Before you spend a single rupee on Facebook or Instagram ads, there's a free tool that shows you what your competitors are running right now. It's called the Meta Ad Library (most people still call it the Facebook Ads Library), and anyone can use it. You don't even need an ad account.
Most beginners open it once, scroll through a few ads, think "nice" and close the tab. That's a waste. Used properly, the Ad Library tells you which offers your market is pushing, which formats competitors keep investing in, and where they send people after the click. That's a lot of free homework.
There's also a catch that a lot of "spy tool" videos skip: for ordinary ads shown in Pakistan or India, the Library shows much less than it does in Europe. So in this guide I'll show you exactly what you can and can't see, how to search it properly, and how I'd turn what you find into test ideas for your own ads. The details come from Meta's Business Help Centre and developer documentation, which I checked on 1 November 2026.
What the Ad Library shows for ads in Pakistan and India
Meta's About the Meta Ad Library page says the Library contains all active ads running across Meta technologies, and anyone can view and search it. But how much detail you get depends on what kind of ad it is and where it was shown.
| Normal ads in Pakistan or India | Ads about social issues, elections or politics | Ads shown in the EU or UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible while running | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visible after they stop | No | Yes, kept for 7 years | Yes, kept for 1 year after the last impression |
| Dates | Only the date the ad started running | Start date and whether it's still running | Start date and more |
| Spend and reach | Not shown | Ranges for spend and impressions, plus age, gender and location breakdowns | Reach in the EU/UK, broken down by age, gender and location |
So for a clothing brand in Lahore or a clinic in Mumbai running normal ads only in their own country, you'll see the creative, the copy and the start date, and only while the ad is active. Once they switch it off, it disappears from your view.
That changes how you should use the tool. You can't go back and study a competitor's whole history. You have to check regularly and keep your own notes.
How to search the Ad Library (step by step)
- Go to facebook.com/ads/library.
- Choose the country. Pick Pakistan or India (or wherever your customers are). Meta's help page says to use the country selector to view ads from a specific country.
- Choose the ad category. For normal business research, pick All ads. The other option is for ads about social issues, elections or politics.
- Type a keyword or an advertiser name. Meta says you can search any term, name or Page, and results can include ads containing that word and ads from Pages whose name contains it.
- Use the filters to narrow things down, for example to active ads, a platform like Instagram, or a media type like video. Labels shift from time to time, but the idea stays the same.
Search like your customer, not like a marketer
This is the tip I'd underline twice. Meta's Ad Library API documentation says keyword searches aren't translated, so you need to search in the language the ads are written in. In Pakistan and India, that means a lot of ads are in Roman Urdu, Urdu, Hindi or a mix with English.
So don't only search "women's clothing". Try the words your market actually uses in ad copy:
- Offer words: "sale", "flat 50", "free delivery", "COD", "cash on delivery"
- Roman Urdu and Hindi phrases: "order karein", "abhi order", "limited stock"
- Product words with local spellings: "lawn suit", "unstitched", "kurti"
- Service words: "free consultation", "appointment", "WhatsApp karein"
The same documentation says the API search looks at ad text, text in images, audio from videos and the call-to-action button. I can't promise the website search behaves exactly the same way, so try several spellings and see what comes back.
Search for the competitors you didn't know you had
Searching by competitor name only shows you the brands you already know. Searching by offer and product words shows you the ones you don't, including small Instagram-first sellers who may be taking your customers quietly. Make a note of every Page that keeps showing up.
How to read a competitor's ads
When you open an advertiser's ads, here's what to look at.
1. The start date
For normal ads in Pakistan and India, this is the only date you get. An ad that started months ago and is still running is worth studying, because businesses usually don't keep paying for ads they think are losing money. But be careful: it's a clue, not proof. Some advertisers simply forget to switch ads off.
2. How many versions they're running
If a Page has several ads with the same picture and different headlines, or the same message in different formats, they're testing. Note what changes between versions. That tells you what they're unsure about, which is often the most interesting part.
3. The offer
Write down the actual offer: the discount, free delivery, bundle, free consultation, "first visit" price, or no offer at all. If everyone in your market leads with a discount, a strong non-discount angle (speed, quality, guarantee, local service) might stand out.
4. The format and the first three seconds
Image, video, carousel or Reel-style vertical video? For videos, watch the opening. What do they show or say first? That's the hook, and hooks are what you'll test most. My guide on AI ad creatives that convert shows how to build your own variations quickly.
5. Where the click goes
Click See ad details. Meta says this can show extra information such as details from the About section or more about the lead form for lead ads. Check whether the button opens WhatsApp, a lead form, a website or Messenger. If most of your competitors send people to WhatsApp, read my click-to-WhatsApp ads guide. If they use instant forms, my guide on Meta lead ads that bring fewer junk leads will help you do it better.
6. The Page itself
Meta says that when you view a Page in the Ad Library you can see context such as when the Page was created and its name change history. A Page that's had several name changes recently is worth a second look before you treat it as a serious competitor.
