Ad glossary
Meta Ad Library
Meta's free public database of ads running across Facebook, Instagram and other Meta technologies, searchable by advertiser or keyword.
The Meta Ad Library is a public, searchable database of ads that run across Meta technologies, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Audience Network. Anyone can browse it without an ad account. It was introduced as a transparency tool and has become one of the most widely used sources of competitive research for advertisers.
What it shows
At the time of writing, the library includes:
- All currently active ads from any advertiser, with creative, copy and the date the ad started running.
- Ads about social issues, elections or politics, which are kept for seven years along with spend and audience information.
- For ads delivered in the European Union, additional transparency data required under the Digital Services Act, including inactive ads, estimated reach and a summary of targeting parameters.
Meta updates the library's features and coverage from time to time, so the exact fields available can change.
How marketers use it
- See which ads a competitor is running right now and how long they have been live.
- Study the hooks, offers and formats used across a category.
- Spot patterns, such as brands launching many variations of the same concept.
How PixelSpyer helps
The native library is built for transparency rather than research workflows. PixelSpyer indexes millions of ads from the public Meta Ad Library, mostly with EU and UK delivery, and adds search, saving to swipe files, brand tracking and AI tools on top. PixelSpyer is an independent product and is not affiliated with Meta.
Last reviewed Oct 27, 2026