# Google Ads Transparency Scraper (`rsiddiq95/google-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor

Scrape any advertiser's Google ads from the Ads Transparency Center by website, name or ID, with the actual ad copy, images, dates, formats and platforms. Errors are never charged.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/rsiddiq95/google-ads-transparency-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Rafiullah Siddiq](https://apify.com/rsiddiq95) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Marketing, AI
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 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 Scraper

See every Google ad a competitor runs. Enter a **website**, an **advertiser name**, or an **advertiser ID**, and get each ad from the [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com/) with its **actual ad copy**, images, format, platform, and the dates it ran.

### What can this Google Ads scraper do?

- 🔍 **Find ads three ways.** By the website the ads link to (`nike.com`), by verified advertiser name (`Nike, Inc.`), or by advertiser ID or URL.
- ✍️ **Get the ad copy.** Headlines, descriptions, and extension text are pulled from Google's ad previews, so you can read competitors' messaging without opening each ad.
- 🖼️ **Images and previews.** Archived ad images and a link to every ad in the Transparency Center.
- 📅 **Run dates.** When each ad was first and last shown, and for how many days.
- 🎯 **Filters.** Country, format (text, image, video), platform (Search, YouTube, Shopping, Maps, Play), and date range.
- 🌍 **Countries and variations.** Optionally, every country an ad ran in and all of its variations.
- 💸 **Fair billing.** You pay per ad returned. Lookups that fail or find nothing are free.

### Who uses Google Ads Transparency data?

- **Marketers and agencies** tracking competitors' messaging, offers, and creative tests.
- **PPC specialists** collecting ad copy ideas for a niche.
- **Brand protection teams** spotting advertisers who use their brand or domain.
- **Researchers** studying advertising over time.

### How to scrape Google ads

1. Click **Try for free**.
2. Add one or more **advertiser websites**, **names**, or **IDs**.
3. Optionally choose a **region**, **format**, **platform**, and **dates**.
4. Set **Max ads per advertiser or website** (newest ads come first).
5. Click **Start** and download the results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML, or use the API.

### Input example

```json
{
    "advertiserDomains": ["nike.com"],
    "advertiserNames": ["Adidas AG"],
    "region": "US",
    "adFormat": "TEXT",
    "platform": "SEARCH",
    "dateFrom": "2026-10-01",
    "maxAdsPerTarget": 200,
    "extractAdCopy": true
}
```

### Output example

```json
{
    "resultType": "ad",
    "query": "nike.com",
    "advertiserId": "AR16735076323512287233",
    "advertiserName": "Nike, Inc.",
    "advertiserLegalName": "Nike, Inc.",
    "advertiserCountry": "US",
    "creativeId": "CR14390493293404225537",
    "format": "TEXT",
    "firstShownAt": "2023-11-17T00:26:00.751Z",
    "lastShownAt": "2026-10-30T00:29:17.265Z",
    "daysShown": 911,
    "landingDomain": "nike.com",
    "imageUrl": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/archive/simgad/8844930400868124295",
    "adText": [
        "Nike",
        "nike.com",
        "Nike® Official Site",
        "Las Vegas",
        "2010 Festival Plaza Drive Suite 100",
        "Shop exclusive new styles crafted with the latest Nike® technology & innovations now."
    ],
    "region": "US",
    "adUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/creative/CR14390493293404225537?region=US",
    "scrapedAt": "2026-10-30T00:49:19.147Z"
}
```

With **Include variations and regions** turned on, each ad also has `variationCount`, `variationImageUrls`, and `regionsShown` (country codes).

If a name, website, or ID finds nothing, you get a free row with `resultType: "error"` explaining why. For names, it also lists similar advertisers.

### Use it from AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor)

AI assistants can run this Actor as a tool through [Apify's MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp). Add this server URL to any MCP client:

```
https://mcp.apify.com?tools=rsiddiq95/google-ads-transparency-scraper
```

Then just ask, for example: *"Show me the Google ads that notion.so has been running in the US this month, with their ad text."* Agent runs cost the same per result as runs from the console.

