# Google Ads Transparency Scraper – Competitor Ads Monitor (`kirozhang/google-ads-competitor-monitor`) Actor

Google Ads Transparency Center scraper to spy on competitors' Search, YouTube and Display ads. New and stopped ads each run, ad copy, images, videos, landing pages, how long each ad runs, history and HTML report.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/kirozhang/google-ads-competitor-monitor.md
- **Developed by:** [Kiro Zhang](https://apify.com/kirozhang) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 ad saveds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

> **Built for PPC agencies and growth teams.** One scheduled run per competitor set: only the ads that are new since the last run (and which ones stopped), with headlines, descriptions, landing pages, images or videos, and how long each ad has been running.
>
> **Why not a plain ads scraper?** A scraper returns every ad on every run. This monitor remembers what you already have (per *Tracking name*), so a weekly check only charges for new ads and your team only reviews what changed.

### What does this Google Ads Transparency scraper do?

It watches your competitors' **Google ads** — Search text ads, YouTube video ads, Display/image ads, Shopping, Maps and Play — using Google's official public **Ads Transparency Center**, and tells you **what changed since the last run**:

- 🆕 **New ads** your competitors launched (the first run saves today's ads as a baseline).
- 🛑 **Stopped ads** — creatives that disappeared.
- ✍️ **Ad copy**: headlines, descriptions, call to action, display URL and **landing page** of text and video ads; image URLs for display ads; YouTube link for video ads.
- ⏱️ **Run time**: first shown, last shown and **days running** — long-running ads are usually the winners worth copying.
- 📊 **Format mix, top landing pages, top CTAs** and an **HTML report** per run.

Track competitors by **advertiser name** (`Pipedrive`), **advertiser ID / Transparency Center URL** (`AR08924170183925301249`) or **website domain** (`monday.com` = all ads linking to that site). Choose the **region** (US, UK, Germany… or anywhere) and the **lookback window**.

No login, no Google Ads account, no API key.

### Who is it for?

- **PPC & performance marketers** – see which messages, offers and landing pages competitors are testing right now.
- **Marketing agencies** – weekly competitor-ads digests for every client, automatically.
- **Founders & product marketers** – spot competitors' launches, pricing pushes and new markets the moment their ads go live.
- **Creative teams** – a swipe file of real ads with run time as a performance signal.

### How to use it

1. Add your **competitors** (names, advertiser IDs or domains), one per line.
2. Pick the **region** and **lookback window** (default: ads shown in the last 30 days).
3. Keep **What to save = New ads only** for monitoring, then add a **Schedule** (daily or weekly) with the same **Tracking name**.
4. Connect **Slack, email, Google Sheets, Make, Zapier or n8n** to receive new ads automatically.

### Output

#### Dataset – one row per ad

```json
{
    "competitor": "monday.com",
    "advertiserName": "monday.com Ltd.",
    "format": "text",
    "isNew": true,
    "headlines": ["Work smarter, not harder"],
    "descriptions": ["Less manual work means fewer mistakes and faster service for everyone."],
    "callToAction": "Learn more",
    "displayUrl": "monday.com",
    "destinationUrl": "https://monday.com/w/service-var",
    "imageUrl": null,
    "videoUrl": null,
    "firstShown": "2026-06-24T07:00:00.000Z",
    "lastShown": "2026-10-08T07:00:00.000Z",
    "daysRunning": 107,
    "isActive": true,
    "transparencyUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR15972262369074085889/creative/CR13534018720854179841?region=US"
}
```

#### Summary & report (key-value store)

- **OUTPUT** – per competitor: ads in the window, new and stopped ads, ads running now, format mix, longest-running active ads, top landing pages and CTAs, and a trend of previous runs.
- **REPORT** – an HTML page with KPIs and a gallery of new ads per competitor.

### Alerts in Slack and a shareable report

Both optional and included in the price below.

- **Slack or webhook alerts** – paste a Slack Incoming Webhook URL (or any https webhook for Make, Zapier, n8n, Teams) and get one message whenever competitors launch new ads, with ad copy and links to the ads.
- **Shareable report link** – turn on *Shareable report link* to keep the HTML report, with 7- and 30-day trends of new ads per competitor, at one fixed URL per Tracking name that updates after every run (`OUTPUT.reportUrl`). The link starts working a minute or two after the first run.

### How much does it cost?

| Event | Free & Starter | Scale | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitor check (per competitor per run) | $0.05 | $0.04 | $0.035 |
| Ad saved (with ad copy) | $0.002 | $0.0017 | $0.0015 |

**Example:** 5 competitors checked weekly, ~20 new ads each per week → about **$1.90 per month** after the first (baseline) run. The baseline run saves up to *Max ads per competitor* (default 300) ads per competitor.

