# What is competitive intelligence in advertising?

> Competitive intelligence is tracking what rival brands run in their ads, offers and messages so you can plan yours. What to track, free sources and an example.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-14
- **Category**: Strategy
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/competitive-intelligence

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Competitive intelligence is the habit of tracking what rival brands do in their ads, offers and messages, then using it to plan your own. In ads, it starts with two free tools: the Meta Ad Library and Google's Ads Transparency Center.

## Free places to look

- **Meta Ad Library.** Meta says it holds all active ads shown across Meta technologies. Anyone can view and search it ([Meta Help Center](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2405092116183307), checked 2026-10-20). See the [Meta Ad Library](/glossary/meta-ad-library).
- **Google Ads Transparency Center.** It lets you find active ads published through Google by searching an advertiser name or website ([Google](https://adstransparency.google.com/), checked 2026-10-20). See [Meta Ad Library vs Google Ads Transparency Center](/compare/google-ads-transparency-center-vs-meta-ad-library).

## What to track

| Track this | Why |
|---|---|
| Angles | Which problem or desire each ad leads with |
| Offers | Discounts, bundles, free shipping, trials |
| Formats | Video, static, UGC, carousel |
| Hooks | The first line or first three seconds |
| Landing pages | Whether the page matches the promise |

## A worked example

Say you sell protein powder. You follow five rivals for four weeks and log 40 live ads.

| Angle | Ads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | 18 | 45% |
| Price | 14 | 35% |
| Lab-tested purity | 8 | 20% |

The calculation: 18 / 40 = 45%, 14 / 40 = 35%, 8 / 40 = 20%. Almost nobody talks about lab tests, and none of those 8 ads is a video. That is a gap. You test three lab-test videos against your best taste ad.

## What it cannot tell you

An ad that is running is not an ad that earns. A rival may be testing, or wasting money. Read the signals with care. See [how to tell if a competitor's ad is working](/guides/how-to-tell-if-a-competitor-ad-is-working).

Use your findings to find gaps, not to copy. A [competitor analysis template](/templates/competitor-analysis-template-for-ads) keeps the log tidy.

Marxx tracks competitor ads on Meta and Google, with an AI search over 100M+ ads back to 2022. See [competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking).

## FAQ

### Is competitive intelligence free?

The core sources are. Anyone can search the Meta Ad Library and the Google Ads Transparency Center. Paid tools save time at scale.

### How often should I check?

Pick a fixed day each week. Log new ads, ended ads and changed offers.

### Is it the same as copying a competitor?

No. You look for patterns and gaps. Then you make your own ad with your own proof.

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