# Google Ads Transparency Center & Google Ad Library Scraper (`magenta_waterwheel/google-ads-transparency`) Actor Get any advertiser's Google ads from the Ads Transparency Center by advertiser name, website domain or advertiser ID, in any country: text, image and video creatives, image and YouTube links, first and last shown dates, regions, headlines and landing URLs. Fast JSON endpoints, no browser. - **URL**: https://apify.com/magenta_waterwheel/google-ads-transparency.md - **Developed by:** [Huss](https://apify.com/magenta_waterwheel) (community) - **Categories:** Marketing, SEO tools, Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.00 / 1,000 ads 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 & Google Ad Library Scraper Pull any advertiser's **competitor ads** from the [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com), Google's public ad library (often searched as **Google Ad Library**): search, display, YouTube and Shopping ads, by **website domain**, **advertiser name** or **advertiser ID**, in any country. Get the creatives (image and YouTube links, headlines, descriptions, landing pages), when each ad was **first and last shown**, the **regions** it ran in, and the advertiser behind it, as clean JSON, CSV or Excel. It reads the Transparency Center's own public data endpoints instead of driving a browser, so it's fast (about 1,000 ads a minute) and cheap. ### What can you do with it? - **Competitor research:** see every ad a rival is running right now and how long each one has been live. Long-running ads are usually the winners. - **Creative inspiration:** collect image and video ads in your niche, with their headlines and calls to action. - **Agency prospecting and audits:** check whether a prospect advertises on Google, in which countries and in what formats. - **Brand protection:** find advertisers pointing ads at your domain. - **Monitoring:** schedule a daily run and compare `firstShown` dates to catch new campaigns. ### How to use it 1. Enter one or more **website domains** (e.g. `nike.com`), **advertiser names** (e.g. `Stripe, Inc.`) or **advertiser IDs** (`AR...`, or the advertiser page URL). 2. Optionally pick **regions** (two-letter country codes like `US`, `GB`, `DE`) and an **ad format** (text, image or video). 3. Set **Max ads per search** and turn on **Include ad details** if you want regions, headlines, landing URLs and YouTube links for each ad. 4. Click **Start** and download the results as JSON, CSV, Excel or via the API. **Tip:** a domain search finds every advertiser pointing ads at that site and is the most reliable way to search big brands. Name search uses Google's advertiser suggestions; the run log and the `RUN_SUMMARY` record show exactly which advertiser was matched. #### Input example ```json { "domains": ["nike.com"], "advertiserNames": ["Stripe, Inc."], "regions": ["US"], "format": "ALL", "maxAdsPerSearch": 100, "includeDetails": true } ``` ### Output Each ad is one dataset item. Example with details on: ```json { "advertiserId": "AR16951989901585285121", "advertiserName": "Stripe, Inc.", "creativeId": "CR17422809241684541441", "format": "VIDEO", "domain": null, "firstShown": "2026-07-29T06:17:05.000Z", "lastShown": "2026-10-12T06:49:50.000Z", "daysShown": 76, "imageUrl": null, "previewUrl": "https://displayads-formats.googleusercontent.com/ads/preview/content.js?client=a...", "adUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16951989901585285121/creative/CR17422809241684541441?region=GB", "searchType": "advertiserName", "searchValue": "Stripe, Inc.", "searchRegions": ["GB"], "scrapedAt": "2026-10-12T17:46:02.998Z", "advertiserCountry": "US", "advertiserVerified": false, "headline": "A Complete Payments Platform", "longHeadline": "Financial infrastructure to grow your revenue.", "description": "Maximise customer conversion through higher card acceptance rates. Learn more today.", "callToAction": "Sign up", "texts": [ "A Complete Payments Platform", "Financial infrastructure to grow your revenue.", "Maximise customer conversion through higher card acceptance rates. Learn more today." ], "visibleUrl": "stripe.com", "destinationUrl": "https://stripe.com/payments", "imageUrls": [], "videoId": "eRLTwbexs_A", "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLTwbexs_A", "videoThumbnailUrl": "https://i3.ytimg.com/vi/eRLTwbexs_A/hqdefault.jpg", "videoDuration": "0:19", "regions": [ { "code": "GB", "name": "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", "lastShown": "2026-10-11" } ], "variantCount": 4, "detailsIncluded": true } ``` | Field | Description | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `advertiserId`, `advertiserName` | Google's verified advertiser ID and legal name | | `creativeId`, `adUrl` | The ad's ID and its Transparency Center page | | `format` | `TEXT`, `IMAGE` or `VIDEO` | | `domain` | Website the ad points to, when Google shows it | | `firstShown`, `lastShown`, `daysShown` | When the ad was first and last served, and on how many days | | `imageUrl` | Image of the ad (for text ads, Google's rendered snapshot of the ad) | | `previewUrl` | Google's preview script for display, Shopping and video ads | | `regions` | *(details)* Countries the ad was shown in, with the last date shown there | | `headline`, `longHeadline`, `description`, `callToAction`, `texts` | *(details)* Ad copy, when Google provides it as text | | `visibleUrl`, `destinationUrl` | *(details)* Display URL and landing page | | `imageUrls`, `videoId`, `videoUrl`, `videoThumbnailUrl`, `videoDuration` | *(details)* All image links and the YouTube video | A `RUN_SUMMARY` record in the key-value store lists each search, the matched advertiser, Google's estimate of the advertiser's total ads, and any failures. ### Pricing Pay per result, no