How to Download Ads from Facebook Ad Library

The Facebook Ad Library is one of the most powerful, free marketing tools available, but its full potential is often overlooked. It's a massive, searchable database of every ad currently running on Meta's platforms, offering a direct look into your competitors' strategies. This tutorial will walk you through exactly how to navigate the Ad Library to find, analyze, and save ads for inspiration and research.

What is the Facebook Ad Library?

Originally created to increase transparency in political advertising, the Meta Ad Library has become an invaluable resource for marketers. It’s a comprehensive, publicly accessible database that contains all active ads running across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Audience Network. You don't even need a Facebook account to use it.

Why should you spend time here? Because it lets you legally and ethically spy on your competition. By studying other brands' ads, you can:

• Get creative inspiration. See the exact images, videos, and ad copy that brands in your niche are using.
• Understand messaging angles. Discover how competitors are speaking to your target audience. What pain points are they hitting? What benefits are they highlighting?
• Analyze competitive offers. See what discounts, trials, or lead magnets are being promoted in your space.
• Spot market trends. Identify patterns in ad formats, styles, and messaging that are currently performing well.
• Reverse-engineer successful funnels. Click on calls-to-action (CTAs) to see their landing pages and understand the customer journey they've built.

Simply put, it’s a goldmine of marketing intelligence that can help you create more effective ad campaigns without starting from scratch.

How to Access and Navigate the Ad Library

Getting into the Ad Library is straightforward. You can search for "Facebook Ad Library" on Google or go directly to the URL: facebook.com/ads/library. Once you're there, you'll see a simple search interface with a few key options.

Before you dive in, you need to understand the main search parameters:

1. Location: This is where the ads are being targeted. You can search for ads shown in a specific country. This is great for understanding regional differences in marketing strategy.

2. Ad Category: This filter is crucial. For most marketers, you’ll choose "All Ads." The other option, "Issues, Elections or Politics," is for those researching social and political advertising.

3. Search by Keyword or Advertiser: This is the search bar where you'll do most of your work. You can type in the name of a specific brand (the advertiser) or a keyword related to your industry.

By default, the library shows only active ads. This is useful for seeing what’s running right now, but you can also use filters to find inactive ads to review past campaigns.

Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and 'Downloading' Ads

One of the first things you'll realize is that there isn't a "Download this Ad" button. The library is built for transparency, not for creating swipe files. But don't worry - there are professional workarounds. Let’s walk through the process of finding the right ads and saving them for analysis.

Step 1: Start with an Advertiser Search

The best place to start is often with a direct competitor. Type the name of a brand you compete with into the search bar. As you type, their official Facebook Page should appear in a dropdown list. Click on it to see every ad that Page is currently running.

For example, searching for a popular shoe brand like "Allbirds" will pull up all of their current ad campaigns. This immediate view shows you:

• The number of ads they're running.
• Every piece of creative (images, videos, carousels).
• The exact ad copy they’re using for each creative.
• The different platforms the ads are shown on (Facebook, Instagram, etc.).

This is your starting point for deep-dive competitor research.

Step 2: Broaden Your Search with Keywords

After you’ve analyzed a few specific competitors, switch your strategy to a keyword search. Instead of looking for a brand name, use a term relevant to your product or service, like "meal delivery service," "project management software," or "sustainable shoes."

Now, instead of seeing ads from just one company, you'll see ads from everyone who is using that keyword in their ad copy or company name. This is an incredibly effective way to understand the competitive landscape as a whole and discover new competitors you might not have known about.

Step 3: Refine Your Search Using the Extensive Filters Menu

This is how you can transform an ad-hoc review into a polished, organized competitive analysis. In the results screen, you'll find an unassuming "Filters" button with rich capabilities.

