Facebook Ads Library: How I Search, Filter, and Use It in 2025

The Facebook Ads Library is one of the simplest ways to see what competitors are running on Facebook and Instagram. Meta launched it for ad transparency, but I use it to research audiences, spot creative trends, and check how long ads stay live. 

Expert take: 

I noticed that when multiple competitors keep the same ad creative live for weeks, it's rarely by accident. That's the sign it's working. I snapshot these ads into a ‘swipe file,’ evaluate why they stick, and then test similar tactics with my messaging or visuals. This lets me apply them to my ads and test the performance with Bestever’s creative analysis. 

What is the FB Ads Library?

The FB Ads Library is Meta’s free database of ads. It’s also known as the Meta Ad Library, and it lets anyone browse ads running across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads. 

Meta introduced the Facebook Ad Library in 2019 as an expansion of earlier transparency tools. Those efforts started in 2018 with a focus on political and social issue ads before the full library rolled out.

Over time, the library expanded beyond politics. Today, you can search for any advertiser or keyword and see their live ads. With the right filters, you can also display inactive ads. 

Social issues, elections, and political ads remain fully visible, even after they’ve stopped running.

From my own use, I’d describe it as a simple window into the market. You can see what’s live, but not how those ads are performing. That makes it more of a starting point for research than a full ad analytics tool.

How to search the Meta Ad Library

The Meta Ad Library is free to use, but the first time I opened it, I remember feeling a bit lost. The layout is simple, but it takes a few tries to know where everything is. 

Here’s how I usually run a search:

1. Go to the Meta Ad Library: You’ll see the main search page. At the top, you’ll need to choose a country and an ad category like ‘All ads’ or ‘Issues, elections, or politics.’ Once that’s set, you’ll notice that the search bar is no longer greyed out.
   
   
2. Enter a keyword or advertiser: Start typing a competitor’s name or product keyword in the search bar. The bar will suggest options, and I usually click the exact match for cleaner results.
   
   
3. Review the ad details: Each ad shows its ID, how long it’s been active, when it started, and which Meta platforms it’s on. I pay close attention to how long an ad has been running—if it’s been live for months, that’s usually a sign the brand trusts it.

One thing I noticed is that the Facebook Ads Library doesn’t give you engagement numbers like likes, comments, or shares. When I want to double-check how an ad is landing, I go straight to the brand’s Facebook or Instagram page. That’s where you can spot whether people are actually engaging or if it’s just being pushed with spend.

When is a good time to use the Meta Ad Library?

I’ve leaned on the Facebook/Meta Ad Library in a few different situations. It’s not a tool I use daily, but when I need quick context, it saves me time. 

Here are some of its best use cases:

• Before a new campaign: I check competitor ads in the library to see which formats and hooks are active in my niche.
  
  
• During seasonal pushes: Around holidays, I scan the library for promotions. Seeing competitors shift to “gift” messaging in October helped me launch earlier than usual.
  
  
• Pitching creative ideas: When working with clients, I pull a few competitor ads from the library to show patterns. It builds trust when I can back up my recommendations with real examples.
  
  
• Checking ad longevity: I use it to see which ads have been running for weeks or months. Longevity doesn’t prove performance, but it often hints at what’s working for competitors.
  
  
• Spotting creative shifts: I’ll notice when brands pivot quickly between ad styles. For me, that usually signals their earlier ads underperformed.

That said, I don’t use the library when I need performance data. It doesn’t show engagement metrics, conversions, or spend, so I treat it as a creative research tool rather than a full analysis platform.

What are the limitations of the Facebook Ads Library?

After using the Facebook Ads Library for a while, I’ve run into the same limits repeatedly. It’s fine for seeing what’s live, but it leaves out key details I’d want before making campaign calls.

The biggest issue is the lack of performance data. You can’t see click-through rate (CTR), conversions, or spend, so there’s no way to know if an ad is effective or just running on autopilot. Filters are also basic, limited to country, advertiser, and ad type, which feels restrictive compared to Ads Manager.

Another drawback is the absence of engagement data. The library doesn’t show likes, comments, or shares, so I usually check a brand’s Facebook or Instagram page to get a sense of audience reactions. Tracking trends is also manual. You end up clicking and saving screenshots with no way to compare at scale.

Overall, the insights are surface-level. You see creative and copy, but not deeper signals like audience overlap or hold rates that would tell you whether an ad is connecting. 

