How to Use the Meta Ad Library to Research Competitor Ads
How to search the Meta Ad Library for competitor ads on Facebook and Instagram, what to look for in long-running ads and how to turn it into your own creative.
Updated October 24, 2026 · 2 min read · By the Trendstalkr team
The Meta Ad Library shows every active ad running on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Audience Network. It is free and one of the best sources for creative research.
How to search it
- Go to the Meta Ad Library and pick your country.
- Choose "All ads" and search a competitor's page name or a keyword.
- Filter by platform, media type (video) and active status.
What to look for
- Long-running ads. An ad that has run for weeks or months is very likely profitable. That is the closest thing to performance data the library gives you.
- Many versions of the same idea. When a brand runs the same concept with different hooks, they are testing. The one that survives is the winner.
- Hooks and first frames. Pause on the first second of each video. Write down the hook pattern.
- Offers and CTAs. What they promise and how they ask.
What not to do
Do not copy ads. Use them to learn which angles, formats and offers work in your market, then make your own version with your product, your proof and your creators.
Combine ads with organic research
Ads show what brands pay to push. Organic outliers show what audiences choose to watch. The best creative usually uses an organic hook in a proven ad structure.
In Trendstalkr
Trendstalkr searches the Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn ad libraries by advertiser or keyword, with video previews and the advertiser's profile, next to the organic hooks working in your niche.