The Open Secret: How To View Your Competitor Ads
- Darrion Phelps, Sr. MA, MSHCA
- Dec 17, 2025
- 5 min read
At Roxford Digital, we utilize official ad transparency libraries—provided by platforms like Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok—as essential tools for market intelligence and competitive benchmarking. These public repositories, originally designed for regulatory transparency, allow anyone to view the active and historical advertisements of any organization running ads online. By accessing these libraries, businesses can analyze a competitor's messaging, creative strategy, and offer structure to gain a definitive advantage in their specific marketplace. Understanding how to navigate these libraries is a requirement for any brand seeking to refine its own positioning and identify gaps in the current digital landscape.
The Hidden Advantage of Radical Transparency
For years, the "how" behind a competitor's success was a mystery. You could see the end result—their growth, their presence—but you couldn't see the engine. Today, that engine is visible to anyone who knows where to look.
The push for ad transparency wasn't originally meant for competitive research. It was born out of a need for accountability, especially in social and political spheres. However, for the strategic business leader, these libraries have become the ultimate "cheat code" for market research. When you can see every ad a competitor has run over the last several months, you aren't just looking at graphics; you are looking at their entire digital strategy laid bare.
1. Meta Ad Library: The Social Blueprint
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has perhaps the most robust and user-friendly transparency tool. Because social advertising is often heavily focused on lifestyle and immediate offers, this library is a goldmine for understanding the "vibe" and "hook" your competitors are using.
You can search the Meta Ad Library by brand name to see every active ad across their entire ecosystem.
What to look for: Look for "Long-running ads." If an ad has been active for three or four months, it’s not because they forgot to turn it off. It’s because it’s profitable.
The Insights: Pay attention to the call-to-action (CTA). Are they sending people to a landing page, a Messenger chat, or a lead form? This tells you exactly how they are capturing intent.
2. Google Ads Transparency Center: Search and Intent
Google handles the majority of the world's "search intent." When someone
is looking for a solution, they go to Google. The Google Ads Transparency Center allows you to see the search, display, and video ads a brand is running globally.
Why it matters: Unlike social ads, search ads tell you what keywords a competitor thinks are worth paying for. While you won't see their exact keyword list, you will see the headlines they use to grab attention on the search results page.
The Advantage: View their YouTube video ads. Video production is expensive. If a competitor is leaning heavily into video, it tells you they are finding a higher level of engagement there than through static images.
3. LinkedIn Ad Gallery: B2B Authority
For those in the B2B space or highly professional niches, the LinkedIn Ad Library is indispensable. LinkedIn is where professionals go to learn and network, and the ads here are often much more educational and high-level.
Strategic Posturing: Is your competitor offering a free white paper? A webinar? A consultation? By viewing their ads, you can see how they are establishing themselves as an authority.
Tone and Language: LinkedIn ads tend to be more formal. Observe the language they use to speak to CEOs versus Managers. This can help you refine your own voice to stand out. (If you're looking to refine your own voice, review our insights on Health Care Sales Reps: Your Career Is Over to see how we position authority.)
4. TikTok Creative Center: The Trend Tracker
TikTok is the frontier of "info-tainment." Their TikTok Creative Center (specifically the "Top Ads" section) allows you to see which ads are
currently trending and receiving the highest engagement.
The Hook: TikTok is all about the first three seconds. By studying the top-performing ads in your industry, you can see exactly how competitors are stopping the scroll.
Authenticity: You will notice that the most successful ads on TikTok often don't look like ads at all—they look like organic content. This is a massive clue for your own content strategy.
Turning Data into Competitive Intelligence
Viewing the ads is the first step. Analyzing them is where the "leadership" component comes in. You aren't just looking to copy; you are looking to
differentiate. ### Identify the "Gaps" in the Market If every competitor in your space is running ads that look clinical, dry, and corporate, there is a massive opportunity for you to run content that is warm, human, and direct. Transparency allows you to see the "sea of sameness" so you can choose to be the lighthouse.
Audit the Competitor Ads & Offer
What is the "low-hanging fruit" they are offering? If they are all offering a "Free Consultation," perhaps you offer a "Strategy Roadmap" or a "Market Intelligence Report." Using their transparency to pivot your offer can drastically increase your click-through rates.
Reverse-Engineer the Funnel
When you see a competitor's ad, click on it. Where does it go? Is the landing page fast? Is it easy to use? By combining the view from the ad library with a manual audit of their landing pages, you can effectively map out their entire customer journey. (This is a key part of how we approach growth; see How We Steal Your Health Care Leads for more on this strategic mindset.)
Ethical Intelligence vs. Passive Observation
There is a difference between being aware of your competitors and being obsessed with them. Leadership requires you to use this data to inform your path, not to dictate it. Use these libraries to understand the "weather" of the market, but keep your hands on your own steering wheel.
The transparency these platforms provide is a gift to the modern marketer. It levels the playing field, ensuring that the best ideas—not just the biggest budgets—have a chance to win. If you aren't regularly checking these libraries, you are essentially flying blind while your competitors have a clear view of the horizon.
A Thoughtful Approach to Market Position
At the end of the day, digital marketing is about communication. It’s about reaching a human being on the other side of a screen and offering them something of genuine value. The ad libraries give us a window into how everyone else is trying to make that connection.
By studying these libraries, you learn what is working, what is failing, and most importantly, what is missing. That "missing" piece is where your brand lives. That is where your unique revelation and insight can take root and grow.
Ready to Navigate the Change?
The digital era is not about removing the human element; it is about making every human interaction more meaningful. Seize this opportunity to become the reliable, sought-after resource in your field. If you are ready to stop guessing and start knowing how your current market position measures up, request your complementary Brand Awareness Review today.
To Your Success,
Darrion Phelps, Sr. MA, MSHCA
