# Swipe file template for ads

> A free swipe file template for saving ads: the columns to use, how to fill them, and a worked example that turns saved ads into your next brief.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-10-31
- **Category**: Research
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/swipe-file-template

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A swipe file template is a sheet with one row per saved ad, recording where it came from, how it was made and why it works. Copy the columns below into a Google Sheet or a board, and you have a [swipe file](/glossary/swipe-file) your team can search.

## The template

```
ID              S-001
Date saved      [date]
Brand           [advertiser]
Source          [Meta Ad Library / Google Transparency Center / TikTok Creative Center / LinkedIn / Pinterest / own feed]
Link            [link to the ad]
Platform        [Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / TikTok / LinkedIn]
Format          [UGC / static / carousel / demo / animation]
Angle           [price / health / convenience / status / proof]
Hook            [the first line or first 3 seconds, in one line]
Hook type       [question / mistake / result / call-out / curiosity]
Offer           [discount, bundle, free gift, none]
Run time        [first seen date, still live? yes/no]
Why it works    [one line, your reading]
What to borrow  [structure, pacing, hook type. Never the words or visuals]
Test idea       [what you will try, linked to a test ID]
Status          [new / used / parked]
```

Two columns matter most: **why it works** and **what to borrow**. Without them, you have a folder of screenshots.

## A worked example

Say you sell protein bars and save 40 ads in a month. You tag each one. When you filter by format, 12 of the long-running competitor ads use a taste-test format, and you have never run one.

| Column | Entry |
|---|---|
| Brand | [competitor snack brand] |
| Format | UGC, taste test |
| Hook | A person bites the bar and reacts in the first 3 seconds |
| Hook type | Curiosity |
| Run time | First seen 14 weeks ago, still live |
| Why it works | The reaction does the selling, and there is nothing to read |
| What to borrow | The reaction-first structure. Not the words or the person |
| Test idea | Two creators, same bar, taste test with a different hook each |

Your next brief is a taste test with two creators. The gap was invisible before tagging.

A long run is a clue, not proof. Brands tend to stop ads that lose money, but a long-running ad may still be doing a different job than you assume.

## Rules for filling it in

1. **Save the link and the date.** Ads disappear, and run time is part of the signal.
2. **Tag the same way every time.** Use the options in brackets above and add to them rarely.
3. **Write the "why" in your own words.** One line per ad.
4. **Review it before every brief.** Filter by the angle you plan to test and pick two or three references.
5. **Mark what you used.** The status column keeps you from borrowing the same idea twice.

## Tips

- Add five to ten ads a week rather than 100 in one go.
- Save from several sources. [How to build a swipe file](/guides/how-to-build-a-swipe-file) lists them.
- Keep competitor ads in one tab and ads from other categories in another. Ideas from outside your category are rarely copied by rivals.
- To judge which saved ads are doing well, see [how to find winning ads](/guides/how-to-find-winning-ads). For a deeper side-by-side, use the [competitor ad analysis template](/templates/competitor-analysis-template-for-ads).
- Pull opening lines for your own hooks from the [ad hook examples](/templates/ad-hook-examples).

Marxx has a browser extension that adds a Save button to the Meta Ad Library, TikTok's Creative Center and Ad Library, the LinkedIn Ad Library, Pinterest and Google Images. You can still keep the sheet above for your notes.

## FAQ

### What should a swipe file include?

The ad, its source link, the date, the format, angle, hook and offer, and a line on why it works.

### How is a swipe file different from a competitor analysis?

A swipe file collects ideas from many ads and brands. A competitor analysis compares one rival's ads, offers and spend against yours.

### Is it fine to copy ads from my swipe file?

Use them to learn the reason an ad works, then write your own words and visuals. Copying another brand's ad exactly can also get you in trouble.

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