# Video ad teardown template

> A video ad breakdown template: one row per shot with time, picture, words and job. Copy it, see a filled-in example and learn from any public ad.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-06
- **Category**: Video editing
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/video-ad-teardown-template

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A video ad teardown is a table with one row per shot. Each row holds the time, the picture, the words, the text and the shot's job.

## The template

Copy this, watch the ad three times and fill one row for each cut.

```
AD TEARDOWN
Brand: [name]
Where I saw it: [Meta Ad Library / YouTube / brand site]    Link: [url]
Date seen: [date]    Start date shown in the library: [date]
Length: [seconds]    Ratio: [9:16]    Shots: [count]

TIME  | SHOT (what we see) | VOICE OR TEXT | JOB       | HOLD (s)
0:00  | [ ]                | [ ]           | [hook]    | [ ]
0:03  | [ ]                | [ ]           | [problem] | [ ]
0:06  | [ ]                | [ ]           | [product] | [ ]

JOBS: hook / problem / product / proof / offer / action

SUMMARY
Hook type: [question / result first / problem / claim]
Offer appears at: [seconds, and % of the length]
Action: [what and where]
Average shot length: [length / shots]
One thing I will test: [idea]
```

## A filled-in example

This is an ad we made up for a face primer. It is not a real brand.

| Time | Shot | Voice or text | Job | Hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Woman at a desk, hand on forehead | "My face is oily by 1pm." | Hook | 3 s |
| 0:03 | Close-up of blotting paper | Text: "Every single day" | Problem | 3 s |
| 0:06 | Applies primer in one long shot | "This primer, INR 549." | Product | 8 s |
| 0:14 | Same face at 4pm | Text: "Still matte at 4pm" | Proof | 4 s |
| 0:18 | Price card | "INR 549. Link below." | Offer | 3 s |
| 0:21 | Logo and button | Text: "Shop now" | Action | 3 s |

## How to fill it in

1. Save the ad's link and the date you saw it.
2. Watch it once without stopping, for the story.
3. Watch again and note the time of each cut.
4. Fill one row per shot with the picture, the words and the job.
5. Work out the summary numbers.
6. Write one idea to test in your own ad.

## A worked example

Use the filled-in ad above. It runs 24 seconds with 6 shots.

- Average shot length: 24 / 6 = 4 seconds.
- Hook shot: it holds 3 seconds.
- Offer arrives at 0:18, which is 18 / 24 = 75% of the way through.

Those three numbers tell you the pace and where the offer sits.

## Rules for a fair teardown

- **Use public ads only.** Study ads anyone can see in a public library or on the brand's own channels.
- **Write what you see.** A public ad library shows that an ad is running. It does not show how well it does, so never write "this works".
- **Copy the order, not the content.** Reuse the beats. Never reuse their footage, words or music.

To save an ad from Meta's library, see [how to download videos from the Facebook Ad Library](/guides/how-to-download-videos-from-facebook-ad-library). To plan your own shots from what you learn, use the [shot list template](/templates/shot-list-template). Read [what a hook is](/glossary/ad-hook) before you label the first shot.

## Let the editor start

Marxx's [AI video editor](/features/ai-video-editor) takes a competitor ad as reference media. It breaks the ad down shot by shot, showing where the hook lands, how long each shot holds and where the offer appears. We make Marxx.

Log what you test from each teardown in the [creative testing tracker template](/templates/creative-testing-tracker-template).

## FAQ

### Can I copy a competitor's ad?

Learn from the structure, but make your own footage, words and music.

### How many ads should I break down?

Start with five from the same market. Look for beats that repeat, then pick one to test.

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