# How to build a swipe file your team will actually use

> A step-by-step way to build a swipe file of ads: where to find them, what to save, how to tag them and how to turn them into briefs.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-10-20
- **Category**: Creative
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-build-a-swipe-file

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Build a swipe file by saving ads that work, tagging each one by format, angle and hook, and writing one line on why it works. Keep it in one shared place and review it before every brief.

## Step 1: pick your sources

- **Meta Ad Library** for any brand on Facebook and Instagram
- **Google Ads Transparency Center** for ads on Google Search, YouTube, Maps, Shopping and Play (checked 2026-10-20)
- **TikTok Creative Center** for TikTok's top-performing ads, a curated list rather than every ad
- **LinkedIn Ad Library** for B2B
- Your own feed: screenshot ads that stop you

## Step 2: save the right ads

Not every ad is worth saving. Prioritise:

1. Ads that have run for a long time. Brands tend to stop ads that lose money, so a long run is a clue, not proof.
2. Ads with many versions live at once. The Meta Ad Library flags these as "This ad has multiple versions", a possible sign the brand is backing that idea.
3. Ads from brands in your category and the one next to it.
4. Formats you have never tried.

## Step 3: tag everything

Use the same tags every time:

| Tag | Options |
|---|---|
| Format | UGC, static, carousel, demo, animation |
| Angle | Price, health, convenience, status, proof |
| Hook | Question, mistake, result, call-out, curiosity |
| Stage | New audience, retargeting |
| Brand | Advertiser name |

## Step 4: write why it works

One line per ad. "Opens on the result, then explains the product" is useful. "Nice ad" is not. This line is what turns a pile of screenshots into ideas.

## Step 5: use it every week

Before each creative brief, filter the file by the angle you plan to test. Pick two or three references and note what to borrow: the structure, the hook type or the pacing. Never the words or visuals themselves.

## A worked example

Say a snack brand saves 40 ads in a month. Tagging shows that 12 long-running competitor ads use a taste-test format, and the brand has never run one. Its next brief is a taste test with two creators. That gap was invisible before tagging.

## FAQ

### What tool should I use?

A shared folder works for one person. Teams do better with a board that saves the ad with its link, date and tags, often through a browser extension.

### How often should I add to it?

A few minutes a day, or one hour a week. Fresh references matter because ads change fast.

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