Meta Ad Library is the fastest way to find a company's active Facebook ads. This guide is current as of. Meta says new ads and ad updates can take up to 24 hours to appear in the library.
Search for the company's Facebook Page, choose the correct country, select All ads, and review the results marked Active. Meta Ad Library covers advertising across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and other Meta placements.
| Method | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ad Library | Finding active ads linked to a company's Page | You need the correct Page or advertiser name |
| Page Transparency | Starting from a company's Facebook Page | Menu labels can vary by account and interface |
| Keyword search | Finding ads when the company Page is unclear | Results may include unrelated advertisers |
Search the company's Facebook Page in Meta Ad Library, select the country and All ads, then review the ads marked Active.
Go to Meta Ad Library and set the location to the country where you want to check advertising activity. Select All ads instead of a category such as housing, employment, financial products or political advertising.
The selected country affects the results because ads are delivered to people in specific locations.
Enter the company's official Facebook Page name. Meta Ad Library supports searches by keyword or advertiser.
For example, a search for Nike could include:
NikeNike RunningNike United StatesSearch for the Page name rather than only the company's website domain. A business may run ads through a parent company, regional Page, product Page or legal entity with a different name.
Choose the Page that matches the company you are researching. Check:
This reduces the chance of analyzing an impersonator, reseller or unrelated business with a similar name.
An active ad is an ad that Meta currently considers eligible for delivery. It may not appear in your own Facebook feed because delivery depends on factors such as audience targeting, placements and delivery systems.
An ad result may include:
Meta says the library includes ad content, the Page name, delivery dates and the platforms associated with available ads.
Review the complete ad and its landing page, not only the image or video. Record:
A long-running ad may deserve attention, but its duration does not prove that it is profitable. Use the library to study a company's ads and messaging, not to claim performance you cannot verify.
Open the company's Facebook Page, find Page Transparency, and follow the link to its ads in Meta Ad Library.
Meta introduced Page-level transparency so people could see the ads a Page was running across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and related Meta placements, including ads that were not targeted to them personally.
This route helps when a company has several Pages with similar names. It takes you to a specific advertiser instead of relying only on a broad keyword search.
Use the available platform, media and date filters to narrow the results.
If you want Facebook ads specifically, use the publisher platform filter where available. Meta's advertising data can distinguish between Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network, WhatsApp, Threads and other Meta technologies.
A company may have an active Meta ad that is running only on Instagram or another placement.
You can narrow the results by formats such as:
This is useful when you are researching one format or building a competitor ad library.
The start date shows when Meta records the ad as beginning delivery. Comparing start dates can help you identify:
If the first search fails, check the advertiser identity, country, related Pages and campaign language.
A broad keyword search may return ads that mention the company but were published by someone else. Search for the advertiser or Page name whenever possible.
Large companies may use separate Pages for different markets, products or business units, including:
Search each relevant Page separately.
An ad delivered in the United States may not appear when the Ad Library is set to the United Kingdom. Change the location and repeat the search.
Some companies advertise through an Instagram account or a different Page identity. Search for the company's known Facebook Pages, Instagram account names and product brands.
If the Page search fails, search for distinctive terms from the company's marketing, such as:
Keyword search is less precise than advertiser search, but it can uncover ads published under an unexpected Page name.
Meta Ad Library can show active ad content and delivery details, but it does not normally reveal the full performance of standard ads.
You generally cannot use it to confirm:
Political and issue ads have separate transparency information. Some ads delivered in the European Union or United Kingdom may also include reach, spend or targeting information.
Create a spreadsheet with these columns:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Advertiser Page | Exact Page running the ad |
| Library ID | Meta's identifier for the ad |
| Start date | When delivery began |
| Platform | Facebook, Instagram or another Meta placement |
| Format | Image, video, carousel or another format |
| Hook | Main opening message |
| Offer | Product, discount or benefit |
| CTA | Button or conversion action |
| Landing page | Destination URL |
| Creative angle | Problem, benefit, testimonial, comparison or promotion |
Group similar ads together. If a company runs several ads with the same offer but different hooks, images or videos, it may be testing creative variations. That can help you understand its messaging strategy, but it does not show which version performs best.
Use Meta Ad Library to verify which Page is running an ad, where the ad appears and what it says. Treat spend, conversions and profitability as unknown unless you have access to the company's own data.