On the Apify free plan a run checks up to 2 competitors and 30 ads each.

To cap spending, set **Maximum cost per run** in the run options – the Actor stops cleanly when it is reached and keeps what it already saved.

### Automations: Slack, email, n8n, Make, Zapier

- **n8n – ready-made workflow:** [Weekly competitor ads digest → email](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/JFOMYybxejeFmBbUK/records/n8n-weekly-competitor-ads-digest). In n8n choose *Import from URL* and paste the link, add your Apify API token as a *Header Auth* credential (`Authorization` = `Bearer YOUR_TOKEN`), edit the input and activate.
- **Make or Zapier:** use the Apify app → *Run an Actor* with this Actor and the same input → filter on `isNew = true` → Slack, Gmail or Google Sheets.
- **Apify only:** add a *Schedule* (daily is typical), then connect Slack or email in the Actor's *Integrations* tab.

### Reliability

An automated health check runs this Actor against live pages every week, and open issues are checked twice a day. If something looks wrong, open an issue with the run ID and you'll get an answer within 24 hours.

### Tips & limits

- Data comes from the **Google Ads Transparency Center**; it covers all advertisers verified by Google. Ad copy is available for text and video ads; many display ads are images (you get the image URL).
- Search for a **brand name** first; if a company uses several Google Ads accounts, all matching advertisers are combined.
- Use a **domain** to catch every ad pointing to a site — including resellers and affiliates.
- "Stopped" is only reported when the ad list isn't capped by *Max ads per competitor*.

### FAQ

**Is this the same data as in the Transparency Center?** Yes — it's the public data shown at adstransparency.google.com, structured and tracked over time.

**Does it show ad spend or impressions?** Google doesn't publish spend for commercial ads. Run time (days running) and the number of regions are the best available proxies.

**Where is my history stored?** In the named key-value store `google-ads-monitor-history` in your own Apify account.

# Actor input Schema

## `competitors` (type: `array`):

Required. One competitor per line: an advertiser name (Pipedrive), an advertiser ID or Ads Transparency URL (AR08924170183925301249), or a website domain (pipedrive.com).

## `region` (type: `string`):

Where the ads were shown.

## `lookbackDays` (type: `integer`):

Only ads shown within this window are tracked.

## `formats` (type: `array`):

Leave empty for all formats.

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

Optional filter.

## `outputMode` (type: `string`):

'New ads only' is ideal for scheduled monitoring: each run saves only ads you haven't received yet (the first run saves the current ads as a baseline).

## `maxAdsPerCompetitor` (type: `integer`):

Cap on ads saved per competitor in one run. Each saved ad is one 'ad' charge.

## `fetchAdCopy` (type: `boolean`):

Headlines, descriptions, call to action, display & landing URL and YouTube video for each saved ad.

## `trackingId` (type: `string`):

Stable name for this competitor set, e.g. 'crm-competitors-us'. Runs with the same name share history (new and stopped ads). Defaults to the competitor list.

## `slackWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Optional. A Slack <a href="https://api.slack.com/messaging/webhooks" target="_blank">Incoming Webhook</a> URL (https://hooks.slack.com/services/…). After a run you get one summary message in that channel. Stored encrypted.

## `webhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Optional. Any https endpoint (Make, Zapier, n8n, a Microsoft Teams workflow or your own server). Receives one JSON POST per run with counts, items and the report link. Stored encrypted.

## `notifyOn` (type: `string`):

When the Slack / webhook message is sent.

## `publicReport` (type: `boolean`):

Off by default. When on, the HTML report with 7- and 30-day trends is kept at one fixed link per Tracking name (shown in OUTPUT.reportUrl and in notifications) – send it to a client or your team. Anyone with the link can open it.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "competitors": [
    "Pipedrive",
    "monday.com"
  ],
  "region": "us",
  "lookbackDays": 30,
  "platform": "all",
  "outputMode": "new",
  "maxAdsPerCompetitor": 300,
  "fetchAdCopy": true,
  "notifyOn": "alerts",
  "publicReport": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

No description

## `report` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 = {
    "competitors": [
        "Pipedrive",
        "monday.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("kirozhang/google-ads-competitor-monitor").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 = { "competitors": [
        "Pipedrive",
        "monday.com",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("kirozhang/google-ads-competitor-monitor").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 '{
  "competitors": [
    "Pipedrive",
    "monday.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call kirozhang/google-ads-competitor-monitor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/F1ZxrfXGeZhYAqwKt/builds/KHw1NTR5RcMfpMytG/openapi.json