Here's what you can use and why it is useful

• Languages: Narrow results to one or more languages.
• Platform: Focus ads only on one destination - e.g., only on the Instagram Platform (including stories and reels), or only the Audience Network to investigate ads for gaming apps/publishers.
• Media Types: Analyze the most common formats successful brands or products in your category are using. This lets you zero in on content production.
• Active Status: This extremely valuable filter lets you peer into the past.
• Impressions by Date: The motherlode for all ad spies! You can investigate ads by how many impressions they've received. Choosing "Last 90 Days" can provide a specific list of the most effective ads.

If you see an ad that’s been running for six months with many impressions in the last week, that’s a strong signal of its profitability.

Step 4: 'Downloading' the Ads with Screen Grabs and Recordings

Now that you've found a "winner," it's time to build your reference collection (often called a 'swipe file'). Since there's no download button, you'll need to use screen capture tools.

For Static Image Ads: A simple screenshot is all you need. To make them clean and useful, focus on capturing the ad itself without the surrounding web page.

• On Windows: Use the Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch (press Win + Shift + S) to draw a rectangle around the ad.
• On Mac: Press Cmd + Shift + 4, then draw a box around the ad to save it to your desktop.

For Video Ads: Screenshots don't capture motion, timing, and sound. For video, you’ll want to screen record.

• On Windows: The built-in Xbox Game Bar (Win + G) works well for screen recording.
• On Mac: QuickTime Player has a built-in screen recorder (File > New Screen Recording).
• Third-Party Tools: Apps like Loom, Camtasia, or the free OBS Studio offer more control and editing capabilities.

Tips For an Excellent Swipe File

When saving, here are a few best practices for a healthy marketing organization:

• Name each file with descriptive filenames. For example: CompanyName_Ad_Keyword.JPG. You can add more details at the end like: allbirds_ad_wool_IG-story.mov_US. Keeping it simple and organized increases ease of use and value.
• Organize the ads or notes into a shared tool with rich search features. Tools like Airtable for managing these kinds of files work well. If Airtable doesn't feel comfortable, Notion or Evernote can work. A shared directory or spreadsheet like Google Sheets is fine too, as long as files are standardized.
• Share this best practice file or swipe collection. Get your team's perspective on what makes it work. The aim is not merely copying but generating fresh ideas. Discussions can help identify why a type of ad is good and what it means for your brand.

Step 5: Don't Just Watch - Deconstruct Everything

Your folder of saved ads is useless without thoughtful analysis. "Downloading" is just the first step. For each ad you've saved, document the objectives you see in its contents:

• Ad Creative Analysis: Determine if the ad uses custom video, user-generated content, or stock photography. Why? Analyze the focus on product, people, or problem solving. Identify visual styles, themes, or mood boards that appear time and again.
• Offer: Examine what competitors are selling. Is the offer a "Buy-One-Get-One" or "free 14-day trial"? Note the effective ad types and patterns. Do different ad formats offer different promotions for the same product?
• Ad Copy: Analyze the copy structure. Look at headlines, hooks, and pain points addressed. Body copy can range from simple bullet points to longer stories with emojis. Consider how ad copy changes from Facebook to Instagram ads, where visuals may dominate attention.
• Landing Page: Follow the ad to its actual destination page. Screenshot conversion-focused landing pages and look for patterns. Ensure the page is consistent with the originating ad and maintains the narrative to reduce disruptions in the customer journey.

"Congruity" is a marketing term used to mean that the ad, landing page, and brand story should match in tone and visual appeal. Successful advertising ties these elements together to create a seamless customer experience.

Final Thoughts

By regularly following this process, the Facebook Ad Library transforms from a curiosity distraction into a core part of your marketing strategy. By dedicating time to discover what's working for others and analyzing how, you gain a data-informed perspective on the competitive landscape and how you can improve your own brand's position.

Reviewing competitor ad creatives within an app is just one step. Ultimately, marketing is about understanding your full performance data across all channels. Instead of constantly jumping between Facebook Ads Manager, Google Ads, and Google Analytics, we created Graphed to integrate marketing data and provide a comprehensive view of your business performance.