# Competitor ad analysis template

> A free template to analyse competitor ads: what to record for each brand, a scoring grid for gaps, and a worked example you can copy.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-10-20
- **Category**: Research
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/competitor-analysis-template-for-ads

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Use this template to record what competitors run, spot the ads they keep paying for and find angles nobody in your market uses. One sheet per competitor, one summary sheet for the gaps.

## Sheet 1: one row per competitor ad

```
Brand | Ad link | Platform | Format | Angle | Hook (first line) | Offer |
Started | Days live | Versions | Notes on why it works
```

Fill it from the Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency Center and LinkedIn Ad Library. Meta's library shows a start date. Google and LinkedIn show start dates mainly for ads shown in Europe, so leave "Started" blank when it is missing.

## Sheet 2: the gap grid

List angles down the side and competitors across the top. Mark how many long-running ads each uses.

```
Angle        | You | Rival A | Rival B | Rival C
Price        |  3  |    5    |    4    |    0
Health       |  0  |    2    |    6    |    1
Convenience  |  1  |    0    |    0    |    0
Proof        |  2  |    3    |    1    |    2
Status       |  0  |    0    |    0    |    0
```

## How to read it

- **A busy row** (many rivals, many ads): proven, but crowded. You need a sharper take.
- **A row only one rival uses well:** a chance to compete on their ground.
- **An empty row:** untested by everyone. A cheap test, and possibly an edge.

## A worked example

Say a home cleaning startup fills the grid for four rivals. Price is crowded (14 ads). Health is used by one rival. Nobody runs "time saved" ads at all. The startup tests "Get your Sunday back" ads first, then a health angle second.

## Tips

- Record the hook word for word. Patterns jump out after 30 rows.
- Note run length. A 90-day ad matters more than a 3-day test.
- Refresh monthly. Markets change after every big sale.

## FAQ

### How many competitor ads should I record?

Twenty to thirty per main competitor is enough to see patterns.

### Is it okay to copy a competitor's angle?

Yes, angles are ideas. Copying their exact words, visuals or trademarks is not okay.

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