Facebook Ads Library Scraper

Scrape public Meta/Facebook Ads Library results by keyword or full Ad Library URL with strict output caps, monitoring snapshots, and cost-aware browser handling.

What You Get

• Meta Ads Library ID
• Advertiser/page name when visible
• Active or inactive status
• Start date when visible
• Platform signals such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp
• Parsed ad text
• Direct Ad Library URL for each ad
• Optional change rows for scheduled monitoring

Why This Actor Is Premium

• It uses the public Meta Ads Library, so users do not need a Facebook login.
• It keeps billing predictable by treating Max ads as an upper limit and charging only rows written to the dataset.
• In Apify cloud tests, Meta currently exposes about 18-29 ads per search/query. Use multiple queries or full Ad Library URLs for larger runs.
• It defaults to no proxy, with proxy modes available only when Meta blocks direct access.
• It closes browser resources on errors and uses a 10-minute default timeout to avoid runaway runs.
• It has both whole-run and per-query cost protection, so blocked or slow Meta sessions stop cleanly.
• It stores notices and monitoring snapshots outside the paid dataset.

Quick Start

1. Add one or more search queries such as nike, shopify, or running shoes.
2. Choose the country and ad status.
3. Keep Max ads at 100 for a multi-query run, or lower it for smaller checks.
4. Keep proxy mode on No proxy for the lowest cost.
5. Turn on monitoring if you want to track new or changed ads across scheduled runs.

Search Modes

Use Search queries for simple keyword or brand monitoring.

Use Ad Library URLs when you need advanced filters. Configure the filters in Meta Ads Library, copy the URL, and paste it into the input.

Result Limits

Max ads is a run-level cap, not a guaranteed count. Meta Ads Library currently exposes about 18-29 ads per search/query in Apify cloud sessions.

• One query usually returns up to about 18-29 ad rows.
• Multiple queries or Ad Library URLs can produce more total rows in one run.
• The Actor never writes more than Max ads.
• Users are charged only for rows written to the default dataset.

Cloud benchmark: nike, adidas, puma, and reebok with Max ads set to 100 produced 98 ad rows in one run without proxy.

Monitoring And Billing

Monitoring works by saving ad snapshots in a named key-value store.

• First monitoring run creates the baseline.
• Later runs compare ad IDs, status, text, and start date.
• Output only the changes writes only new or updated ad rows.
• Internal notices are saved outside the default dataset.
• Users are charged only for rows written to the default dataset.

Cost Protection And Error Handling

This Actor is designed to fail closed instead of wasting usage.

• Max run minutes defaults to 8 and is capped at 10.
• Max seconds per query or URL defaults to 120 and is capped at 180.
• Slow navigation, network idle waits, cookie prompts, scrolling, and proxy fallback all respect the remaining run budget.
• If Meta shows a login, captcha, security check, or temporary block, the Actor records a notice outside the paid dataset and moves on.
• Browser pages, contexts, and browsers are closed in cleanup even after errors.
• The Actor exits through Apify's graceful Actor.exit() path, not a raw process exit.

For profit protection, keep Proxy mode on No proxy first. Use Auto fallback to datacenter only when direct access is blocked. Residential proxy should be reserved for advanced users who understand the extra proxy cost.

Pricing

This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing.

• Small start event: $0.005
• Standard ad rows: $1.50 per 1,000 rows
• Store discounts: down to $0.75 per 1,000 rows on higher Apify plans

Billing is row-based. If a single search exposes 24 ads, the user is charged for 24 ad rows, not for the requested maximum.

Proxy Strategy

Meta can be protective, so this Actor keeps proxy use explicit.

• No proxy is the default and cheapest option.
• Auto fallback to datacenter tries direct access first, then retries with Apify datacenter proxy if needed.
• In cloud tests, no-proxy runs produced the best results. Proxy modes should be used only when direct access is blocked.
• Residential proxy is the most expensive option and is not recommended unless a user has a specific need.

Notes

• Results depend on what Meta exposes publicly for the selected country, query, status, and URL filters.
• Broad keywords can have very large public result counts in Meta's UI, but Apify cloud sessions may expose only the first batch for each query.
• Some creative media and landing-page details may not be visible in the public page for every ad.