# How to find out how long an ad has been running

> Find out how long a Facebook, Instagram, Google or LinkedIn ad has been running, using each free ad library. Which one shows a start date, and how to read it.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-10-20
- **Category**: Competitor research
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-find-out-how-long-an-ad-has-been-running

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Meta's free Ad Library shows a start date on its active ads. Google and LinkedIn show start dates mainly for ads shown in Europe. Search the brand, open the ad, and count the days to today.

## Facebook and Instagram

1. Open the [Meta Ad Library](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/).
2. Choose your country and "All ads".
3. Search the brand name and pick its page.
4. Each ad card shows "Started running on" and a date.
5. Open Filters and set Active status to Active ads to see what is live now.

## Google and YouTube

1. Open the [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com/).
2. Search the advertiser name or website.
3. Pick the region, then open an ad.
4. The ad shows "Last shown". When you pick a European region, it also shows "First shown" (checked 2026-10-20).

## LinkedIn

1. Open the [LinkedIn Ad Library](https://www.linkedin.com/ad-library).
2. Search by company or keyword.
3. Open an ad to see its details. LinkedIn shows the dates an ad ran only for ads targeted to the EU.

## A worked example

Today is 20 October 2026. A competitor ad shows "Started running on 3 Aug 2026". That is 78 days live. Brands tend to stop ads that lose money, so a long run is a clue that the ad works, not proof.

## Read the date with care

- **Re-uploaded ads** show the date of the new ad, even if the creative is old.
- **Multiple versions.** Meta shows one start date for an entry that holds several versions. Click through each version to see what changed.
- **Region matters on Google.** Its ad page says the information may vary by location.

## FAQ

### Can I see when an ad stopped?

Mostly not on Meta. Its library shows active ads, and keeps stopped ones only for social issue, election and political ads and for ads delivered in the EU. Google's Transparency Center shows a last-shown date on the ads we checked.

### Is there a way to sort ads by run time?

Not in Meta's library. It sorts by impressions or most recent, not by run time. Ad intelligence tools sort by run time across many brands at once.

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