---
title: "See Competitors' Ads on Google and Facebook for Free"
description: "See competitors' ads for free: the exact steps in Google's and Meta's libraries, what each one shows, and a simple record to keep before you spend on ads."
url: "https://webleveling.com/blog/see-what-ads-your-competitors-are-running/"
lang: "en"
published: "2026-09-27"
modified: "2026-09-27"
author: "Cal Hewitt"
tags: ["google-ads","facebook-ads","ppc"]
image: "https://webleveling.com/og/blog-see-what-ads-your-competitors-are-running.jpg"
alternates:
  es: "https://webleveling.com/es/blog/ver-los-anuncios-de-sus-competidores.md"
---

# See Competitors' Ads on Google and Facebook for Free

See competitors' ads for free: the exact steps in Google's and Meta's libraries, what each one shows, and a simple record to keep before you spend on ads.

![A notepad and pencil beside a closed laptop and a stack of blank index cards on a clean wooden desk.](https://webleveling.com/blog/see-what-ads-your-competitors-are-running/competitor-ads-featured.jpg)

You have now seen the same competitor ad three times this week, once in Google results and twice in your Facebook feed. It is easy to start wondering what they know that you do not, and whether you are losing jobs to a campaign you cannot see. You want to see competitors ads in one place: what they say, where they run and how long they have been up. Two free tools answer that, and neither needs an ad account of your own. Google's Ads Transparency Center covers ads on Google, and the Meta Ad Library covers Facebook and Instagram. Ten minutes in each gives you a dated record of what a competitor is showing the public. What you do with that record decides whether it helps, so the second half of this post covers the choice between running your own test and fixing something else first.

**Key Takeaways**

**Two free libraries cover the big platforms**

Search a competitor's name or website in the Google Ads Transparency Center, and their Facebook Page in the Meta Ad Library.

**Each ad shows its creative, platforms and dates**

Library entries give you the message, the format, where it ran and when it started; spend, clicks and sales stay in the advertiser's own account.

**A log turns browsing into a decision**

Write down the offer, call to action, landing page, platform and start date for each ad, with the library ID where one is shown.

**Test small or fix first**

Advertise when you can track leads, answer them fast and stand behind the offer; if not, repair those first.

## How do I see my competitor's ads on Google?

Open the [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com/) and type the competitor's business name or website address into the search box. If the name returns several advertisers, pick the one whose website matches the competitor's. Google lists the advertiser name, the location it is verified in and who pays for the ads, so a match on website and payer name is the quickest way to confirm you have the right business.

Once you are on the advertiser's page, you can filter what you see by region, by date and by platform. Google says the center covers ads served on its platforms, including Search, Display, Gmail and YouTube, and its [advertiser verification page](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/9703665) describes the public details as the advertiser name, payer, ad creatives, dates and locations served. The current interface applies the platform filter to ads shown since September 4, 2023. Menu labels can change, so follow the names you see on screen.

Set the region to where you compete first. A competitor that runs one set of ads in your city and another across the country will show up differently, and the version near you is the one your customers see. Then open a few ads and note the wording, the format and the dates. [Google's ads transparency help page](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/13733850) explains what the tool is designed to show.

![A notepad and a pencil beside a closed laptop on a clean desk, with a small stack of blank index cards.](https://webleveling.com/blog/see-what-ads-your-competitors-are-running/competitor-ad-research-notepad.jpg)

Start with a notepad and one competitor name, not a spreadsheet of fifty.

## How do I find a competitor's ads in the Meta Ad Library?

Go to the [Meta Ad Library](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/), choose your country, and pick "All ads" as the ad category. Then search for the competitor's Facebook Page name, which is better than a keyword because it brings up the ads that Page is running. A keyword search can help if you want to see which businesses in your area are advertising a service, such as "roof repair" or "bridal alterations".

Meta's library entries show the Page or advertiser, the ad creative, the main text and headline where there is one, the call-to-action button, the platforms the ad runs on, a library ID and the date the ad started running. That covers Facebook and Instagram in one search. Save the library ID or the link for any ad you want to come back to, because it is the cleanest way to point to one specific ad later.

Spending and audience details are a different matter. Meta's [Ad Library API documentation](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/api/) says the extra fields for spend, impressions and demographics apply to political and issue ads, and to certain European datasets. For an ordinary local business ad, plan on creative, Page, platform and start date. If you search a Page and see nothing, try the business's other names, check you chose the right country, and look for a second Page for a different brand or location.

![A pair of reading glasses resting on a closed folder beside a small desk lamp.](https://webleveling.com/blog/see-what-ads-your-competitors-are-running/meta-page-search-folder.jpg)

Search the Page name first, then try the business's other names.

## What can I learn from a competitor's ads, and what can't I?

You can learn a lot about the message and very little about the money. Use this table to keep the two apart when you write up what you found.