That’s why I use Bestever to track creative performance over time. We designed Bestever to save you from manually checking posts. It helps confirm whether a competitor’s ad is driving results.

Pro tips to improve your marketing with the Meta Ad Library

When I first started using the Meta Ad Library, I treated it like a scrolling exercise. I’d search competitors, glance at their ads, and then move on. 

Over time, I realized the real value comes from knowing what to look for and how to apply it to my own campaigns. The library doesn’t hand you results on a plate, but with the right approach, you can turn it into a useful research habit.

Here are some of the ways I’ve made it work:

• Check what top brands keep running: If I see a big retailer sticking with carousel ads full of lifestyle shots, I take that as a signal the format is paying off.
  
  
• Watch for industry shifts: When the library showed more short-form videos than static images, I used that as a cue to test video ads.
  
  
• Pay attention to ad longevity: Ads that run for months without changes often mean the creative is working. I note what hooks or visuals keep showing up.
  
  
• Learn from mistakes too: When I see brands constantly swapping ads, I assume the earlier versions underperformed. That saves me from testing the same dead ends.
  
  
• Reverse-engineer structure: If a competitor is running testimonial videos or flash sale copy, I break down how they frame the message and test a variation of my own.
  
  
• Build smarter A/B tests: Instead of random variations, I test approaches I’ve seen competitors try, like casual versus formal copy.
  
  
• Track competitor habits: Some brands rotate ads weekly, others barely change. Both patterns give me clues about their confidence in the creative.
  
  
• Infer targeting signals: While the library doesn’t show targeting data, ad copy and landing pages often hint at demographics or regions they’re focusing on.
  
  
• Stay on top of promos: Holiday discounts and flash sales usually appear in the library first. I use those scans to adjust my timing.
  
  
• Refine my own messaging: If a competitor leans hard on social proof like “1,000+ happy customers” and keeps the ad live, I’ll test something similar to see if it resonates.

For me, the library is more about creative research than a full ad audit, since it doesn’t show what’s working in terms of results.

How to turn Facebook Ads Library insights into real campaigns

The Facebook Ads Library only becomes useful when you take what you see and apply it. I use it to spot creative patterns and turn those patterns into testable ideas. 

For example, I noticed multiple brands relying on testimonial videos. I built my own version around customer feedback and used it in a campaign. That ad drew more clicks than my earlier product-focused creative.

Seasonal timing is another area where the library helps. I’ve seen competitors shift to gift-focused messaging before the holidays. By launching my campaigns earlier, I reached people before the market became saturated. That small change gave me more impressions at a lower cost.

I also use the library as a source for structured A/B tests. I take ideas I’ve already seen competitors run, such as urgency-driven copy or carousel formats, and then test them myself. This approach gives me direction and saves time in the testing process.

How Bestever can help you get useful ad insights

The FB Ads Library is helpful for spotting trends and researching competitors, but it doesn’t show performance. You can use Bestever to close that gap. 

Bestever is a creative analytics platform. It can track competitor performance over time and give clear feedback on how your own ads are landing.

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 provides 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. 

Frequently asked questions

Is the Facebook Ads Library free to use?

Yes, the Facebook Ads Library is completely free. You don’t even need an account to browse ads, which makes it useful for quick competitor checks and ad inspiration. 

Can I filter results in the Facebook Ads Library by date or advertiser?

You can filter results in the Facebook Ads Library by advertiser and by country, but not by date. You can also choose to see all ads or just political and issue-based ones. The library doesn’t allow date filters for most categories, except for political or social issue ads.

What’s the difference between the Facebook Ads Library and Bestever’s creative analytics?

The Facebook Ads Library only shows active ads with basic details, while Bestever provides performance insights and tracks competitor activity over time. I’ve used Bestever to see when ads start to fatigue and to get feedback on my own creatives, which makes it more useful for ad automation and long-term research. 

Does the Facebook Ads Library show targeting information?

No, the Facebook Ads Library doesn’t show targeting information. You can only infer audiences by looking at the ad copy, creatives, or landing pages. If you need more precise audience insights, you’ll have to rely on your own data or other ads tools.

How do I save ads from the Facebook Ads Library for later inspiration?

The Facebook Ads Library doesn’t have a save button, so I usually take screenshots or copy individual ad URLs into a spreadsheet for future reference. This gives me a personal swipe file I can revisit when I need inspiration for new campaigns.