# How to get competitor ads in Slack

> Get your competitors' new ads in each client's Slack channel. Set up the competitor new ads digest, read it, and save ads to a board with one click.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-06
- **Category**: Competitor research
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-get-competitor-ads-in-slack

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To get competitor ads in Slack, connect Slack in Marxx, switch on the **Competitor new ads digest** for a client, and add **@Marxx** to that client's channel. New ads from the competitors you track for that client then arrive in the channel, up to three per brand, each with a **Save** button.

## What the digest looks like

Here is a made-up example for a travel client, Northwind Escapes, which tracks a rival called Wanderlast Holidays. Both brands are fictional.

- **Heading:** 1 competitor shipped 2 new ads
- **Client and window:** Northwind Escapes, last 7 days
- **Per brand:** Wanderlast Holidays, 2 new ads, each shown with a **Save** button
- **The rest:** when a brand has more than three new ads, **View in Marxx** opens the full list

The digest shows what a competitor launched. It does not show what they spent or how the ads did. No public ad library shows that for ordinary ads, so treat a new ad as news, not proof.

## Set it up

You need Marxx connected to Slack and at least one competitor tracked for the client. [Competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking) covers adding brands.

1. In Marxx, go to **Settings -> Integrations** and connect Slack. Open the Slack settings with **Manage**.
2. Pick the client you are working in and choose its **Default channel**.
3. Under **What goes to Slack**, switch on **Competitor new ads digest**. To keep it out of a busy channel, send it to a different one, such as #northwind-competitors.
4. In Slack, add **@Marxx** to that channel. If Marxx cannot post there, the Slack settings say which channel to add it to.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each client. Each client's settings are its own.

Connected Slack before this feature arrived? The digest stays off for existing clients until you switch it on. The full setup is on the [Marxx in Slack page](/features/slack).

## What the buttons do

| Button | What happens |
|---|---|
| **Save** | Saves the ad to that client's default board |
| After you save | Only you see "Saved to ..." with a link to the board |
| Saved already | Marxx tells you the ad is already on the board |
| **View in Marxx** | Opens every new ad, past the three shown per brand |
| Your first click | Only you see **Link your Slack account**. You confirm once in Marxx |

After you link your account, every button acts as you, and only for clients you can open in Marxx.

## Who can press the buttons

People from other companies in a shared channel cannot use Marxx buttons. That matters if you run client channels over [Slack Connect](/glossary/slack-connect). Your client can read the digest, but saving stays with your team. For the wider channel plan, see [how to set up Slack for an ad agency](/guides/how-to-set-up-slack-for-an-ad-agency).

## Common mistakes

- **Tracking too many brands.** A digest with fifteen brands gets skimmed. Five to eight close rivals per client is easier to read.
- **Reading it as a scoreboard.** A competitor shipping ten ads tells you they are busy. "Has kept it running" is something you can see in a public ad library. "It is working" is not.
- **Saving everything.** Save the two or three ads you would show a designer. A board of fifty unlabelled ads helps nobody.
- **No owner.** Pick one person per client to read the digest each week. A [competitor ad audit](/guides/how-to-run-a-competitor-ad-audit) is the deeper version when you need one.

## FAQ

### Does the digest show competitor spend or results?

No. It shows new ads the competitor launched. Public ad libraries do not show spend or results for ordinary ads, so neither does the digest.

### Can the digest go to a different channel from leads and alerts?

Yes. Under **What goes to Slack**, each message can go to its own channel.

### Who sees the "Saved to" message?

Only the person who pressed **Save**. Everyone else in the channel sees the digest as it was.

### Why does an older client not get the digest?

Clients that had Slack connected before this update keep the new-ads digests off until someone switches them on in the Slack settings.

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