subscription: - **$1.00 per 1,000 ads** - **+$1.00 per 1,000 ads with details** (only when *Include ad details* is on, and only for ads whose details loaded) - A tiny start fee of $0.00005 per run 100 ads cost about $0.10, or $0.20 with details. Apify's free plan credit covers a few thousand ads a month. ### FAQ #### Why are text ads returned as images? Google's Transparency Center stores most search (text) ads as a rendered snapshot image, not as text. `imageUrl` links to that snapshot. When Google does provide the copy as text (common for display, Shopping and video ads), it's in `headline`, `description` and `texts`. #### How many ads can I get? As many as the Transparency Center lists for the advertiser, domain, region and format you choose, up to *Max ads per search*. Results come most recently shown first. #### Can I search by keyword? No. The Transparency Center itself only searches by advertiser or website, not by keyword or topic. #### Is it legal to scrape the Ads Transparency Center? This Actor reads only the ad data Google publishes for transparency, which anyone can view without logging in, and it spaces out its requests. Ads can contain trademarks and copyrighted creatives, so make sure your use complies with applicable laws and Google's terms. #### I found a bug or need a feature Open an issue in the **Issues** tab with a link to your run. We aim to reply within one business day. If this saved you time, a quick rating on the Store helps a lot: [leave a review](https://apify.com/magenta_waterwheel/google-ads-transparency/reviews). ### More tools from the same developer | Actor | What it does | Price | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | | [Career Site Jobs API](https://apify.com/magenta_waterwheel/career-site-jobs-api) | Jobs from Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby and SmartRecruiters career sites, with salaries | $2 / 1,000 jobs | | [App Store Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/magenta_waterwheel/app-store-reviews-details) | Apple App Store reviews and app details in any country | $0.25 / 1,000 reviews | | [Website Screenshot & PDF API](https://apify.com/magenta_waterwheel/website-screenshot-pdf) | Full-page PNG/JPEG screenshots and web page to PDF in bulk | $2.50 / 1,000 screenshots | | [Document & PDF to Markdown](https://apify.com/magenta_waterwheel/document-to-markdown) | PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and HTML to LLM-ready Markdown, with OCR | $3 / 1,000 pages | # Actor input Schema ## `domains` (type: `array`): Find ads that point to these websites, one per line: nike.com, https://www.stripe.com/pricing. Includes subdomains. ## `advertiserNames` (type: `array`): Advertiser names as Google lists them, e.g. "Nike, Inc." or "Stripe, Inc.". Each name is matched against Google's advertiser suggestions; the run log and RUN_SUMMARY show which advertiser was used. For big brands a domain is usually more reliable. ## `advertiserIds` (type: `array`): Advertiser IDs (AR followed by digits) or Ads Transparency Center advertiser page URLs. ## `regions` (type: `array`): Only ads shown in these countries: two-letter codes such as US, GB, DE, BR. Leave empty for all regions. ## `format` (type: `string`): Only ads of this format. ## `maxAdsPerSearch` (type: `integer`): Maximum ads saved for each domain, advertiser name or advertiser ID, most recently shown first. ## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`): Also fetch each ad's details: regions where it ran with last-shown dates, headline, description, call to action, landing URL, all image URLs and YouTube video ID/link. Charged as an extra "ad details" event and about 3x slower. ## `maxAdvertisersPerName` (type: `integer`): How many matching advertisers to scrape for each advertiser name (the ones with the most ads first). Some brands use several advertiser accounts. ## `onlyCloseNameMatches` (type: `boolean`): Use only advertisers whose name equals the name you entered or starts with it ("Nike" matches "Nike Inc" but not "Nikesh"). Turn off to take the top suggestions anyway. ## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`): Pause between requests to Google, to stay polite and avoid blocks. ## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`): How many ad details are fetched at once (still spaced by the delay above). ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Usually not needed. Use Apify Proxy if Google starts blocking requests. ## Actor input object example ```json { "domains": [ "nike.com" ], "format": "ALL", "maxAdsPerSearch": 20, "includeDetails": false, "maxAdvertisersPerName": 1, "onlyCloseNameMatches": true, "requestDelayMs": 400, "maxConcurrency": 3, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `ads` (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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "domains": [ "nike.com" ], "maxAdsPerSearch": 20, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("magenta_waterwheel/google-ads-transparency").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 = { "domains": ["nike.com"], "maxAdsPerSearch": 20, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": False }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("magenta_waterwheel/google-ads-transparency").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 '{ "domains": [ "nike.com" ], "maxAdsPerSearch": 20, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false } }' | apify call magenta_waterwheel/google-ads-transparency --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,magenta_waterwheel/google-ads-transparency" } } } ``` 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 ` 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/HpSdciFpJNPjnHeqK/builds/Uck1SKCtkNkw1Hwb8/openapi.json