What each library gives you for an ordinary business ad

| Item | Google Ads Transparency Center | Meta Ad Library |
| --- | --- | --- |
| How to search | Advertiser name or website | Page, advertiser or keyword |
| Pick first | Region, date, platform | Country and "All ads" |
| The ad itself | Ad creatives and format | Creative, main text, headline, call-to-action |
| Who is behind it | Advertiser name, location, payer | Page or advertiser name |
| Where it ran | Google platforms such as Search, Display, Gmail, YouTube | Facebook, Instagram and other Meta platforms |
| When | Dates the ad was served | Date the ad started running |
| Spend, clicks, sales | Held in the advertiser's own account | Held in the advertiser's own account |

The first thing the ads give you is a view of the offers in your market. Look for repeated offers, repeated claims, the same call to action and the same service featured again and again. If three competitors all lead with a free estimate, then a free estimate is what customers expect to see. If none of them mentions a guarantee, a clear one from you stands out.

The second thing is the start date. A start date tells you when the ad began and that it has been kept up. It does not tell you the ad is profitable, because an advertiser can keep an unprofitable ad running through inattention, and a newer ad may be replacing an older one that worked. Write "visible since March" in your notes, not "working since March".

The third thing is where the ad sends people. Click through to the landing page, either on your phone or in a private window, and walk the path a customer would take. Note the offer, the form or phone number, how fast the page loads, what proof they show and what they ask for before you can book. Our post on [what a landing page for Google Ads needs](https://webleveling.com/blog/landing-page-for-google-ads/) lists the pieces worth comparing.

![A paper notebook open to blank lined pages beside a pencil and a stack of sticky notes in three colors.](https://webleveling.com/blog/see-what-ads-your-competitors-are-running/competitor-landing-page-visit-notes.jpg)

Walk the competitor's path from ad to booking, and note every step you would change.

## What should I write down so this becomes a decision?

A short, dated log beats a folder of screenshots. Set up one row per ad, and fill in the same columns every time so you can compare competitors side by side:

- **Date and country**: The day you looked and the region filter you used.
- **Business and Page**: Competitor name, advertiser or Page name, and the website.
- **Offer**: What they are asking the customer to do or buy, and any price or deadline.
- **Call to action**: The button or line that tells the customer what to do next.
- **Platform and format**: Search, YouTube, Facebook feed, Instagram, image, video.
- **Start date**: The date the library shows, with the library ID where there is one.
- **Landing page**: The web address, and what you noticed when you visited it.

Run the same check again in a month and add new rows. Changes between the two visits tell you more than any single snapshot: a new offer, a retired ad, a different landing page. Searches for a competitor with several brands, domains or Pages may need more than one pass, because Google organizes ads by advertiser account and website, while Meta organizes them by Page.

If you also care about how competitors show up in organic search, our post on [how to check a competitor's SEO](https://webleveling.com/blog/how-to-check-competitors-seo/) covers that side.

## Can I copy what a competitor's ad says?

Use competitor ads to see what the market is saying, then write your own. Copying wording, images, testimonials or a logo from another business can cause trouble with that business, and it makes you look like everyone else. A claim you borrow also becomes your claim. The Federal Trade Commission says advertising claims must be truthful, cannot be deceptive or unfair, and must be evidence-based. Its [advertising and marketing guidance](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/advertising-marketing) is the page to read before you repeat any promise, such as "fastest in town" or "lowest price".

So, write a sentence you can prove from your own work: a number of years, a response time you meet, a guarantee you honor. Look at what competitors leave out, too. If every ad promises speed and none mentions price clarity, a plain price range is something you can offer and they do not. Our post on [Facebook ad creative for a local business](https://webleveling.com/blog/facebook-ad-creative-for-local-business/) covers building an original ad once you know the angle.

## Should I advertise because my competitor does?

Their ads are a reason to look at your options, not a reason to start. Check these five things before you put money into your own campaign:

1.  **You can measure a lead.** Google's page on [conversion tracking](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722022) explains how to count calls, forms and purchases from ads. Without it, you cannot tell a good week from a lucky one. Our post on [tracking phone calls from Google Ads](https://webleveling.com/blog/track-phone-calls-from-google-ads/) covers the call side.
2.  **You can answer fast.** An ad that brings a call at 3 p.m. only helps if someone picks up at 3 p.m.
3.  **You have capacity.** Extra leads you cannot serve cost money and frustrate people.
4.  **You can back the offer.** The offer needs to be true, specific and something you can honor at the price you list.
5.  **You have a landing page that matches the ad.** Google reviews ads and the pages they point to, and its [ad review page](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/1722120) describes how that works.

If those five are in place, start with one offer, one audience and a budget you can afford to lose while you learn. Our posts on [what Google Ads cost](https://webleveling.com/blog/how-much-do-google-ads-cost/) and [Google Ads versus Facebook Ads](https://webleveling.com/blog/google-ads-vs-facebook-ads/) help with the platform and budget choice, and [whether you can run Google Ads yourself](https://webleveling.com/blog/can-you-run-google-ads-yourself/) covers who does the work.

