Facebook ad library vs. Spy services

There are several methods for developing advertising creatives in traffic arbitrage, and the most popular is adapting and uniquely using other people’s materials from spam services. New spy services for Facebook regularly appear on the market, just like mushrooms after rain or anti-detection browsers. However, they often offer only a limited number of creatives and are not cheap. For example, Adheart, which used to be popular, costs $53 per month, and the new Tyver with more up-to-date databases costs $75. For beginning arbitrageurs, this is a significant expense, especially if you take into account the total cost of other tools and consumables.

However, none of the spy services can guarantee that the creatives found in them will bring profit. So the question arises: why spend money if you can use the free Facebook Ad Library? Not only does it contain as many ads as the most advanced spy services, but it also provides information on competitors’ targeting settings. Let’s take a closer look at this issue.

Facebook Ad Library was created in 2019, initially to increase the transparency of political advertising. Over time, its functionality has expanded, and now all ads displayed on Facebook and Instagram can be tracked.

At first glance, Facebook Ad Library seems to be an underrated tool in the arbitration community – it is rarely mentioned in cases and even less recommended. However, I know many successful arbitrageurs who prefer to use this library instead of paid spy services, and it’s not just about saving money.

There are also disadvantages of the library:

• Creatives in the system are available only for three years, after which they are deleted.
• Uploading creatives requires the right mouse button, which is not always convenient.
  
• There are difficulties in finding creatives by specific geographical regions.

However, the library has unique advantages that other services do not have:

• The ability to view targeting settings used for ads in the European Union.
  
• The function of text recognition on creatives, which allows you to find ads by keywords that other services will not detect.

How to find advertising creatives?

The process is quite simple, especially if you have already come across other tools for analyzing ads. The Ad Library interface will be intuitive even for beginners.

Let’s say you need to find ads related to Moring Slim Free in Poland. Use the following algorithm:

1. Go to the website facebook.com/ads/library/;
2. Define the target country and select search for all ads;
3. Enter the keyword Moring Slim in the search bar.

To view only active ads, you need to select the “Active” status in the filters.

By clicking on the “Ad information” button, you can get the following data:

Targeting parameters (including age and gender);

Reach statistics by age group – this will help determine which age groups responded most effectively to the ad and help optimize targeting;

The page from which the ad campaign was launched.

It is important to note that targeting data is available only for searches in the EU, outside of this region such information is not available.

Search for ads by domains and examples

Searching by domain names is also not difficult. Arbitrageurs often use subdomains on trusted platforms, such as Myshopify or sites.google.com, to promote gray offers. To find such ads, just select the target country or language, enter the desired domain in the search bar, and Ad Library will show all the advertising materials related to it.

The constructors most often used by arbitrageurs:

sites.google | canva | convertri | hipolink | tilda.ws | turbo.site | creatium | mystrikingly | bookmark | myshopify | webflow | tumblr | ucraft | mozello | webnode | mybigcommerce |ucoz | weebly | squarespace | yolasite | bandzoogle | snappages | jumpseller | bitrix24

List of cheap first-level domain zones popular among arbitrageurs:

.icu | .top | .cyou | .club | .work | .site | .website | .online | .xyz

To effectively find ads promoting gambling apps, for example, with slots, you should use a different approach. In the search bar, specify the domain play.google.com and enter the name of the desired offer or application. You can also use keywords such as slots, casino, bet, and similar terms.

How to download the creative?

To download the creative in its original resolution, right-click on the image and select the “Save Image As” option – the file will be saved in .jpeg format. For video creatives, the procedure is similar.

Facebook Ad Library API

The Ad Library provides access to an open API that can be used by any developer who has registered an account. This tool allows you to extract additional information about your ads, including budget, target audience, and number of impressions. To access the developer account, you need to confirm your contact information and upload the application to the system.

I hope that this brief guide to using Facebook Ad Library will be useful in finding creatives that can increase your revenue.