# 🎯 Google Ads Transparency Scraper (`scraper-engine/google-ads-transparency-scraper`) Actor Scrape Google Ads Transparency Center data at scale. Extract advertiser details, ad creatives, ad status, impressions, regions, dates, and more from Google Ads Transparency pages. Ideal for competitor research, ad monitoring, and market intelligence. - **URL**: https://apify.com/scraper-engine/google-ads-transparency-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Scraper Engine](https://apify.com/scraper-engine) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Other - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $4.99 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. Actors are written with capital "A". ## 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. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## 🎯 Google Ads Transparency Scraper Extract **ad creatives** from [Google's Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com) at scale β€” no login, no official API key. Search in **bulk** by keyword, website domain, advertiser ID, or a Transparency Center URL, and optionally narrow by **platform**, **region (170+ countries)**, and **date range**. For every ad it returns the advertiser, creative ID, format (text / image / video), the first & last dates it was shown, how many days it ran, a direct link to the ad, and (when available) the creative image. --- ### ✨ Why Choose This Actor? - πŸ” **Bulk input** β€” feed dozens of keywords / domains / advertiser IDs in one run. - 🧠 **Auto-detection** β€” paste anything; the scraper figures out whether it's a keyword, domain, advertiser ID, or URL. - πŸ›‘οΈ **Self-healing proxy ladder** β€” starts direct (cheapest), and only escalates to datacenter β†’ residential proxies if Google pushes back, then sticks with what works. - πŸ“¦ **Live results** β€” every ad is saved the moment it's found, so partial runs never lose data. - πŸ—‚οΈ **Tidy output** β€” four ready-made views: Overview, Advertisers, Creative Details, and Media. - ⚑ **Fast & lightweight** β€” pure reverse-engineered API calls, no headless browser. --- ### πŸš€ How to Use (Apify Console) 1. Log in at [console.apify.com](https://console.apify.com) β†’ **Actors**. 2. Open **Google Ads Transparency Scraper**. 3. Fill in the inputs: - **πŸ”Ž Search Queries** β€” e.g. `nike.com`, `Adidas`, `AR16735076323512287233`. - **πŸ”’ Max Results**, and optional **πŸ“Ί Platform**, **🌍 Region**, **πŸ“… Date** filters. 4. Click **Start** and watch the live log. 5. Open the **Output** tab β€” switch between the 4 views or export to **JSON / CSV / Excel**. --- ### πŸ“₯ Input | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `searchQueries` | array | One or more keywords, domains, advertiser IDs, or Transparency URLs. | | `searchQuery` | string | Optional single-query convenience field. | | `maxResults` | integer | Max ad creatives to return in total. `0` = unlimited. | | `platform` | string | `google_search`, `youtube`, `google_shopping`, `google_maps`, `google_play`, or empty for all. | | `region` | string | ISO country code (e.g. `US`) or empty for worldwide. | | `dateFrom` / `dateTo` | string | `YYYY-MM-DD` date-window filter. | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | Optional proxy override (the ladder handles blocking automatically). | ```json { "searchQueries": ["nike.com", "Adidas"], "maxResults": 100, "platform": "youtube", "region": "US", "dateFrom": "2025-01-01" } ```` *** ### πŸ“€ Output ```json { "advertiserId": "AR18378488041124659201", "advertiserName": "Nike Retail BV", "creativeId": "CR03722677248998768641", "adFormat": "text", "firstShown": "2025-10-25", "lastShown": "2026-06-14", "approxDaysShown": 233, "adUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR18378488041124659201/creative/CR03722677248998768641", "imageUrl": "https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/archive/simgad/14326405044626796371" } ``` | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `advertiserId` | Google advertiser ID (`AR…`). | | `advertiserName` | Verified advertiser name. | | `creativeId` | Unique creative ID (`CR…`). | | `adFormat` | `text`, `image`, or `video`. | | `firstShown` / `lastShown` | First and last dates the ad was seen. | | `approxDaysShown` | Approximate number of days the ad ran. | | `adUrl` | Direct link to the ad in the Transparency Center. | | `imageUrl` | Archived creative image (image ads only). | *** ### πŸ€– Use via API ```bash curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts//run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"searchQueries":["nike.com"],"maxResults":50}' ``` *** ### πŸ’‘ Best Use Cases - πŸ•΅οΈ **Competitor ad intelligence** β€” see exactly what rivals are advertising and for how long. - πŸ“ˆ **Creative trend research** β€” track formats, longevity, and rotation. - 🧾 **Ad transparency & compliance** β€” audit which advertisers run ads in a region. - 🌍 **Market analysis** β€” compare advertiser activity across countries and platforms. *** ### πŸ’³ Pricing This Actor uses the **Pay-Per-Result** model β€” you're billed per ad creative returned. Filters (platform / region / date) use Google's own filtering, so narrowing your search keeps both your result count and your cost low. *** ### ❓ FAQ **Do I need a Google account or API key?** No. The Transparency Center is public; this Actor reads it directly. **What can I search by?** A keyword (`Nike`), a domain (`nike.com`), an advertiser ID (`AR…`), or a full Transparency Center URL β€” mixed freely in the bulk list. **Why are some ads missing `imageUrl`?** Text and script-rendered ads don't expose a static archived image; only image creatives carry one. **Is a proxy required?** No. The Actor starts without one and only adds a proxy if Google rate-limits it. *** ### βš–οΈ Legal & Compliance Data is collected only from Google's **publicly available** Ads Transparency Center. You are responsible for complying with applicable laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) and Google's Terms of Service when using the data. ### πŸ›Ÿ Support & Feedback Found a bug or want a new field? Open an issue on the Actor's **Issues** tab. