Meta Ad Library guide
Meta Ad Library: how to find any brand's Facebook and Instagram ads
The Meta Ad Library is Meta's free public database of ads running across Facebook, Instagram and its other apps. It's the same tool people call the Facebook Ad Library. Here's how to search it, what it won't tell you, and where to go when you need more than one ad at a time.
How to search it
- Open facebook.com/ads/library. You don't need an account.
- Pick a country, then an ad category. Use All ads unless you're looking for ads about social issues, elections or politics.
- Search for a keyword or an advertiser. Choose the Page from the suggestions to see only that advertiser's ads.
- Filter by active status, platform, media type and date range.
- Open See ad details to see the versions of an ad, and the extra reach data shown for ads delivered in the EU.
What the library shows
Every ad shows its creative, copy, start date, whether it's active and which Meta apps it ran on. Ads about social issues, elections or politics also show spend ranges, reach and who paid for them. Ads delivered in the EU show reach and targeting details such as location, age and gender.
What it doesn't show
Outside of political and social issue ads, Meta doesn't publish budgets or spend. No ad shows clicks, conversions or return on spend, so a long run time is a hint that an ad works, not proof. You also read ads one at a time, so patterns across a brand or a market are slow to see.
How long ads stay in the library
Active ads are always listed. Ads about social issues, elections or politics stay for seven years. Ads delivered in the EU stay for one year after their last impression. Most other ads drop out once they stop running.
Meta Ad Library or Facebook Ad Library?
They're the same product. Facebook launched it as the Facebook Ads Library and it moved to the Meta name after the company rebranded, but the address is still facebook.com/ads/library.
When you need a view across a whole brand
AdManage's public brand pages group what a brand runs on Meta into launch activity, format mix, hooks, headlines and landing pages, so you can see a pattern without opening hundreds of ads. They're free and need no sign-up. Use Meta's library as the official record and these pages to compare brands.
See a brand's ads
Common questions
Is the Meta Ad Library free?
Yes. It's free to search and you don't need a Facebook account or an ad account.
Can I see how much a brand spends on Facebook ads?
Only for ads about social issues, elections or politics. For every other ad Meta doesn't publish spend, so any figure elsewhere is an estimate.
Does the Meta Ad Library include Instagram ads?
Yes. You can filter results by platform to see only Instagram, Facebook, Messenger or other placements.
Can I see an advertiser's targeting?
Mostly no. Ads delivered in the EU show some detail on location, age and gender. Elsewhere, targeting isn't shown.
Is there an API for the Meta Ad Library?
Yes, but it covers ads about social issues, elections and politics, plus ads delivered in the EU. It doesn't cover all commercial ads worldwide.
Launch Meta ads with AdManage →
AdManage is an independent company and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the platforms named here.