraped ${items.length} ads`); items.forEach(ad => { console.log(`[${ad.ad_format}] ${ad.ad_headline} → ${ad.destination_url}`); }); ``` #### 5. Use the API (Python example) ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_API_TOKEN") run = client.actor("USERNAME/google-ads-transparency-scraper").call( run_input={ "searchQuery": "hubspot.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "US", "maxResults": 100, } ) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(f"[{item['ad_format']}] {item.get('ad_headline')} → {item.get('destination_url')}") ``` *** ### Input Parameters | Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `searchQuery` | string | No | `example.com` | Advertiser domain (e.g. `nike.com`) or brand name (e.g. `Nike`) | | `searchType` | string | No | `domain` | How to search: `domain` or `advertiserName` | | `countryCode` | string | No | `US` | ISO 2-letter country code (e.g. `US`, `GB`, `CA`, `DE`) | | `adFormat` | string | No | `ALL` | Filter by format: `ALL`, `TEXT`, `IMAGE`, `VIDEO` | | `maxResults` | integer | No | `50` | Maximum ads to extract (1–1000) | | `startUrls` | array | No | `[]` | Direct Transparency Center URLs for specific advertisers | *** ### Output Format Each ad is returned as a JSON object in the default dataset. All fields are always present (missing values use `null`, not `undefined` or empty string). ```json { "advertiser_name": "Nike", "advertiser_id": "AR15497895950085120", "advertiser_domain": "nike.com", "ad_id": "CR1234567890", "ad_headline": "Nike Running Shoes - Shop Now", "ad_text": "Find your perfect pair. Free shipping on orders over $50.", "ad_format": "TEXT", "ad_image_url": null, "ad_video_url": null, "destination_url": "https://www.nike.com/running", "regions_shown": ["US", "CA"], "platforms": ["GOOGLE_SEARCH"], "first_shown_date": "2024-01-15", "last_shown_date": null, "is_political_ad": false, "scraped_at": "2026-04-13T10:00:00.000Z", "source_url": "https://adstransparency.google.com/?domain=nike.com®ion=US" } ``` *** ### Pricing This actor uses **pay-per-event pricing**: **$0.003 per ad scraped**. | Ads Scraped | Cost | |-------------|------| | 10 ads | $0.03 | | 50 ads | $0.15 | | 100 ads | $0.30 | | 500 ads | $1.50 | | 1,000 ads | $3.00 | Compare that to AdSpy ($149/month), BigSpy ($99/month), or SpyFu ($39/month) — all of which charge fixed monthly fees whether you use them or not. With this actor, you only pay for the data you actually extract. *** ### Use Cases #### Competitive Intelligence Track every ad your competitors are running before your next campaign launch. Identify their top-performing ad copy patterns, formats, and landing pages. Use the `first_shown_date` to detect when competitors start new campaigns. #### Ad Copy Research Analyze what messaging is working in your industry. Extract 200+ ads from 10 competitors in minutes and feed the data into Claude or ChatGPT to identify patterns, winning hooks, and untapped angles. #### Brand Monitoring Monitor whether any advertiser is running ads using your brand name or trademarked terms. Set `searchQuery` to your brand and check `ad_headline` and `ad_text` for mentions. #### Agency Benchmarking Before a client pitch, pull their competitor's full ad library and present it alongside your proposed strategy. Takes 30 seconds instead of hours of manual research. #### Market Research Analyze political ad trends, seasonal campaign patterns, or geographic targeting strategies across any industry vertical. *** ### Works Great With - **Google Maps Scraper** — Find businesses in a market, then research their ad strategies with this actor. - **Google Search Results Scraper** — See organic rankings alongside this actor's view of what competitors are spending on ads. - **Website Content Crawler** — After finding competitor landing pages via this actor, crawl them for full content analysis. *** ### FAQ **Does this require a Google account or API key?** No. Google's Ads Transparency Center is a fully public resource. No login, no cookies, no Google account required. **How current is the data?** Google's Transparency Center shows ads that are currently running or were recently running. Data is sourced directly from Google's own database and is as current as what Google exposes publicly. **Why did my run return 0 results?** This can happen if: (1) the advertiser hasn't run ads recently, (2) the domain you entered doesn't match Google's records exactly (try adding/removing "www."), or (3) the advertiser uses a different brand domain. Try `searchType: "advertiserName"` with the brand name instead. **Can I scrape multiple competitors in one run?** Currently each run searches one advertiser. For bulk scraping, use the Apify API to trigger multiple runs in parallel — one per competitor. **Will the actor break when Google updates the Transparency Center?** The actor uses both API response interception and DOM fallback extraction, making it resilient to UI redesigns. If Google makes significant changes, an update will be published within 48 hours. **Is this legal?** Google's Ads Transparency Center is a public, government-mandated transparency tool. Scraping publicly available web data for research and competitive intelligence is generally lawful. Always review the terms of service and applicable laws for your jurisdiction. *** ### Legal Disclaimer This actor is intended for lawful data collection from publicly available sources. Users are responsible for compliance with applicable laws, terms of service, and data protection regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.). The data extracted comes from Google's own public Ads Transparency Center, which Google operates to provide public accountability for advertising on its platforms. *** Export scraped data, run the scraper via API, schedule and monitor runs, or integrate with other tools. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Use this field when the user provides a company domain (e.g. 'nike.com') or brand name (e.g. 'Nike'). Do NOT use this when passing a direct Ads Transparency URL — use startUrls instead. This is the primary way to find all ads a specific advertiser is running on Google. ## `searchType` (type: `string`): Use 'domain' when searchQuery is a website domain like 'example.com'. Use 'advertiserName' when searchQuery is a brand name like 'Nike'. Domain search is more precise; name search is broader. ## `countryCode` (type: `string`): Filter ads shown in this country. Uses ISO 2-letter country codes. Default is 'US'. Use 'ANY' to see ads from all regions. ## `adFormat` (type: `string`): Filter by ad creative format. 'ALL' returns every format. 'TEXT' returns text-only search ads. 'IMAGE' returns display/banner ads. 'VIDEO' returns YouTube video ads. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of ads to extract per run. Each ad is one billable event at $0.003. Set to 50 for a quick competitive snapshot. Set to 200+ for comprehensive analysis. ## `startUrls` (type: `array`): Use this field instead of searchQuery when you have specific Google Ads Transparency Center URLs for known advertisers (e.g. https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR12345). Leave empty to use the searchQuery field instead. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQuery": "nike.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "US", "adFormat": "ALL", "maxResults": 50, "startUrls": [] } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): All extracted ad records as structured JSON. Each record represents one ad creative from the Google Ads Transparency Center. # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQuery": "nike.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "US", "adFormat": "ALL", "maxResults": 50 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("khadinakbar/google-ads-transparency-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${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 = { "searchQuery": "nike.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "US", "adFormat": "ALL", "maxResults": 50, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("khadinakbar/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 '{ "searchQuery": "nike.com", "searchType": "domain", "countryCode": "US", "adFormat": "ALL", "maxResults": 50 }' | apify call khadinakbar/google-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=khadinakbar/google-ads-transparency-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Google Ads Transparency Scraper", "description": "Scrape ad creatives, copy, images, videos, formats, regions, and run dates from Google Ads Transparency Center. Monitor competitor advertising, track political ads, and conduct ad intelligence research — no Google account or login required.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "heG6u752JDnieyXbE" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/khadinakbar~google-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-khadinakbar-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/khadinakbar~google-ads-transparency-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-khadinakbar-google-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/khadinakbar~google-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-khadinakbar-google-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "searchQuery": { "title": "Advertiser Domain or Name", "type": "string", "description": "Use this field when the user provides a company domain (e.g. 'nike.com') or brand name (e.g. 'Nike'). Do NOT use this when passing a direct Ads Transparency URL — use startUrls instead. This is the primary way to find all ads a specific advertiser is running on Google." }, "searchType": { "title": "Search By", "enum": [ "domain", "advertiserName" ], "type": "string", "description": "Use 'domain' when searchQuery is a website domain like 'example.com'. Use 'advertiserName' when searchQuery is a brand name like 'Nike'. Domain search is more precise; name search is broader.", "default": "domain" }, "countryCode": { "title": "Country / Region", "type": "string", "description": "Filter ads shown in this country. Uses ISO 2-letter country codes. Default is 'US'. Use 'ANY' to see ads from all regions.", "default": "US" }, "adFormat": { "title": "Ad Format Filter", "enum": [ "ALL", "TEXT", "IMAGE", "VIDEO" ], "type": "string", "description": "Filter by ad creative format. 'ALL' returns every format. 'TEXT' returns text-only search ads. 'IMAGE' returns display/banner ads. 'VIDEO' returns YouTube video ads.", "default": "ALL" }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Ads to Scrape", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of ads to extract per run. Each ad is one billable event at $0.003. Set to 50 for a quick competitive snapshot. Set to 200+ for comprehensive analysis.", "default": 50 }, "startUrls": { "title": "Direct Advertiser URLs (Optional)", "type": "array", "description": "Use this field instead of searchQuery when you have specific Google Ads Transparency Center URLs for known advertisers (e.g. https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR12345). Leave empty to use the searchQuery field instead.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "type": "string", "title": "URL of a web page", "format": "uri" } } } } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```