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): One or more things to look up β€” the scraper auto-detects each type. Accepts: β€’ πŸ”‘ a keyword (e.g. `Nike`) β€’ 🌐 a website domain (e.g. `nike.com`) β€’ πŸ†” an advertiser ID (e.g. `AR16735076323512287233`) β€’ πŸ”— a full Transparency Center URL Add as many as you like β€” they run one after another. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of ad creatives to return in total. Set to `0` for unlimited. ## `platform` (type: `string`): Only return ads shown on this Google surface. Leave on *All platforms* for everything. ## `region` (type: `string`): Only return ads shown in this country/region. Leave on *Worldwide* for no geo filter. 170+ countries supported. ## `dateFrom` (type: `string`): Only return ads shown on or after this date. Leave empty for no start limit. ## `dateTo` (type: `string`): Only return ads shown on or before this date. Leave empty for no end limit. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): The scraper starts with a direct connection (no proxy) and only escalates to datacenter β†’ residential proxies if Google blocks it. You can override the proxy here if you prefer. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "nike.com" ], "maxResults": 10, "platform": "", "region": "", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } } ``` # 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 = { "searchQueries": [ "nike.com" ], "maxResults": 10, "platform": "", "region": "", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("scraper-engine/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(`πŸ’Ύ 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); }); // πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ 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 = { "searchQueries": ["nike.com"], "maxResults": 10, "platform": "", "region": "", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("scraper-engine/google-ads-transparency-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("πŸ’Ύ Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "searchQueries": [ "nike.com" ], "maxResults": 10, "platform": "", "region": "", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }' | apify call scraper-engine/google-ads-transparency-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=scraper-engine/google-ads-transparency-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "🎯 Google Ads Transparency Scraper", "description": "Scrape Google Ads Transparency Center data at scale. Extract advertiser details, ad creatives, ad status, impressions, regions, dates, and more from Google Ads Transparency pages. Ideal for competitor research, ad monitoring, and market intelligence.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "pCWs0B2vTSdKgVliG" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/scraper-engine~google-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-scraper-engine-google-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/scraper-engine~google-ads-transparency-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-scraper-engine-google-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/scraper-engine~google-ads-transparency-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-scraper-engine-google-ads-transparency-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "πŸ”Ž Search Queries (bulk)", "type": "array", "description": "One or more things to look up β€” the scraper auto-detects each type. Accepts:\nβ€’ πŸ”‘ a keyword (e.g. `Nike`)\nβ€’ 🌐 a website domain (e.g. `nike.com`)\nβ€’ πŸ†” an advertiser ID (e.g. `AR16735076323512287233`)\nβ€’ πŸ”— a full Transparency Center URL\nAdd as many as you like β€” they run one after another.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxResults": { "title": "πŸ”’ Max Results", "minimum": 0, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of ad creatives to return in total. Set to `0` for unlimited.", "default": 10 }, "platform": { "title": "πŸ“Ί Platform", "enum": [ "", "google_search", "youtube", "google_shopping", "google_maps", "google_play" ], "type": "string", "description": "Only return ads shown on this Google surface. Leave on *All platforms* for everything.", "default": "" }, "region": { "title": "🌍 Region", "enum": [ "", "US", "CA", "MX", "BZ", "GT", "SV", "HN", "NI", "CR", "PA", "CU", "JM", "HT", "DO", "TT", "BB", "BS", "GD", "LC", "VC", "KN", "DM", "CO", "VE", "GY", "SR", "BR", "EC", "PE", "BO", "PY", "UY", "AR", "CL", "GB", "IE", "FR", "MC", "BE", "NL", "LU", "DE", "AT", "CH", "LI", "NO", "SE", "DK", "FI", "IS", "EE", "LV", "LT", "ES", "PT", "IT", "MT", "GR", "CY", "AL", "SI", "HR", "BA", "ME", "RS", "MK", "PL", "CZ", "SK", "HU", "RO", "BG", "MD", "UA", "BY", "RU", "GE", "AM", "AZ", "KZ", "UZ", "TM", "TJ", "KG", "TR", "IL", "LB", "JO", "IQ", "KW", "SA", "AE", "QA", "BH", "OM", "YE", "AF", "PK", "IN", "BD", "NP", "BT", "LK", "MV", "CN", "TW", "HK", "MO", "JP", "KR", "MN", "TH", "VN", "KH", "LA", "MM", "MY", "SG", "ID", "PH", "BN", "TL", "AU", "NZ", "PG", "FJ", "MA", "DZ", "TN", "LY", "EG", "SD", "MR", "ML", "NE", "SN", "GM", "CV", "GW", "GN", "SL", "LR", "CI", "GH", "BF", "TG", "BJ", "NG", "CM", "CF", "TD", "CD", "CG", "GA", "GQ", "ET", "ER", "DJ", "SO", "SS", "KE", "UG", "TZ", "RW", "BI", "AO", "ZM", "MW", "MZ", "ZW", "NA", "BW", "ZA", "LS", "SZ", "MG", "MU", "SC" ], "type": "string", "description": "Only return ads shown in this country/region. Leave on *Worldwide* for no geo filter. 170+ countries supported.", "default": "" }, "dateFrom": { "title": "πŸ“… Date From", "type": "string", "description": "Only return ads shown on or after this date. Leave empty for no start limit." }, "dateTo": { "title": "πŸ“… Date To", "type": "string", "description": "Only return ads shown on or before this date. Leave empty for no end limit." }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "πŸ›‘οΈ Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "The scraper starts with a direct connection (no proxy) and only escalates to datacenter β†’ residential proxies if Google blocks it. You can override the proxy here if you prefer.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true } } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```