# Google Ads Advertiser Check (`pulselab/google-ads-advertiser-check`) Actor

Bulk-check company domains for Google Ads activity. One row per domain: verdict (name match / single advertiser / mixed), advertiser names, ad volume, latest ad date, text/image/video mix, country filter. Thousands of domains in minutes. Failed domains cost $0. For lead lists & competitor research.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/pulselab/google-ads-advertiser-check.md
- **Developed by:** [Pulse Lab](https://apify.com/pulselab) (community)
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.50 / 1,000 domain checkeds

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 Advertiser Check

Paste a list of company domains and get **one row per domain** telling you whether that company is running Google Ads, who the advertisers behind the domain are, how big the activity is and how recent it is. Built for lead lists and competitor lists: thousands of domains in, a clean table out.

Data comes from the public [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com). No login, no cookies, no browser.

### Why this Actor

- **One row per domain.** Other tools return one row per ad or per advertiser, so a 1,000-domain list turns into tens of thousands of rows. Here it stays 1,000 rows.
- **A verdict, not just "yes".** A domain can have ads pointing to it that were paid for by *someone else* (resellers, affiliates, agencies, random people). The verdict tells you whether an advertiser matching the domain name was found, whether one advertiser dominates, or whether it is a mixed bag. The advertisers behind the verdict are listed so you can check.
- **Pay only for results.** You are charged once per domain that returns a row. Domains that fail are listed by name and cost $0.
- **Fast and lightweight.** ~0.5 seconds per domain in standard mode (300 domains in under 3 minutes).
- **Shared platforms flagged.** Domains like instagram.com or linktr.ee attract hundreds of unrelated advertisers; `isSharedPlatform` marks them so they do not pollute a lead list.
- **No personal names dumped.** Only advertisers that match the domain or hold a meaningful share of the sample are named. Small or one-off advertisers (often private individuals) are counted, not listed.

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| `domains` | list of strings | — | One domain per line. Full URLs are fine (`https://www.nike.com/kr/` → `nike.com`). Duplicates are removed. |
| `region` | select | Anywhere | Count only ads shown in one country (US, GB, DE, KR, JP…). |
| `detailed` | boolean | false | Adds ads in the last 30 days and the split by Google Search / Shopping / YouTube / Play. 5 extra requests per domain, same price per row. |

```json
{
  "domains": ["nike.com", "wikipedia.org", "slack.com"],
  "region": "US",
  "detailed": false
}
```

### Output

One item per domain:

```json
{
  "domain": "nike.com",
  "region": "US",
  "verdict": "NAME_MATCH",
  "matchedAdvertisers": ["Nike, Inc.", "Nike Retail BV"],
  "topAdvertisers": [
    { "name": "Nike, Inc.", "adsInSample": 41 },
    { "name": "Nike Retail BV", "adsInSample": 38 }
  ],
  "advertiserCount": 6,
  "otherAdvertisers": 4,
  "adsEstimateLow": 90000,
  "adsEstimateHigh": 100000,
  "latestAdDate": "2026-10-07",
  "formatMix": { "text": 82, "image": 15, "video": 3 },
  "isSharedPlatform": false,
  "checkedAt": "2026-10-07T08:00:00.000Z"
}
```

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `verdict` | See table below. |
| `matchedAdvertisers` | Advertisers whose name matches the domain name (word, initials, or contained name). |
| `topAdvertisers` | Matched advertisers plus any advertiser with ≥ 20 % of the sample, with their count in the 100-ad sample. |
| `advertiserCount` | Distinct advertisers in the sample. |
| `otherAdvertisers` | Advertisers in the sample that are not listed by name. |
| `adsEstimateLow` / `High` | Google's own estimate of the total number of ads pointing to this domain (shown as a range). |
| `latestAdDate` | Most recent "last shown" date in the sample. |
| `formatMix` | Text / image / video counts in the sample. |
| `isSharedPlatform` | `true` when 25 or more distinct advertisers appear in the sample. |
| `last30Days`, `channels` | Only with `detailed: true`. Google's estimated ranges for ads shown in the last 30 days and per channel. |

#### Verdicts

| Verdict | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `NAME_MATCH` | At least one advertiser's name matches the domain. Strong signal the company itself advertises. |
| `SINGLE_ADVERTISER` | No name match, but one or two advertisers hold ≥ 90 % of the ads. Often a parent company or agency (e.g. slack.com → Salesforce, Inc.). Check `topAdvertisers`. |
| `MIXED` | Several unrelated advertisers. The domain owner may not be advertising at all. |
| `LOW_VOLUME` | Fewer than 5 ads found; too little to judge. |
| `NO_ADS` | No ads point to this domain. |

### Pricing

You pay a flat fee **per domain that returns a result**. Failed domains are free and are listed in the run status message. `detailed` mode costs the same per row.

### Good to know

- Estimates are Google's rounded ranges, not exact counts. Use them to compare and rank, not as exact figures.
- The 100-ad sample is the most recently shown ads. For domains with tens of thousands of ads the format mix and advertiser list describe recent activity, not all history.
- Name matching is deliberately conservative. A parent company or an agency advertising on behalf of a brand will show as `SINGLE_ADVERTISER`, not `NAME_MATCH`. That is why the advertiser names are included.
- Region filtering follows Google's own region filter, which applies to ads shown after September 2023.

### FAQ

**Is this an official Google API?** No. It reads the public Ads Transparency Center the same way a browser does. If Google changes the page, the Actor is updated.

**What happens when Google rate-limits?** The Actor rotates IPs and retries up to 6 times. A domain that still fails is reported by name and is not charged.

**Can I schedule it?** Yes. Use Apify Schedules to re-check a list weekly and compare `latestAdDate` and `last30Days` over time.

**Something looks wrong?** Please report it in the Issues tab and it will be fixed.

# Actor input Schema

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

One domain per line, e.g. nike.com. Full URLs are accepted and trimmed to the domain.

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

Count only ads shown in this country. Default: anywhere.

## `detailed` (type: `boolean`):

Also fetch ads in the last 30 days and the split by Google Search, Shopping, YouTube and Play. Slower (5 extra requests per domain). Same price per row.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "nike.com",
    "wikipedia.org",
    "slack.com"
  ],
  "region": "ANYWHERE",
  "detailed": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

## `advertisers` (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 = {
    "domains": [
        "nike.com",
        "wikipedia.org",
        "slack.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("pulselab/google-ads-advertiser-check").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",
        "wikipedia.org",
        "slack.com",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("pulselab/google-ads-advertiser-check").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",
    "wikipedia.org",
    "slack.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call pulselab/google-ads-advertiser-check --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/Kszf5P7yH0vFW7FUJ/builds/PFLGZLHSkGVVgsiMU/openapi.json