### How much does it cost?

You pay per ad returned. See the **Pricing** tab for current prices. Apify's free plan includes monthly credit to try it out.

### Tips

- **Websites find more.** A website search returns ads from every advertiser account that links to it, including resellers and agencies.
- **Exact names.** Advertiser names must match the verified name exactly (case and punctuation don't matter). Turn off **Exact advertiser name match** to include every advertiser whose name contains your text.
- **Ad copy availability.** Google shows a text preview for many ads but stores some only as images. When there is no text preview, `adText` is `null` and the image is still provided.
- **Platform filter.** Google only tracks platforms for ads shown since September 2023.

### Limitations

- This Actor reads the public Ads Transparency Center website, which has no official API. Google can change it at any time; we monitor the Actor and update it when that happens.
- Google limits how fast the site can be read, so the Actor paces itself. Large runs (thousands of ads) take longer.
- Google reports the total number of ads as a range, for example "7000-8000".

### Works well with

- **[Google Sheets Sync](https://apify.com/rsiddiq95/google-sheets-sync):** schedule this Actor daily and upsert by `creativeId`, so your competitor-ads sheet updates existing ads and adds only new ones.
- **[Google Trends Scraper](https://apify.com/rsiddiq95/google-trends-scraper):** check search interest for the products and offers your competitors are advertising.

### FAQ

**Is it legal to scrape the Google Ads Transparency Center?**
Google publishes this data publicly so anyone can see who is advertising. This Actor collects only that public information about advertisers and their ads, not data about people. Make sure your use complies with Google's terms and the laws that apply to you.

**Can I schedule it or connect it to other tools?**
Yes. Schedule runs to track competitors over time, call it through the Apify API, or send results to Google Sheets, Make, Zapier, n8n, and more through Apify integrations.

**Something isn't working.**
Open an issue on the **Issues** tab with your input, and we'll respond quickly.

# Actor input Schema

## `advertiserDomains` (type: `array`):

Domains the ads point to, for example nike.com. Returns ads from every advertiser account that links to the domain.

## `advertiserNames` (type: `array`):

Verified advertiser names as shown in the Ads Transparency Center, for example Nike, Inc.

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

Advertiser IDs (like AR16735076323512287233) or Ads Transparency Center advertiser/ad URLs.

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

Two-letter country code where the ads were shown, for example US, GB or DE. Leave empty for all regions.

## `adFormat` (type: `string`):

Only return ads of this format.

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

Only return ads shown on this Google platform. Google tracks platforms for ads shown since September 2023.

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

Only ads shown on or after this date.

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

Only ads shown on or before this date.

## `maxAdsPerTarget` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many ads for each advertiser, name, or website. Newest ads come first.

## `extractAdCopy` (type: `boolean`):

Read the headlines, descriptions and other text of each ad where Google provides a text preview.

## `includeAdDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Add the number of ad variations, their images, and every country the ad was shown in. Makes one extra request per ad, so runs are slower.

## `exactNameMatch` (type: `boolean`):

When on, advertiser names must match exactly (ignoring case and punctuation). When off, every advertiser whose name contains the text is included.

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

Proxy servers used to reach the Ads Transparency Center.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "advertiserDomains": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "advertiserNames": [],
  "advertiserIds": [],
  "region": "US",
  "adFormat": "",
  "platform": "",
  "dateFrom": "",
  "dateTo": "",
  "maxAdsPerTarget": 10,
  "extractAdCopy": true,
  "includeAdDetails": false,
  "exactNameMatch": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (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 = {
    "advertiserDomains": [
        "nike.com"
    ],
    "region": "US",
    "maxAdsPerTarget": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("rsiddiq95/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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "advertiserDomains": ["nike.com"],
    "region": "US",
    "maxAdsPerTarget": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("rsiddiq95/google-ads-transparency-scraper").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 '{
  "advertiserDomains": [
    "nike.com"
  ],
  "region": "US",
  "maxAdsPerTarget": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call rsiddiq95/google-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,rsiddiq95/google-ads-transparency-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

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/aRAv13fuLCHuluFKv/builds/RT1MoelhgFmKcc2y6/openapi.json