How to see competitors' ads: Meta, TikTok, Google, Apple

Meta Ad Library (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network)

Go to the Ad Library, set the country (or "All"), choose "All ads" as the category, and search the competitor's page name. Each result shows the creative, the platforms it runs on, the start date and whether it is active. For apps, the "Learn more" / "Install now" CTA and the destination (App Store or Play link) confirm it is an install campaign.

• Filters worth using: media type = video; active status = active; date = last 30 days. Sort mentally by start date: an ad still running after 60 days is worth a closer look.
• Longevity signal: if several similar ads launched together and one stays active longer, it may be worth studying. A longer run is not proof of stronger ROAS or conversion; it can also mean a large budget, a slow review cycle or a forgotten campaign.
• What you cannot see: spend, results, targeting (outside the EU transparency fields), and ads that ended before you looked.

TikTok: two different libraries

TikTok publishes a Commercial Content Library (ads and paid partnerships, searchable by advertiser, with reach ranges for some regions) and the Creative Center (Top Ads ranked by performance signals, filterable by industry, objective and region). Use the first to answer "what is this advertiser running", the second for "what is getting attention in my category". Details in the TikTok ad library guide.

Google Ads Transparency Center (Search, YouTube, Display, App campaigns)

Search by advertiser name. The Center lists ads from verified advertisers with the format (text, image, video) and the date range they were shown; you can filter by region and date. App campaign assets appear as the headlines, images and videos Google combined, which is useful for seeing which video a competitor trusts enough to upload to an automated campaign.

Apple Search Ads

There is no public library. Apple Search Ads creative is the App Store product page, including custom product pages the advertiser attaches to an ad variation. To research it: search the competitor's main keywords in the App Store on a phone, note which app appears in the ad slot, and look at the screenshots and preview video shown there (they may differ from the default listing). Repeat weekly; rotation tells you they are testing custom product pages.

A 20-minute weekly routine

1. Pick five competitors (two bigger, two peers, one adjacent category).
2. Meta Ad Library, active + video + last 30 days, for each. Log new ads and ads that disappeared in the tracker.
3. TikTok Creative Center Top Ads for your industry, last 7 days, your main region. Log the top three hooks.
4. App Store search for your top five keywords on a phone; note the ad slot and any custom product page.
5. Write one sentence: what changed this week, and what to test next.

What the libraries do not tell you

• Results. Longevity is the only public performance signal.
• Networks without a library: AppLovin, Unity, ironSource, Moloco and most rewarded/playable inventory. For those, the only research is seeing the ads in apps yourself.
• Whether an ad is a test or a scale. Count variants and watch dates; do not read one ad as a strategy.