# How to run a competitor ad audit > Pull your rivals' live ads from the Meta Ad Library and Google Ads Transparency Center, sort them by hook, angle, format and offer, and find what nobody is testing. - **Author**: Marxx - **Published**: 2026-11-07 - **Category**: Competitor research - **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-run-a-competitor-ad-audit --- A competitor ad audit means pulling every live ad from five to ten rivals, labelling each by hook, angle, format and offer, and counting what repeats, since what repeats is what they back and what nobody uses is your gap. Set aside an afternoon. ## Step by step 1. **Pick the rivals.** Choose five to ten. Mix direct competitors, brands that sell to the same buyer, and one brand you admire. Write down each Page name and website. 2. **Pull Meta ads.** Open the [Meta Ad Library](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/), pick your country, choose **All ads** and search each Page. Meta says the Library holds all active ads across its apps, and anyone can view it (Meta Help Center, checked 2026-10-20). Note the ad count and each "Started running on" date. See [how to search the Ad Library by keyword](/guides/how-to-search-the-meta-ad-library-by-keyword). 3. **Pull Google ads.** Open the [Google Ads Transparency Center](https://adstransparency.google.com/), search each website and set the region. It shows ads from verified advertisers on Search, Maps, Play, Shopping and YouTube. New ads can take 48 to 72 hours to appear (Google FAQ, checked 2026-10-20). Steps are in [how to use the Google Ads Transparency Center](/guides/how-to-use-google-ads-transparency-center). 4. **Log every ad in one sheet.** Use these columns: brand, platform, format, hook, angle, offer, start date and versions. The [competitor analysis template](/templates/competitor-analysis-template-for-ads) has them ready. 5. **Mark the ads they keep paying for.** Look for ads live for 60 days or more, or with many versions. These are clues, not proof. See [how to tell if a competitor ad is working](/guides/how-to-tell-if-a-competitor-ad-is-working). 6. **Count the patterns.** Count ads by angle, format and offer. Then count what is missing. 7. **Write three tests.** Each test is one idea nobody in your list is running, or one idea they all run that you do not. ## A worked example Say you sell protein snacks. You audit 6 rivals and log 120 live ads. The numbers are made up. - **By angle:** taste 48, price 30, ingredients 24, protein per rupee 12, founder story 6 - **By format:** video 66, static 42, carousel 12 - **By offer:** free shipping 45, buy 2 get 1 21, no offer 54 Taste leads with 48 of 120 ads. Only 6 use a founder story. Your first two tests: a founder-story video, and a static ad that states protein per rupee. ## What the libraries do not show Meta does not show spend or impression figures for ads like these. The Library's home page says it covers ads that are running now, plus ads about social issues, elections or politics from the past seven years, and ads that ran in the EU or UK in the past year. Other ads drop out once they stop running (Meta Ad Library, checked 2026-10-20). Save screenshots as you go. Marxx tracks competitor ads on Meta and Google, and has an AI search over 100M+ ads back to 2022, which saves the copying. See [competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking). ## FAQ ### How often should I repeat an audit? Monthly if your category moves fast, such as fashion or food. Quarterly if it does not. Use the same sheet each time so you can see change. ### Do I need a Facebook login to use the Ad Library? No. Meta says anyone can view and search it. Some age-restricted ads are hidden unless you are logged in and of age. ### Can an audit tell me which ads sell? No. It shows what rivals keep running, not what it earns them. Treat it as a list of ideas to test on your own account. --- - [More Competitor research articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides/category/competitor-research) - [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides)