# How to see competitor ads on YouTube > Find a rival's YouTube video ads for free in the Google Ads Transparency Center, and see who is behind an ad you spot. Exact filters, limits and an example. - **Author**: Marxx - **Published**: 2026-11-11 - **Category**: Competitor research - **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-see-competitor-ads-on-youtube --- To see competitor ads on YouTube, search the brand's name or website in the Google Ads Transparency Center, then set the platform filter to YouTube and the format filter to video. That lists the video ads Google has served for that advertiser. ## Step by step 1. Go to [adstransparency.google.com](https://adstransparency.google.com/) and choose your region, such as **Ads in India**. 2. Type the brand's name or website. Pick it from the list. 3. If you searched a website, Google may say the domain has results for several advertiser accounts. You can filter by one advertiser below. 4. Open **All platforms** and choose **YouTube**. 5. Open **All formats** and choose **Video**. 6. Open **Any time** to set a date range. 7. Click an ad to see its details, including when it was last shown. Google lists these platform choices: Google Maps, Google Play, Google Shopping, Google Search and YouTube. It also notes that platform filters only work for ads shown since 4 September 2023 (checked 2026-10-20). ## What the Center covers Google's FAQ says it includes ads from verified advertisers on Search, Play, Maps, Shopping and YouTube, for one year from the date the ad was last shown. New ads can take 48 to 72 hours to appear. It shows the advertiser, and the payer if that is a different name, and not the agency (Google FAQ, checked 2026-10-20). The ads are static screenshots and not clickable. To see a brand's landing page, open its website. ## Other ways to see YouTube ads - **On an ad you see.** Open the ad's **More** or **Info** menu and choose **About this advertiser**. Google says you can also learn about advertisers from the ads you are shown through My Ad Center ([Google My Ad Center Help](https://support.google.com/My-Ad-Center-Help/answer/12155361), checked 2026-10-20). - **Sponsored videos by creators.** The Transparency Center's home page links to a separate page about paid product placements, sponsorships and endorsements on YouTube. Open it from the "Assess how brands use paid content on Youtube" card. - **A brand's own channel.** It shows what the brand posts, but not which videos it pays to promote. Do not treat uploads as ads. ## A worked example Say you run a fitness app. You search a rival's website in the Transparency Center, choose India, YouTube and Video, and set the last 30 days. You see 11 video ads. The numbers are made up. - 7 open with a person talking to camera - 3 open on a before-and-after screen - 1 is a 6-second clip Open each and note the first five seconds, the offer, and the date it was last shown. An ad that was last shown today and has several versions is likely one the rival is still paying for. Write them in your [competitor ad audit](/guides/how-to-run-a-competitor-ad-audit). ## Limits - No spend, bids or conversion results are shown for most ads - Advertisers that Google has not verified may not appear - Ads that stopped running more than a year ago are gone For run length, see [how to find out how long an ad has been running](/guides/how-to-find-out-how-long-an-ad-has-been-running). ## FAQ ### Do I need a Google account? Not to browse. Google says you only need to sign in to see ads with an age restriction. ### Can I see how many people watched a YouTube ad? Check the ad's page. Google's FAQ says impression ranges, where they are available, appear after a delay of 90 days. See the [Transparency Center guide](/guides/how-to-use-google-ads-transparency-center). ### Can I see a competitor's ads on other Google platforms too? Yes. Use the same search and pick another platform. See [how to see competitor ads on Google](/guides/how-to-see-competitor-ads-on-google). --- - [More Competitor research articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides/category/competitor-research) - [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides)