# How to do ad creative research

> A six-step method for ad creative research using free ad libraries first: pick rivals, pull their ads, save, tag, count angles and decide what to test next.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-10-31
- **Category**: Competitor research
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-do-ad-creative-research

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To do ad creative research, pull your competitors' live ads from the free ad libraries, save them, tag each by hook and angle, and count which angles everyone uses and which nobody does. Then compare that with your own results and pick three angles to test next. Do it on a fixed slot each week, so it always ends in new ads.

## The steps

1. **Pick who to watch.** Choose five to ten direct competitors, plus two or three brands outside your category whose ads you admire.
2. **Pull their live ads.** Search each brand in the free libraries below. Note when each ad started running.
3. **Save them to one swipe file.** Write one line on why you saved each ad. See [how to build a swipe file](/guides/how-to-build-a-swipe-file) or use the [swipe file template](/templates/swipe-file-template).
4. **Tag every ad.** Mark the [hook](/glossary/ad-hook), the [angle](/glossary/ad-angle), the format and the offer.
5. **Count, then compare.** Count ads per angle. Put that next to the angles your own account has already tested.
6. **Decide three angles to test.** Pick at least one angle few rivals use. Write a short brief for each. [How to come up with ad angles](/guides/how-to-come-up-with-ad-angles) helps here.

## The free libraries

| Library | What anyone can see | What it does not show |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ad Library | All active ads on Facebook, Instagram and other Meta apps, with the date each started | Spend or results for most ads |
| Google Ads Transparency Center | Ads from verified advertisers on Search, YouTube, Shopping, Maps and Play, for a year after they last ran | Click-through to the landing page |
| TikTok Creative Center | Top TikTok ads, not every ad | TikTok is blocked in India, so it only helps for other markets |

Sources: [Meta's Ad Library tools page](https://transparency.meta.com/researchtools/ad-library-tools/) and [Google's Transparency Center FAQ](https://adstransparency.google.com/faq), both checked 2026-10-31. More on the first and last in [Meta Ad Library vs TikTok Creative Center](/compare/meta-ad-library-vs-tiktok-creative-center).

## A worked example

Say you sell running shoes and watch eight rivals. The Meta Ad Library shows 64 active ads between them. You tag each one:

| Angle | Rival ads | Your last 10 ads |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort | 30 | 7 |
| Sale price | 20 | 3 |
| Race performance | 10 | 0 |
| Recycled materials | 4 | 0 |

Rivals and you both lean on comfort. Nobody says much about recycled materials, and you have never tested race performance. Those two go into next week's test, with one fresh comfort ad as a control.

## When a paid tool helps

The free libraries are enough to start. A paid platform starts to pay once you track more than about ten brands, need ads saved after they stop running, or share boards with a team or client. Compare them in [the best creative research platforms](/best/best-creative-research-platforms).

Marxx tracks competitor ads on Meta and Google, decodes each one's hook, offer, social proof and framing, and shows the angles your own account has never tested ([competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking)). We make Marxx.

## Common mistakes

- Saving ads without tags. You cannot count what you did not label.
- Treating a long-running ad as proof it makes money. It is only a sign.
- Copying a rival's ad. Borrow the angle, then make it yours.
- Researching without a decision. Every round should end with ads to make.

## FAQ

### How long should creative research take?

The first round takes longest, because you pick the brands and set up your tags. After that, a weekly round only adds the new ads since last time.

### Can I see how much a competitor spends on an ad?

Not for most ads. Meta shows spend ranges only for political and social issue ads, and extra data for ads shown in the EU.

### Is it fine to look at competitors' ads?

Yes. Meta and Google publish these libraries so anyone can see the ads that run. Copying an ad's words or images is a different matter, so make your own.

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- [More Competitor research articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides/category/competitor-research)
- [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides)