You're scrolling through your feed and see a competitor's ad for the third time this week. That's not luck—it's a signal they've found something that works, and they're scaling it.
The Meta Ad Library shows you every ad your competitors are running, how long each has been live, and what creative formats they're betting on. This guide walks you through how to find those ads, spot the patterns that matter, and turn what you learn into tests that improve your own campaigns.
Why competitor analysis on Meta ads matters
Here's why this matters. Your competitors already spend money to test creative angles, offers, and messaging on the exact people you're trying to reach. When you see an ad that's been running for 60 days, it's working.
The creative converts, the numbers make sense, and they're scaling it. You get to learn from their wins without spending a dollar on the test. This is a powerful advantage.
Competitor analysis also shows you the gaps. If everyone in your space leads with price, you have an opportunity to stand out by talking about delivery speed. Or maybe video ads dominate, which means a well-designed static image might actually cut through. The patterns you spot become the tests you run.
Free ways to see competitor Facebook ads fast
You don't need a budget to start. Meta gives you three ways to see what competitors are running, and all of them are free.
1. Meta ad library
Go to facebook.com/ads/library and type a competitor's page name into the search bar. You'll see every ad they're running across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. Filter by country if you want to focus on a specific market.
Each ad shows the creative, the headline, the body copy, and the date it started running. If an ad launched three months ago and it's still live, you're looking at a winner. Screenshot it, save the landing page URL, and note what offer they're promoting.
You can also search by keywords instead of page names. Type "running shoes" and you'll see ads from every brand in that category. This works well when you're new to a space and don't yet know who the major players are.
2. Page transparency tab
Visit your competitor's Facebook page and scroll to the About section. Click Page Transparency, then look for the link that says "Go to Ad Library." This takes you straight to their active ads without needing to search.
This method works when you're already on a competitor's page and want a quick look at what they're promoting. It's faster than opening a new tab and typing their name into the Ad Library search bar.
3. Manual swipe files
As you scroll through Facebook or Instagram, screenshot ads that catch your attention. Save them in a folder on your phone or desktop, organized by competitor or theme.
This approach captures ads in context. You see them the way your audience does, mixed into the feed. It's also the only way to spot retargeting ads, which won't show up in the Ad Library because they're not running broadly.
Choosing the right tools for Facebook competitor analysis
Free methods work when you're starting out, but they don't scale. If you're tracking five competitors and checking weekly, you'll spend hours manually clicking through pages and taking screenshots. Tools help you move faster.
1. Free tool criteria
Look for tools that let you export data in bulk, filter by date range, and search across multiple competitors at once. The best free tools also show historical data so you can see when an ad was paused or restarted.
Avoid tools that make you click through ads one by one. You want batch actions—select 20 ads, download them all, and move on.
2. Paid tool criteria
Paid tools add automation. They monitor competitors for you and send alerts when new ads launch. They also estimate performance based on engagement signals like comments and shares, though these estimates are directional at best.
The real value is in creative tagging systems. Good tools let you label ads by format, offer type, and hook style. Once tagged, you can filter and spot patterns fast.
3. Where AI fits
AI tools can categorize thousands of ads in seconds. They identify visual patterns like color schemes or text overlay styles and group similar creatives together. This saves you from manually sorting through variations of the same concept.
AI also surfaces anomalies. If a competitor suddenly shifts from product-focused ads to founder story ads, the tool flags it. You get to ask why, then decide if that shift is worth testing in your own account.
We at Pixis built Prism to do exactly this. It connects to your ad accounts, pulls competitor data from the Ad Library, and uses AI to tag, categorize, and recommend tests based on what's working in your market.
Step-by-step process to analyze Meta ads competitors
Here's the workflow we use at Pixis when analyzing competitors. It turns raw data into tests you can run in under an hour.
Step 1: Identify direct and indirect competitors
Start with the obvious brands selling the same product to the same audience. Then expand to adjacent categories. If you sell running shoes, look at athletic apparel brands, fitness apps, and sports nutrition companies. They're all fighting for attention from the same people.
Make a list of 10–15 brands. You won't track all of them long-term, but casting a wide net early helps you spot trends you'd otherwise miss.
Step 2: Capture ads and landing pages
Screenshot every ad that's been running for more than 30 days. Save the image, the ad copy, and the landing page URL. Use a consistent naming system so you can find things later, something like CompanyName_AdFormat_Date.
Landing pages matter as much as the ad itself. A great ad with a weak landing page won't convert, so you want to see the full experience. Check load speed, mobile optimization, and how closely the landing page matches the ad's promise.
Step 3: Tag creatives by format, offer, and hook
Organize your screenshots into categories. We use three dimensions:
- Format: Video, static image, carousel, and collection ad.
- Offer: Discount, free trial, bundle, limited-time promotion, and no offer.
- Hook: Problem-focused, benefit-focused, testimonial-led, and curiosity-driven.
Once tagged, you can filter by any dimension and see what's trending. If 70% of long-running ads use video, that's a signal. If no one in your space uses carousels, that is an opportunity.
Step 4: Benchmark spend and frequency
You can't see a competitor's actual spend or ROAS, but you can infer effort. An ad running in 10 countries suggests a bigger budget than one running in a single metro area. Multiple active variations of the same concept suggest they're scaling a winner.
Look at the start date. Ads that survive 60, 90, or 120 days are almost certainly profitable. Ads that disappear after a week did not perform.
Step 5: Translate findings into tests
End every analysis session with a list of things to try. Pick three to five hypotheses and turn them into campaigns.
For example:
- Observation: Competitor X runs video ads with captions in the first three seconds.
- Hypothesis: Adding captions early improves watch time and conversion.
- Test: Create two versions of our next video ad—one with captions at 0:02, one without.
Run the test, measure the result, update your playbook, and repeat.
Key metrics to benchmark against competitors
You can't see inside a competitor's ad account, but you can measure proxies that hint at performance.
Delivery metrics
Check how many countries or regions they're targeting. Broad targeting suggests confidence in the creative. Narrow targeting indicates they're still testing or working with a limited budget.
Look at placement mix too. If they're running ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network, they are seeing strong returns across all three. If they're only on Instagram, that's where their audience lives.
Efficiency metrics
Count how often they refresh creative. If a brand launches new ads every week, they're either iterating fast or struggling to find something that works. If they run the same ads for months, they've found a formula.
Check landing page load speed using a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights. A slow page kills conversion no matter how good the ad is. If competitors have fast pages and you don't, that's a fixable gap.
Outcome metrics
Look at the offers they promote. Are they leading with discounts or value propositions? Do they use urgency or scarcity? The patterns reveal what resonates with your shared audience.
Pay attention to call-to-action buttons too. "Shop Now" signals a direct-response goal. "Learn More" suggests they're building awareness or nurturing consideration. If everyone uses one CTA and you use another, test switching.
Workflow tips to keep analysis fast and repeatable
Competitor analysis only helps if you do it regularly. Here's how to make it a habit without letting it consume your week.
Weekly pulse check
Set a 15-minute calendar block every Monday. Open the Meta Ad Library, search your top three competitors, and scan for new ads. If you see something new, screenshot it and add it to your swipe file.
This keeps you aware of shifts in messaging or seasonal promotions. You won't miss a major campaign launch, and you'll spot trends as they emerge.
Monthly deep dive
Once a month, spend an hour reviewing all the ads you've collected. Look for patterns across competitors. Are video ads dominating? Is everyone running the same promotion? Has a new competitor entered the space?
Use this session to update your test roadmap. Drop ideas that didn't work, add new hypotheses based on what you've seen, and prioritize the highest-impact tests.
Automated alerts
If you're using a paid tool, set up alerts for competitor activity. Get notified when a competitor launches a new ad, pauses an old one, and changes their landing page. This eliminates manual checking and ensures you never miss a move.
Even without a paid tool, you can set up Google Alerts for competitor brand names. You'll get an email whenever they're mentioned online, which often coincides with new campaigns.
Common mistakes that slow teams down
Most teams waste time on competitor analysis because they focus on the wrong things. Here's what to avoid.
Chasing every ad variant
Don't screenshot every single ad a competitor runs. Focus on the ones that have been live for 30 days or more. Those ads matter because they're driving results.
If a competitor is running 50 variations of the same concept, pick three representative examples and move on. You're looking for patterns, not a complete archive.
Ignoring funnel context
An awareness ad looks different from a retargeting ad. If you see a competitor running a generic brand video, don't assume it's their top performer. It serves as the first touchpoint in a longer funnel.
Try to map where each ad fits in the customer journey. Ads with broad targeting and soft CTAs are top-of-funnel. Ads with specific offers and urgent language are likely retargeting. Test accordingly.
Skipping action planning
The biggest mistake is analyzing without acting. Every analysis session ends with a list of tests to run. If you're not launching campaigns based on what you learn, you're just collecting screenshots.
Write down three things you'll test this week. Run the tests, measure the results, and update your playbook. That's how competitor analysis becomes a competitive advantage.
Power up with AI-driven insights inside Pixis Prism
Manual competitor analysis works, but it's slow. You spend hours clicking through the Ad Library, organizing screenshots, and trying to spot patterns across dozens of ads.
We at Pixis built Prism to automate this process. Prism connects to your Meta ad account, pulls competitor data from the Ad Library, and uses AI to tag creatives by format, offer, and hook. It surfaces trends in seconds and recommends specific tests based on what's working in your category.
Instead of spending an hour each week on competitor research, you get a dashboard that shows you the top-performing ad concepts in your market. You see which formats are trending, which offers are overused, and where the white space is. Then Prism helps you turn those insights into campaigns, complete with creative briefs, audience recommendations, and budget allocation.
If you're ready to move faster, try Prism today. You'll spend less time on analysis and more time on the work that actually moves the needle.
FAQs about Meta ads competitor analysis
How can I estimate what a competitor spends on Facebook ads?
You can't see exact spend, but you can infer effort. Count how many active ads they're running and how many countries they're targeting. A brand running 20 ads across 15 countries is spending significantly more than one running three ads in a single market. Look at ad longevity too—ads that run for months suggest strong ROI, which correlates with higher budgets.
Can I see the custom or lookalike audiences my competitor is using?
No. The Meta Ad Library doesn't reveal audience targeting details. You can only see the geographic regions they're targeting and the ad category. Infer audience strategy from the ad messaging itself—language, pain points, and imagery often hint at who they're trying to reach.
How do I tell if a competitor's creative is profitable without their ROAS data?
Look for ads that have been running for 30 days or longer. If a brand keeps an ad active for months, it's almost certainly profitable. Also watch for variations—if they launch three versions of the same concept, they're scaling a winner. High engagement like comments and shares is another signal, though it's not a perfect proxy for conversion.