# Google Ads Transparency Scraper & Advertiser Check (`moonweil/google-ads-transparency`) Actor

Scrape the Google Ads Transparency Center: every ad a competitor runs on Search, YouTube, Shopping, Maps and Play by domain, advertiser or brand — format, first/last shown, previews, per-country reach. Or bulk-check which domains advertise on Google. No login, no API key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/moonweil/google-ads-transparency.md
- **Developed by:** [Aleksandr Jelohhin](https://apify.com/moonweil) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Marketing, 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 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 Scraper — competitor ads & advertiser check

Scrape the **Google Ads Transparency Center** (the public Google ads library) and get every ad a
competitor runs on **Google Search, YouTube, Shopping, Maps and Play**: ad format, first and
last shown dates, how long it has been running, a preview, and a direct link to the ad. Search
by **domain**, **advertiser ID**, **brand name** or by pasting a Transparency Center link.

Need lead qualification instead? The **advertiser check** answers *"does this website run Google
Ads?"* for thousands of domains at once, with ad count, formats and the date of the latest ad.

No Google account, no API key, no browser.

### Why this one

- **$1.50 per 1,000 ads**, as cheap as any Transparency Center scraper on the Store. The only
  other charge is Apify's standard $0.00005 run start.
- **Monitor alerts you can trust.** "New" means Google first showed the ad after your previous
  run, not just that this run happened to see it, so long-running ads that get re-served don't
  spam your alerts. You pay per *new* ad, plus $0.001 per monitored input.
- **Ad research and lead qualification in one actor.** The advertiser check answers "does this
  domain run Google Ads?" for thousands of domains, and a "no" counts as an answer too.
- **Keeps working when Google throttles.** It retries and moves to residential proxies by itself
  when Google starts rate-limiting, instead of returning an empty dataset.
- **Everything the Transparency Center shows**: format, first and last shown, days running,
  previews, and (with details) every variation with per-country dates and impression ranges.

### What you can do with it

- **Competitor ad research:** see every Search, YouTube and display creative a competitor runs,
  newest first, and how long each one has been live. Long-running ads are usually the winners.
- **Creative swipe files:** export previews of image and video ads by format, country and platform.
- **Lead qualification for agencies:** check a list of prospect domains and keep the ones that
  actively spend on Google Ads, or the ones that don't advertise yet.
- **Market maps:** count advertisers and ad volume across a niche from a list of brands.

### Monitor mode: daily alerts for new competitor ads

Set **Mode = Monitor**, give it a **Monitor name**, and schedule it (e.g. daily). Each run
outputs only creatives that are **new since the previous run** of the same monitor. Pair it with
an Apify integration (Slack, email, webhook) on "run succeeded" to get alerts.

- The **first run records a baseline** silently: no rows, no per-ad charge. Turn on *Output
  all ads on the first run* if you want the full list too.
- A creative counts as new only if Google first showed it after your previous run. Long-running
  ads that are simply re-served don't trigger alerts.
- Turn on **Also report stopped ads** to get a free row when a known ad has disappeared for
  2+ runs and hasn't been shown for 48 hours.
- Memory is kept in a named key-value store `ads-monitor-<name>` on your account. Use one name
  per schedule, and **Reset monitor** to start over.

### Input

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Mode** | `Ads` (one row per ad), `Advertiser check` (one row per domain/brand), or `Monitor` (only new ads since the last run) |
| **Domains** | e.g. `nike.com`. Full URLs work too. |
| **Advertiser IDs** | `AR…` IDs from a Transparency Center URL |
| **Brand / advertiser names** | Matched to the top Google advertiser accounts |
| **Transparency Center URLs** | Paste links to an advertiser, a single ad, or a domain search |
| **Region / format / platform / dates** | Same filters as the Transparency Center |
| **Max ads per input** | Caps results and cost per input. Newest ads come first. |
| **Include ad details** | Adds all variations, per-country first/last shown dates, impression ranges, platforms and topic |

### Output

**Ads mode:** one row per ad.

```json
{
  "type": "ad",
  "creativeId": "CR03228925197310492673",
  "advertiserId": "AR18378488041124659201",
  "advertiserName": "Nike Retail BV",
  "domain": "nike.com",
  "format": "image",
  "firstShown": "2025-09-19T13:21:48.526Z",
  "lastShown": "2026-10-18T09:47:44.909Z",
  "daysShown": 396,
  "isActive": true,
  "previewImageUrl": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/archive/simgad/13563293413609112976",
  "transparencyUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR18378488041124659201/creative/CR03228925197310492673?region=anywhere",
  "query": { "source": "domain", "value": "nike.com", "region": "anywhere" }
}
```

With **Include ad details**, each row also gets `details`: variations, `regions` (country, first and
last shown, impression range, platforms), all-region totals, `platforms` and `topic`.

**Advertiser check:** one row per input.

```json
{
  "type": "advertiser",
  "input": "nike.com",
  "advertises": true,
  "adCountRange": { "min": 80000, "max": 90000 },
  "formats": ["image", "text", "video"],
  "latestAdShown": "2026-10-18T09:47:44.000Z",
  "isActiveAdvertiser": true,
  "advertisers": [{ "advertiserId": "AR18378488041124659201", "name": "Nike Retail BV", "country": "NL", "verified": true }]
}
```

A run summary (per-input status, failures and charges) is saved as `SUMMARY` in the key-value store.

