3-7 units; up to 10 if Facebook refuses. A failed run costs 0. The same input within 30 min costs 0.

meta-ads-search

Q: How do I get Meta Ad Library data through an API?

Call POST /recipes/meta-ads-search with your key and query and country and active_status. You get rows with the 25 fields above. The recipe is tested against the live site every 6 hours.

Q: Can I try it without paying?

Yes. Sign up with Google, GitHub or email for a free key with 1,000 credits every month. No credit card.

Q: What if the site changes?

The health check runs every 6 hours against the live site. A failing recipe shows as failing on this page until we fix it.

The ads the Meta Ad Library (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger) shows for a keyword search, one row per ad: advertiser page, dates, platforms, text, link, button, media, cards, and spend and impressions for political ads. query is the search text; country is ALL or two letters (US, GB, DE); active_status is active or all; limit up to 100. A view shows up to 30 ads; below limit, the recipe adds the search split by media type (4 more fetches, not in the Library's order). No login. 2-8 s; if Facebook refuses our address, a residential exit (3-10 s), then a browser: 20-45 s, up to 10 units.

stagedfacebook.comWASM module25 fields3-7 units; up to 10 if Facebook refusesfresh 30 min

Run it below API reference

‹ Recipes

…json

POST api.crawl4ai.com/recipes/…

$ crawl recipe

Live · your key · counts against your quota✓ 200 OK

# Hit Run - the rows render here as a table, with the cost

Fields

25 columns on every row. null means the site does not state it.

field	type	meaning
ad_archive_id	string	The Ad Library's id of the ad (digits, as a string).
ad_url	string	The ad's own page in the Meta Ad Library.
page_id	string	The id of the Facebook page that runs the ad (digits, as a string).
page_name	string	The name of the Facebook page that runs the ad.
page_url	string	The Facebook address of the page that runs the ad.
page_likes	integer	How many likes the page that runs the ad has; null when the Library does not show it.
is_active	boolean	True while the ad runs, false when it has stopped.
start_date	string	The day the ad started running, ISO 8601 UTC (the Library counts days in Pacific time, so the hour is 07:00 or 08:00).
end_date		The day a stopped ad ended, ISO 8601 UTC; null while the ad runs.
platforms	string[]	Where the ad runs, lower case: facebook, instagram, messenger, whatsapp, threads, audience_network.
display_format	string	The ad's format as the Library names it, lower case: image, video, carousel, dpa (a product catalog ad), dco (an ad Meta assembles from several texts and images), text; null when the Library gives none.
title	string	The ad's headline; for a catalog ad, whose own headline is a template, the first card's headline.
body	string	The ad's main text (at most 5000 characters); for a catalog ad with a template text, the first card's text.
link_url	string	Where a click on the ad goes; for a catalog ad, the first card's link.
link_caption	string	The short text under the link, usually its domain (nike.com).
cta	string	The button text (Shop now, Learn more, Install now).
cta_type	string	Meta's code for the button (SHOP_NOW, LEARN_MORE, INSTALL_MOBILE_APP).
images	string[]	The ad's image URLs, its cards' images included, at most 20 (Facebook's image links expire after some days).
videos	any[]	The ad's video file URLs (HD when there is one), its cards' videos included, at most 20 (the links expire after some days).
cards	any[]	The cards of a carousel or catalog ad, at most 20, each with title, body, link_url, cta, image and video; empty for a single-image or video ad.
same_creative_ads	integer	How many ads use this same image or video and text (the Library shows them as one); null when the Library gives no count.
impressions		The impressions range the Library shows (>1M, 10K-15K); only for political and issue ads, and some ads seen in the EU; else null.
spend		The amount spent as the range the Library shows (>$1M, $100 - $199), in `currency`; only for political and issue ads, else null.
currency		The currency of `spend` (USD, EUR); null when there is no spend.
paid_for_by		Who paid for the ad, as its disclaimer says; only for political and issue ads, else null.

null means the site does not state it.

ad_archive_idstringThe Ad Library's id of the ad (digits, as a string).

ad_urlstringThe ad's own page in the Meta Ad Library.

page_idstringThe id of the Facebook page that runs the ad (digits, as a string).

page_namestringThe name of the Facebook page that runs the ad.

page_urlstringThe Facebook address of the page that runs the ad.

page_likesintegerHow many likes the page that runs the ad has; null when the Library does not show it.

is_activebooleanTrue while the ad runs, false when it has stopped.

start_datestringThe day the ad started running, ISO 8601 UTC (the Library counts days in Pacific time, so the hour is 07:00 or 08:00).

end_dateThe day a stopped ad ended, ISO 8601 UTC; null while the ad runs.

platformsstring[]Where the ad runs, lower case: facebook, instagram, messenger, whatsapp, threads, audience_network.

display_formatstringThe ad's format as the Library names it, lower case: image, video, carousel, dpa (a product catalog ad), dco (an ad Meta assembles from several texts and images), text; null when the Library gives none.

titlestringThe ad's headline; for a catalog ad, whose own headline is a template, the first card's headline.

bodystringThe ad's main text (at most 5000 characters); for a catalog ad with a template text, the first card's text.

link_urlstringWhere a click on the ad goes; for a catalog ad, the first card's link.

link_captionstringThe short text under the link, usually its domain (nike.com).

ctastringThe button text (Shop now, Learn more, Install now).

cta_typestringMeta's code for the button (SHOP_NOW, LEARN_MORE, INSTALL_MOBILE_APP).

imagesstring[]The ad's image URLs, its cards' images included, at most 20 (Facebook's image links expire after some days).

videosany[]The ad's video file URLs (HD when there is one), its cards' videos included, at most 20 (the links expire after some days).

cardsany[]The cards of a carousel or catalog ad, at most 20, each with title, body, link_url, cta, image and video; empty for a single-image or video ad.

same_creative_adsintegerHow many ads use this same image or video and text (the Library shows them as one); null when the Library gives no count.

impressionsThe impressions range the Library shows (>1M, 10K-15K); only for political and issue ads, and some ads seen in the EU; else null.

spendThe amount spent as the range the Library shows (>$1M, $100 - $199), in currency; only for political and issue ads, else null.

currencyThe currency of spend (USD, EUR); null when there is no spend.

paid_for_byWho paid for the ad, as its disclaimer says; only for political and issue ads, else null.

How it behaves

Cost. 3-7 units; up to 10 if Facebook refuses. A failed run costs 0.

Freshness 30 min. The same input within 30 min is served from cache at 0 units.

How it answers. Answers at once for one input; a large run goes as a job you poll.

Questions about this recipeQuestions

Short answers. The API reference has the long ones.

How do I get Meta Ad Library data through an API?

Call POST /recipes/meta-ads-search with your key and query and country and active_status. You get rows with the 25 fields above. The recipe is tested against the live site every 6 hours.

What does it cost?

Can I try it without paying?

What if the site changes?

Need more from Meta Ad Library?

Extra fields, higher volume, or a private copy with a freshness SLA. We build it on Enterprise.

Request a change

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