The FB Ads Library, officially called the Meta Ad Library, is like the Yellow Pages for ads on Meta’s platforms — you can look at active ads across industries and also see some inactive ads about politics and social issues.

You can use this tool to research your competitors and identify trends, and use this information to adjust your ad strategies.

In this article, we’ll cover: 

• What the FB Ads Library is and how it works
• Step-by-step guide on using it
• Insights you can get from it
• Helpful tips for competitor analysis
• Mistakes to avoid

What is the FB Ads Library?

The Meta Ad Library is a free, comprehensive, and searchable database where you can see all the ads on Meta. 

Meta created the Ad Library in 2019 to be a tool for transparency in political advertising. Since then, it’s expanded to cover all the ads on Meta’s apps and services, including Facebook, Messenger, Threads, and Instagram.

There’s one important thing: You can only use the Ad Library to look at ads that are currently running for most categories. However, you can look at any ads that have been run about social issues, elections, or politics at any time, even if they’re inactive.

How do businesses use the Meta Ad Library ad insights?

Businesses use the Meta Ad Library to get a better feel for what’s working in the ad space. 

By checking out competitor ads, they can see what kind of visuals, messaging, and formats are getting engagement. It’s also great for spotting trends — like whether brands are leaning more into video or using social proof to build trust. 

These insights help businesses fine-tune their own ads, making smarter choices without all the trial and error.

We’ll discuss what insights you can get from the Meta Ad Library in greater detail later.

How to access and navigate the Meta Ad Library

The Meta Ad Library is free and accessible, but if you’ve never used it before, it can feel a little overwhelming. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Navigate to the Meta Ad Library. Once there, you’ll see a search box under the Search Ads heading.
2. Start by selecting a country from the dropdown.
3. Then select All ads to see results for all the currently running ads on Meta that are available through Ads Library.
4. Type in a keyword or advertiser name (such as a business competitor). The search bar will autopopulate with suggestions — click on an advertiser or on “search this exact phrase.”
5. Explore the search results. They will display active ads with the following information: Library ID, total active time, date the ad started running, and platforms the ad is running on. Clicking on each ad will lead you to more information about the advertiser.

Here’s a tip: The Ad Library doesn’t show you likes, comments, or shares. So, if you really want to gauge how much engagement an ad is getting, you can go to the brand’s Facebook or Instagram page to see what’s really getting attention.

Key features and filters you should be using

Your first search may return many results, but they might not be precisely what you need. Not to mention, there’s a good chance you could be looking at hundreds or even thousands of results — pretty tough to sift through in one sitting.

The good news is the Ad Library has a Filters feature that can help you narrow the data down to get better results. Let’s take a quick look at how the filters work:

• Language: Use this filter to make the results show only ads that are written in your chosen language(s).
• Advertiser: This filter gives you a big dropdown list of all the advertisers your search has returned. You can tick the checkboxes next to the ones you want to see, and the results page will only show you those.
• Platform: Select whether you want to see ads from Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Messenger, or Audience Network. You can tick one or more, or select all platforms.
• Media types: Select if you want to see ads with images, memes, images and memes, videos, or no media.
• Active status: Use this filter to select if you want to see active ads, inactive ads, or both.
• Impressions by date: Select a specific date or date range to filter ads based on the dates they were shown. This allows you to see how many impressions an ad received within the specified time period.

Can I export data from the Meta Ad Library?

No, Meta doesn’t provide a built-in option to export data directly from the Meta Ad Library. However, there are a couple of workarounds:

• Manually copying data: One thing you can do is take screenshots or copy and paste ad details into a spreadsheet. This is simple but works best for small-scale research.
• Meta Ad Library API: Meta offers an API for pulling ad data programmatically. This is the best option for large-scale research, but it requires technical knowledge and authorization from Meta. 

Another option is third-party tools, but some may violate Meta’s Terms of Service, leading to potential account restrictions.

10 ways to improve your marketing with the Meta Ad Library

To get the most out of the Ad Library, you need to be able to make some inferences here and there. 

Here are the top ways to use the Meta Ad Library for marketing success: 

1. See what top brands are doing: Check out how big brands structure their ads, including what images, videos, and copy they use. If a major clothing brand keeps running carousel ads with lifestyle shots, there’s a good chance it’s working.
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2. Spot industry trends: Not sure what’s trending? The Ad Library helps you see what’s catching on. If everyone’s switching from static images to short-form videos, it could be a sign that video ads are worth testing.
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3. Learn from winning ads: Successful brands often run multiple variations of an ad, testing different headlines, images, or CTAs (calls to action). If a competitor runs the same ad for months without changes, there’s a reason — it’s probably working. Pay attention to those and see what makes them click.
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4. Avoid costly mistakes: Not every ad is a winner. If a competitor keeps tweaking or replacing their ad, it might mean the original version flopped. Studying these can help you dodge the same mistakes, saving you time and money in the long run.
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5. Reverse-engineer what works: If a competitor’s ad is getting tons of engagement, take a closer look. Are they using testimonials? Flash sales? Influencer partnerships? Analyze the ads’ structures and elements, since these details can give you ideas for your own ads.
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6. Find A/B testing ideas: Instead of testing random ad variations, use the Ad Library for inspiration. For instance, if a SaaS company sees that its competitors are running ads with both formal and casual tones, they might run their own A/B test to see which resonates better with their audience.
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7. Track competitor moves: Some brands update their ads constantly, while others stick with the same one for months. If a competitor rarely changes their ad, it’s probably performing well and could be something worth taking notes on.
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8. Look at competitor audience targeting: While the Ad Library doesn’t really show precise targeting info, you can make some educated guesses by looking at the ad copy, landing pages, and products or services being promoted. For example, are the competitors focusing on specific demographics, interests, or geographic locations?
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9. Keep up with competitor promos and sales: Businesses can watch competitors' ads to stay in the loop on their latest deals, discounts, and sales. This helps them react fast and tweak their own promos to stay competitive.
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10. Improve your messaging and visuals: Businesses can refine their ad copy, visuals, and calls to action based on what’s working in the market. If a competitor’s ad highlights “1,000+ happy customers” and it’s been running forever, there’s a good chance that social proof is a strong selling point. You may want to test something similar.