### Pricing

Pay only for results:

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Ad returned | $0.0015 ($1.50 per 1,000 ads) |
| Ad details (optional) | $0.002 per ad |
| Advertiser check | $0.003 per domain or brand (a "doesn't advertise" answer counts) |
| Monitored input (monitor mode) | $0.001 per domain / advertiser / brand per run, plus $0.0015 per **new** ad |

Inputs that fail or return nothing are free.

### Tips

- **Monitoring:** schedule the Actor daily with a small *Max ads per input*. Newest ads come
  first, so you'll see new creatives at the top.
- **Blocking:** Google rate-limits single IPs. Apify Proxy is on by default, and the Actor
  switches to residential proxies automatically if it gets blocked.
- **Text ads:** many text ads have a `previewScriptUrl` (Google's renderer) rather than an image.
- **Impressions are EU-only:** Google publishes impression ranges and per-platform breakdowns
  only for EU/EEA countries (Digital Services Act). For other regions, `details.regions` has
  dates but `impressions: null`.
- **Display domains:** the advertiser check counts ads that *show* a domain, so a placeholder
  domain like example.com can appear in other advertisers' ads.

### Disclaimer

This Actor reads public data that Google publishes in the Ads Transparency Center. It is an
independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Ads: every ad creative for each domain, advertiser or brand. Advertiser check: one row per input with whether it advertises on Google, how many ads, which formats and when it last ran an ad — cheap bulk lead qualification. Monitor: schedule it daily and get only the creatives that appeared since the previous run of the same monitor.

## `domains` (type: `array`):

Websites whose Google ads you want, e.g. nike.com. A full URL works too — only the hostname is used.

## `advertiserIds` (type: `array`):

Google advertiser IDs (start with AR…), as shown in the Transparency Center URL /advertiser/AR…

## `searchTerms` (type: `array`):

Brand or company names. Each is matched to the top Google advertiser accounts with that name (see 'Advertisers per name').

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Paste adstransparency.google.com links to an advertiser, a single ad, or a domain search. Region/format/platform in the link override the filters below for that link.

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

Only ads shown in this country. 'Anywhere' covers all regions.

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

Only ads of this format.

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

Only ads shown on this Google platform.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Only ads shown on or after this date (YYYY-MM-DD).

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Only ads shown on or before this date (YYYY-MM-DD).

## `maxAdsPerSource` (type: `integer`):

Stops after this many ads for each input. You are charged per ad returned, so this also caps cost. Most recently shown ads come first.

## `maxAdvertisersPerTerm` (type: `integer`):

For brand/advertiser names: how many matching Google advertiser accounts to include.

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

For each ad, also fetch every variation, per-country first/last shown dates, impression ranges, platforms and topic. Charged per ad as 'Ad details'.

## `monitorName` (type: `string`):

Required in Monitor mode. Runs with the same name share memory of which ads were already seen (kept in a named key-value store 'ads-monitor-<name>' on your account). Use one name per scheduled task.

## `reportStopped` (type: `boolean`):

Monitor mode: also add a row (free) when a known ad hasn't been shown for 2+ runs and 48+ hours.

## `emitBaseline` (type: `boolean`):

Monitor mode: the first run normally records the current ads silently (no rows, no per-ad charge) so you're only alerted about genuinely new ones. Turn on to get the full list on the first run too (charged per ad).

## `resetMonitor` (type: `boolean`):

Monitor mode: forget what this monitor has seen and start a new baseline.

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

Requests to Google in parallel. Higher is faster but more likely to be rate-limited.

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

Google rate-limits single IPs quickly. Apify Proxy is on by default; the Actor switches to residential proxies automatically if it gets blocked.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "ads",
  "domains": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "region": "anywhere",
  "format": "all",
  "platform": "all",
  "maxAdsPerSource": 20,
  "maxAdvertisersPerTerm": 3,
  "includeDetails": false,
  "reportStopped": false,
  "emitBaseline": false,
  "resetMonitor": false,
  "maxConcurrency": 4,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

One row per ad creative: advertiser, domain, format, first/last shown, days shown, whether it is running now, preview image or renderer link, and a link to the ad in the Transparency Center. With details on: every variation, per-country dates and impression ranges, platforms and topic.

## `advertisers` (type: `string`):

One row per input domain or brand: whether it runs Google Ads, approximate ad count, formats, latest ad date, whether it is active, and the matching advertiser accounts.

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

Per-input status (rows, failures and why), skipped inputs, charged events, HTTP and proxy statistics.

# 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 = {
    "domains": [
        "nike.com"
    ],
    "maxAdsPerSource": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("moonweil/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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "domains": ["nike.com"],
    "maxAdsPerSource": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("moonweil/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"
  ],
  "maxAdsPerSource": 20,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call moonweil/google-ads-transparency --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,moonweil/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 <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/LEX89G4N1frg6htww/builds/hQlgO2IwfGDXSdDCh/openapi.json