What the Ad Library can't tell you
This is where people fool themselves, so let's be clear. For normal ads in Pakistan and India, the Library doesn't show you:
- How much the advertiser spent
- How many people saw or clicked the ad
- How many sales or leads it brought
- Who they targeted (age, interests, custom audiences)
- Which ads they stopped, and why
So never copy an ad because it "must be working". You can't see the results. A competitor could be running a terrible ad with a big budget. Use the Library for ideas, then let your own tests decide.
Don't copy. Borrow the idea, make it yours
Copying another brand's photos, videos or wording is a fast way to get into trouble. Meta's Advertising Standards on third-party intellectual property don't allow ads that infringe someone else's copyright or trademark, and rights holders can report them. It also makes you look like everyone else.
Instead, turn what you see into a test idea. I use a simple sentence:
"Competitors are using [angle/format/offer]. I'll test [my own version] against my current ad, and judge it on [one metric]."
Some examples:
- "Most competitors lead with 'Flat 30% off'. I'll test a 'Delivered in 2 days in Karachi' angle against my discount ad, judged on cost per WhatsApp chat." (Only if you can actually deliver in 2 days.)
- "Two competitors have run the same customer-unboxing style video for a long time. I'll film my own unboxing with my own product and test it against my product-photo ad."
- "Nobody in my category shows prices in the ad. I'll test an ad with the price shown to see if it brings fewer but better chats."
Keep it to one change per test so you know what made the difference. If you're new to campaign setup, start with my Meta ads for beginners guide first.
A 20-minute weekly Ad Library routine
Because normal ads vanish when they're switched off, a short weekly check beats one long research session. Here's the routine I'd suggest:
- Keep a simple sheet with these columns: date checked, Page, start date, format, hook (first line or first 3 seconds), offer, destination (WhatsApp, form, website), notes.
- Check the same 5 to 10 Pages every week, plus two or three keyword searches in English and Roman Urdu or Hindi.
- Mark ads that are still running from last week. Over a month, the ones that keep running are your best clues.
- Write two test ideas using the sentence above.
- Save screenshots in a folder for your own reference, because you won't be able to find them again once the ad stops.
Once a month, paste your notes into ChatGPT or Gemini and ask it to group the hooks and offers into themes. AI is good at spotting patterns in a messy list. It's not good at telling you which ad made money, so keep that judgement for your own results.
Also check your own ads
The Ad Library works both ways. Search your own Page to see exactly what customers and competitors see. Check that old ads with expired offers aren't still running and that your copy reads well on a phone. And if someone is running ads with your brand name or your photos, the Library is where you'll spot it.
If you also advertise on Google, there's a similar free tool for Search and YouTube ads. Unlike the Meta Ad Library, it keeps ads for a year after they last ran, so you can see campaigns that have already stopped. My Google Ads Transparency Center guide shows how to use it.
When you're ready to bring back people who saw your ads but didn't buy, my Meta ads retargeting guide is the next step. You'll find calculators for budget, CPM and break-even ROAS on my Facebook ads page, more guides on my blog, and more about me on my home page.
FAQ
Is the Facebook Ads Library free to use?
Yes. Meta says anyone can view and search the Ad Library. You don't need an ad account, and you can browse it without logging in, although downloading searches requires a Facebook login.
Can I see how much a competitor spends on Facebook ads in Pakistan?
Not for normal ads. Spend and impression ranges are only shown for ads about social issues, elections or politics, and reach data is shown for ads delivered in the EU or UK. For other ads in Pakistan or India, you only see the creative, copy and start date.
Why can't I see a competitor's old ads?
For normal ads that aren't shown in the EU or UK and aren't about social issues, elections or politics, the Library only shows ads while they're active. Once an advertiser stops an ad, it disappears, so keep your own screenshots and notes.
Can I see who a competitor is targeting?
No. For normal ads in Pakistan and India, the Ad Library doesn't show targeting such as age, interests or custom audiences. Meta shows audience selection data only for ads about social issues, elections or politics, and limited data for ads in the EU and UK.
Why does my keyword search show so few results?
Searches aren't translated, so try the words and spellings used in local ads, including Roman Urdu, Urdu or Hindi, offer words like "COD" or "free delivery", and product names. Also check that the right country and "All ads" category are selected.
Does a long-running ad mean it's profitable?
Not necessarily. Advertisers usually stop ads they think are losing money, so a long run is a useful clue, but the Library doesn't show results or spend. Test your own version and judge it on your numbers.
Keep reading
- Meta ads for beginners: your first campaign on a small budget
- How to use AI to create ad creatives that convert
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads: how to turn chats into sales
- Meta lead ads (instant forms) for local businesses: how to get fewer junk leads
- Meta ads retargeting on a small budget: bring back WhatsApp chats and site visitors
- Google Ads Transparency Center: how to see competitors' Google ads for free
- See all posts on the blog
- Back to my home page
Want more like this?
Facebook and Instagram ads are a big part of the digital marketing course I'm launching soon. Follow me on LinkedIn to hear about it first, and catch shorter tips on X and YouTube.