Tips to analyze competitor ads more effectively

The Meta Ad Library is a great tool, and you can use it to your advantage when it comes to analyzing your competitors’ ads. Sure, you’ll need some powers of deduction to make a few educated guesses, but all in all, you can get some really powerful insights from your search results.

Here are a few tips to improve your competitor analysis with the Meta Ad Library:

What to look for in competitor ads

When reviewing competitor ads, pay attention to key elements that impact performance:

• Ad copy: What kind of language do they use? Are they focusing on benefits, urgency, or storytelling?
• Design and visuals: Are they using static images, carousels, or videos? What colors, styles, or branding elements stand out?
• Format: Do they rely more on single-image ads, video ads, or dynamic creatives?
• Calls to action: What phrases do they use to encourage clicks? "Shop Now," "Learn More," or something more creative?

It’s also good to think about whether there are repeated elements in your competitors’ successful ads. 

If an ad runs for months without changing, that means it’s probably working. Keep an eye out for consistent messaging or taglines, specific visual styles (like bold text overlays, minimalistic design, lifestyle imagery, etc.), and a consistent CTA or offer structure like “Free shipping on all orders.”

With this information, you can start noticing marketing trends within your industry. Take note of the common denominators — you’ll probably want to use at least some of them in your own ad strategies.

Benchmark against competitors

One of the best parts of analyzing competitors’ ads is using them as a benchmark to see how you did, but for that, you’ll need to go beyond the Ad Library. Bestever’s ad analysis tool provides data-driven insights on key performance areas:

• Ad frequency & rotation: Are they refreshing creatives more often? If they update ads every 14 days, while yours stay live for 45+ days, you may be missing engagement opportunities.
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• Creative variations: Are they testing 5-10 ad versions per campaign, while you’re only running 1-2? More variations often mean better performance optimization.
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• Audience segmentation: Are they focusing on different demographics, interests, or behaviors than you? If they’re targeting a younger audience or high-intent buyers, you may need to adjust your approach.

With this ad data, you can identify these gaps and refine your strategy to aim for increased engagement, conversions, and audience retention.

Track competitor ad frequency and changes

Regularly checking the Ad Library helps spot patterns. If a competitor suddenly launches a batch of new ads, they might be testing a new strategy or responding to a trend. Keeping an eye on how often they update their creatives can help you time your own campaigns more effectively.

Using external tools for deeper analysis

Although the Meta Ad Library is useful, you can pair it with external tools like Bestever to help you get some deeper data competitor analysis. Bestever allows you to search up to four competitors whose ads you want to track, benchmark, and analyze.

You can also use some ad spy tools like:

• Pipiads: This tool is popular for analyzing ads on Facebook and TikTok. 
• AdSpyder: This competitive ad analysis tool lets you track and analyze ads across Google, Bing, and many other platforms.

Common mistakes to avoid 

As you do competitor research and formulate your marketing strategy, it’s easy to make mistakes that can negatively affect your ads’ performance. Here are some pitfalls to try and avoid:‍

• Only looking at big brands and ignoring smaller competitors: Big companies have huge budgets, but their strategies might not always work for you.
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• Copying ads without testing: Things like audience, product type, and brand personality all play a role in an ad’s success. Instead of copying, use what you find as inspiration and test different versions to see what actually works for you.
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• Assuming long-running ads are always winning: If a competitor keeps running the same ad, it might be performing well, but it could also mean they just haven’t updated it. Look at how often they switch things up to get a better sense of what’s working.
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• Forgetting to check engagement: The Meta Ad Library doesn’t show likes, comments, or shares, so you won’t know how people are reacting to an ad. To get the full picture, visit the brand’s Facebook or Instagram page and see which ads are getting real interaction.
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• Focusing too much on design and not enough on messaging: A flashy ad is great, but strong messaging is what gets people to click. Pay attention to how competitors word their ads — are they using discounts, testimonials, or storytelling? Establish your own message and make it consistent across your ads and platforms.

How Bestever can help you get helpful ad insights

Even when you get knee-deep in the FB Ad Library, you might notice that the data in it isn’t really that comprehensive. So where can you get more competitor insights? 

That’s where Bestever can help.

With Bestever, you can look up your competitors to follow them, see their historical performance, and much more.

Here’s how Bestever can help to improve your ads:

• Competitor research: Select up to four competitors to track. Bestever looks at their ads and gives you a summary of their ad strategy. You can also get information on their target audience, campaign types, creative types, and more.
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• Analyze your ad performance: Bestever’s Ad Analysis Dashboard can give you instant, helpful feedback on your ad’s Brand Alignment, Visual Impact, Audience Engagement, and Sales Orientation, breaking every element down in detail.
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• Actionable feedback: Get concrete insights and data-backed recommendations on what you can do to refine your ads, whether it’s swapping out visuals or editing your CTA.
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• Understand your audience: Share your website URL or integrate it with your Ad Manager and Bestever can automatically create audience personas for you, helping to refine your targeting.
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• Rapid asset generation: Bestever can help you generate many AI images, graphics, videos, and radio ads that fit your brand voice. Use them as is, or share them with your design team to fine-tune them further.

Want to know how we can simplify competitor research for you? Let our team walk you through how Bestever works so you can start refining your ad strategies ASAP.

 Try a demo of Bestever for free.