How to see your competitors' Facebook and Instagram ads
You can see the active ads of any business on Facebook and Instagram, for free and without an ad account. You do it through the Meta Ad Library, a public tool built to make advertising more transparent.
How to spy on competitor ads, step by step
- Go to the Meta Ad Library.
- Choose a country and the All ads category.
- Type your competitor's page name or a keyword from your niche.
- Open the ad details to see its start date and platforms.
- Click the ad's link to see the sales page.
A shortcut from their page
On the competitor's Facebook page, open the Page transparency section and look for the option to see their ads. It takes you straight to the Library, already filtered.
What to look for in each ad
- Promise: what result shows up in the first seconds or first line.
- Format: short video, testimonial, image or carousel.
- Offer: price, bonuses, guarantee and payment options.
- Time running: older ads that are still active deserve more attention.
- Variations: the same ad with several texts or audiences usually means the owner is investing in it.
What the Library doesn't show
It doesn't show sales or how much advertisers spent on commercial ads. It also won't count running days for you as you scroll. Prospect Spy adds those days and the number of copies to each ad, with filters, so you can find the strongest ones without opening them one by one.
Use what you find as research. Create your own version, without copying another company's brand, text or images.
Read next
- How to use the Facebook Ad Library, step by step
- How to find out what products are selling online
- What is a low-ticket offer and how to choose one
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to look at competitors' ads?
Yes. The Ad Library is public, and Meta built it for anyone to check.
Will the competitor know I looked?
The Library doesn't notify advertisers about who viewed their ads.
Do I need a Facebook account?
You don't need an ad account to search the Library.