How to use Facebook Ad Library (Updated for 2024)

Are you looking to learn how to use the Facebook Ad Library? We'll cover the basics to help you get started and reveal how to leverage its newest features in 2024.

Since its inception in 2019, the Facebook Ad Library has revolutionized how businesses and organizations advertise on the platform. Now, in 2024, it remains an essential tool in any marketer's arsenal and has never been more effective.

This guide will teach you how to use the 2024 Facebook Ad Library like a pro. So buckle up, and let's dive in!

Key Takeaways

• The FB Ad library was built with the intent to increase transparency in political advertising. However, it's now used to gain insights into competitors' advertising strategies.
• The Library is completely free to use and be accessed without a Facebook account.
• Users can search for relevant ads by entering specific keywords, industry names, product types, or the name of a specific advertiser.
• Users can filter results by country, date range, choice of advertiser, impressions by date, platform, and more.
• New EU transparency features provide additional detailed information about ad reach, target demographics, and performance across different EU countries.
• Can be used to analyse and compare ad creatives, copy, and targeting strategies of competitors.

What is the Facebook Ad Library?

Before jumping into the features of the Facebook Ad Library, let's explore its origins.

In 2019, the Facebook Ad Library was created in response to increasing concerns about political advertising on social media platforms. It was built for transparency, allowing users, journalists, businesses, and researchers to see all active political ads on Facebook's Advertising Network. This transparency ensures that users know which ads are being targeted towards them and by whom.

However, the Facebook Ad Library has evolved well beyond its initial purpose of tracking political ads. Today, it is an invaluable resource for businesses and marketers to understand competitor advertising strategies and generate new ideas. With advanced filtering and search options, it has become the go-to tool for businesses looking to make a significant impact on Meta's platforms.

Where to Find the FB AD Library?

The Facebook Ad Library is a public resource, meaning it's free and accessible to anyone online. To find it, type in facebook.com/ads/library. Alternatively, you can type in 'Facebook ad library' on your Facebook search bar. 

You don't have to make a Facebook account to access the library, nor will you need to log in. Anyone, anywhere (all countries allowed to access Meta's advertising network) can use the Facebook Ad Library to their advantage.

How to Use the FB Ad Library

With over 10 million active advertisers on Facebook and 93% of marketers regularly investing in Facebook ads, the Facebook Ad Library has never been more essential. It is designed to be user-friendly, with a simple interface and intuitive search options.

Let's go through the steps on how to use the Facebook Ad Library:

1. Select Your Country and Ad Category

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Upon entering the Facebook Ad Library, you must fill in the search bar before proceeding.

• Select the country where you wish to see advertising data. This helps businesses that operate globally view ad strategies that may differ from country to country.
• Next, select 'All ads.' However, if your ads are related to issues, elections, or politics (Housing, Employment, and Credit are also included for some countries), click on this category instead.

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2. Search for a Brand, Keyword, or Industry

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In the search bar, type a keyword you want to research. This can be a brand name, e.g., 'Apple,' a type of product, e.g., 'fitness equipment,'. You'll then get a drop-down menu of all advertisers who have that keyword in their name.

• Researching Brands: Larger brands will often have several ad accounts for different geographical locations. This is because brands with a large audience tend to have unique promotions for specific countries.
• Looking for Inspiration: Enter keywords related to your business. For instance, if you're promoting fitness products, use terms like 'workout,' 'fitness gear,' or 'exercise equipment' to see what other brands are doing.

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3. Filter Your Search Results

On the right-hand side, you'll see the 'Filter' options.

• Languages: Show all ads in your selected language.
• Advertiser: Choose from one or multiple advertisers running ads related to your keyword.
• Platform: Select to see ads from a specific platform or all platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network, and Messenger.
• Active Status: Choose to display all active or inactive ads. We always recommend selecting active ads to receive the latest trends.
• Impressions by Date: Filter ads based on a specific date range, i.e., all ads running before, during, or after your chosen date.

After applying your desired filters, you should get a more refined list of ads to analyse further.

PRO TIP: For the most impactful results, prioritise the following filters:

• Advertiser: Focus on specific brands or competitors most relevant to your business. These businesses could be your direct or indirect competitors and worth analysing closely.
• Impressions by Date: Easily the best way of analysing trends over time. You can see how the brand's advertising strategy has changed or evolved, which could be helpful for your own marketing plan.
• Active Status: Understand the current advertising landscape by filtering for active ads.

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4. Analyse Your Findings to Inspire Your Own Ads

After filtering, you may be left with dozens or even hundreds of ads to review. To effectively use this information in your competitive analysis, follow our recommended steps below:

Check the Ad's Running Date

Longer-running ads typically indicate that they are driving positive results for the advertiser.

When looking at active or inactive ads, note when they were launched. If an ad has been running for several months or even years, it's most likely getting higher conversion rates than others.

PRO TIP: Opt for active ads that were launched within this year. Ad campaigns for years ago, although successful, may not be as relevant to today's market trends.

Evaluate that Ad's Creative and Copy

Determine what visual elements and ad copy are used in the high-performing ads. Are they images, videos, or animations? Do they use the same tone of voice, i.e., formal or casual? Do their videos feel authentic or more like a television commercial?Use this information to inspire and improve your campaign's ad creatives.

In this example, the brand ‘JustFit: Lazy Workout & Fit’ uses customer testimonials and reviews to promote their fitness app. This personal touch and relatable content could be a great strategy for your own ad campaign.

PRO TIP: If you're getting mixed signals from different competitor ads, conduct A/B testing to determine which visuals and copy elements get the highest conversion rates.

5. Identify the Advertisor's Target Audience

Is the ad remarketing to the same audience or targeting a new demographic? Check for UTM parameters at the end of links to learn who they're targeting. If you see the word "Retargeting" or 'utm_campaign=mof-retargeting' in the URL, it's most likely targeting people who saw and clicked on the initial ad but didn't convert. This should only be used if you're running a retargeting campaign.

PRO TIP: Look for patterns in the targeting parameters across multiple ads from the same advertiser. This can provide insights into their broader audience strategy and help you refine your own targeting efforts.

6. Review Platforms and Placement Strategy

Check the 'Platforms' list to see where the ad was run, e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or Audience Network. These can reveal unique insights into an ad's strategy. For example, if an ad is only running on Audience Network, the advertiser is likely targeting a broad audience. In contrast, Instagram-only ads may focus on a younger or more visually oriented audience.

PRO TIP: Find out if they selected Manual or Automatic Placements. If 'Dynamic Creative' is noted, the ad uses dynamic features, indicating an automated approach.

7. Gather Up Similar Ads and Take Notes

If you believe a specific competitor's ad is effective, compare it with others they've run or other competitors. You'll quickly identify which ad elements are consistent and assume the most important.

PRO TIP: If multiple ads in your industry use the same tone, voice, or color scheme, determine why that may be. For example, many wellness brands use a minimal, relaxing, or earthy aesthetic. Is there an underlying trend you can capitalise on?

Save Ads From the Facebook Ad Library

To simplify the researching process, you can save ads from the Facebook Ad Library to organise into collections and reference them later. This way, you'll have a quick and easy way to track an advertiser's past ads.

PRO TIP: Use the MagicBrief Chrome extension to save library ads into our platform. From there, you can organise the ads into collections, add notes and insights, and share them with your team.

How to Save, Organise, and Analyse Facebook Ads Using MagicBrief

1. Sign up to MagicBrief and create an free account, and download the MagicBrief Chrome extension.
2. Save any ads you want to analyse in MagicBrief by clicking the 'Save ad' button. You'll then have acesss to all  your saved ads in our platform.

3. From there, you can organize your saved ads into different collections, making it easier to find and compare specific types of ads.

4. You can also discover new ads in our vast ad library. Filter ads by location, industry, or ad type to find inspiration for your own campaigns.

New FB Ad Library Features That Were Released in 2024

As of 2024, marketers can use the Facebook Ad Library to conduct a deeper analysis of their competitors' ads in the EU. This includes the ability to see an advert's reach, targeted audience's age, gender, and location.

How to Access EU Transparency Ad Data on the Facebook Ad Library

Click on 'See Ad Details' on any asset to access to following sections: 'European Union transparency,' 'About the advertiser,' and 'Beneficiary and payer.'

However, to get all the juicy ad details, it's best to focus on  'European Union transparency'. Here, you'll find information about the following:

EU ad audience

This section displays all EU countries and regions targeted by the ad. Users can also filter results by 'Included' and 'Excluded' countries, which will display the specific locations targeted or excluded in that ad.

Age and Gender

In these sections, you can see the ad's target age range and gender. Meta advertisers can select a minimum and maximum age range for ad viewers, aswell as specific genders. In this example, the advertiser has targeted women between the ages of 44-65+.

EU ad delivery

This section shows how many accounts saw the ad at least once in each country. It also breaks down the ad's audience by location, age, and gender, providing a detailed view of how the ad performed across different demographics.

In this ad example, Greece had the highest reach, with 80 females aged 45-54 seeing the ad. If you have a similar marketing campaign, you can target these age groups within Greece or Cyprus to potentially reach more customers. 

Tips on Making the Most of the FB Ad Library

The Facebook Ad Library, at first glance, is just a database full of ads. However, it also reveals a lot about your competitors' social media strategy. Here are some tips on making the most of this valuable resource:

Keep Tabs on Your Competitors' Ads

Looking at your competitor's ads only a single time isn't enough only provides a snap-shot of their current marketing strategy. Instead, check the Ad Library regularly to see if they have changed strategies or released new ads. This way, you can track any subtle or significant changes in their ad targeting, messaging, and creative.

Check For Ad Duration

As mentioned, the duration of an ad can indicate its success, as advertisers will typically remove unsuccessful ads quickly. Look for ads that have been live for a long time, as they may be performing well and worth emulating in your own campaigns.

Identify Seasonal Trends

Use the date filters to observe how competitors change their advertising strategies during different seasons or holidays. Do they offer promotions or discounts during certain times of the year? Are they regularly promoting their product by leveraging popular trends or events? Use this information to inspire your own seasonal ad campaigns.

Learn Their Targeting Strategies

If you're analysing ads in the EU, use the EU transparency feature to see which demographics they've targeted and who is seeing their ads. This helps you segment your own audience and refine your targeting accordingly.

Final Thoughts

The Facebook Ad Library in 2024 is as good as it's ever been. With new features that reveal more information about your competitors' EU advertising strategies, you'll have more information at your disposal than ever before. Use these insights to up your own EU  ad game and stay ahead of the competition.

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