![A small calendar page beside a sealed envelope and a coin purse on a wooden counter.](https://webleveling.com/blog/see-what-ads-your-competitors-are-running/test-budget-envelope-calendar.jpg)

Pick a test budget and an end date before the first ad goes live.

If one or more of the five is missing, fix that first. A broken contact form or a slow page wastes every click you buy. A competitor's ad count is only market information, and your own leads, sales and costs are what tell you whether your campaign works.

## What if I cannot find my competitor in either library?

Start by searching the other names the business uses: the owner's name, a second brand, an older website address. Try the other country filter if the business serves more than one. Look for a second Facebook Page for a different location. Then change the Google date and platform filters, since a narrow filter can hide an ad that is there.

An empty result after all that can mean the business is not running ads on that platform, or that it advertises in places these two libraries do not cover. Check the other places your customers look: search the service plus your city on Google and Bing, scroll your own social feeds, and look at who shows up in map results. Then take a note of what you see and when, and decide with what you have.

**Quiz: Can you read a competitor's ads?**

1. Which two free tools show a competitor's public ads on Google and on Facebook and Instagram?
   - Google Analytics and Meta Business Suite
   - Google Ads Transparency Center and Meta Ad Library **(correct answer)**
   - Google Search Console and Instagram reports
   - Google Keyword Planner and Facebook Groups
2. A competitor's ad has been visible for six months. What does that tell you?
   - The ad is profitable
   - The ad has been kept up since its start date, and nothing more **(correct answer)**
   - The competitor is spending a large budget
   - The ad is better than newer ones
3. What should you do before copying a claim from a competitor's ad?
   - Nothing, since the claim is already public
   - Confirm you can prove it, because advertising claims must be truthful and evidence-based **(correct answer)**
   - Change one word so it looks different
   - Use the same photo

## Frequently Asked Questions About see competitors ads

**Can I see my competitor's Google Ads?**

Often, yes. Search the business name or website in the Google Ads Transparency Center, pick the matching advertiser, and filter by region, date and platform.

**Can I see a competitor's [Facebook ads](https://webleveling.com/services/facebook-ads/)?**

Yes. Search the Page name in the Meta Ad Library with your country selected and "All ads" chosen.

**Can I see how much a competitor spends?**

Spend sits in the advertiser's own account for ordinary business ads. Meta's extra spend and impression fields apply to political and issue ads.

**Can I tell how long an ad has been running?**

Both libraries show dates. The Meta Ad Library shows when an ad started running, and the Google center shows the dates ads were served. Treat them as visible history, not proof the ad works.

**What should I record when I find an ad?**

The offer, call to action, platform, start date, library ID and landing page, plus the date and country you searched.

**Do I need a paid tool to research competitor ads?**

Not for a first look. The two libraries are free, need no ad account and cover Google, Facebook and Instagram. Paid help starts to make sense once you are planning, tracking and managing campaigns.

## The Bottom Line

You can see competitors ads on Google and Facebook in about ten minutes with two free libraries, and what you get is the message, the format, the platform and the dates. Search the business name or website in the Google Ads Transparency Center and the Page in the Meta Ad Library, then write the details in a dated log. Visit the landing page and note the offer, the proof and the path to a booking.

That log gives you a clear base for a decision. You may find a gap in your market that you can fill with an offer you can prove, or you may see that your tracking, response time or landing page needs work before ads make sense. Either result saves money you would have spent guessing.

If you want a second pair of eyes on that log, [Web Leveling](https://webleveling.com/) can help you turn it into a plan. Our [pay-per-click](https://webleveling.com/services/pay-per-click/) service covers choosing the platform, setting up tracking, building the landing page and managing the campaign, and we are glad to tell you when waiting is the better call. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. [Send us your competitor notes](https://webleveling.com/contact/), and we will go through them with you.

## Terms

Competitor ad research words in this post

Tap a term to see what it means.

**Google Ads Transparency Center.** Google's free search tool for ads from verified advertisers, searched by advertiser name or website.

**Meta Ad Library.** Meta's free search tool for ads running on Facebook, Instagram and other Meta platforms.

**Library ID.** The number the Meta Ad Library gives an ad so you can find it again.

**Call to action.** The button or line that tells a customer what to do next, such as Call now or Book online.

**Landing page.** The page a customer reaches after clicking an ad.

**Conversion tracking.** A setup that counts calls, forms and purchases that follow an ad click.

- [Back up Local Services Ads before they move into Google Ads](https://webleveling.com/blog/back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move/): Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads. See what to save first, what Google says carries over, and what to check in Google Ads after the move.
- [How to set a Google Ads budget when demand changes](https://webleveling.com/blog/google-ads-budget-by-demand-small-account/): Set your monthly number first, then divide by 30.4. Learn how daily budgets can run to twice the average, when to use a total budget, and a monthly check.
- [Improve Your Google Ads Quality Score: Check It, Then Fix It](https://webleveling.com/blog/improve-google-ads-quality-score/): Low Google Ads Quality Score next to your keywords? Add the columns, find your five costliest keywords, and fix the weak component, one change at a time.