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See your competitors' Google ads
Google publishes every ad it shows, by advertiser and by country, in its Ads Transparency Center. Type a competitor's name or website and pick a country: you get their search, image and video ads, how long each one has been running and when it was last shown. Below, an example for allbirds.com.
By Alain Abulafya, founder of PPCleaner · Updated
PPCleaner
Seeing their ads is useful. Not paying for the wrong searches is worth more. PPCleaner blocks the Google Ads search terms that were never going to buy, every night.
Start 7 days freeWhat is the Google Ads Transparency Center?
Since 2023, Google lists every ad shown by verified advertisers in a public library, the Ads Transparency Center. For each ad, it shows the advertiser's verified name, the format, the regions where it ran and the dates it was first and last shown. This tool queries the same library and lays the results out side by side, country by country.
What to look for in a competitor's ads
- The ads that have run the longest. An advertiser rarely keeps paying for an ad that doesn't work. An ad live for months is usually one of their best performers.
- The offers and arguments they repeat. Price, delivery, guarantee, free trial: what comes back in every ad is what they think wins the click.
- The countries they invest in. Switch the country to see where they advertise and where they don't.
- The formats they use. Search ads only, or also image and video: it tells you which Google networks they buy.
What the library doesn't show
Google's library shows the ads, not the keywords they are bought on, the budget or the results. To estimate what the searches behind those ads cost, use the CPC checker. And remember that your own ads appear in the same library: anyone can see them too.
From their ads back to your account
Copying a competitor's ad won't fix an account that pays for the wrong searches. Once your ads are written, check what they show on: the search terms report tells you which searches you actually paid for. PPCleaner reads it every night and blocks the ones that were never going to buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to look at competitors' ads?
Yes. Google publishes the Ads Transparency Center precisely so that anyone can see who advertises and what they show. This tool only reads that public library.
Why does a brand show up under a different company name?
Google shows the advertiser's verified legal name, which is often the company behind the brand, or an agency or reseller running ads that point to the brand's website.
Can I see the keywords a competitor bids on?
No. The library shows the ads, not the keywords, budgets or results. Use the CPC checker to see what the searches in your market cost.
How recent is the data?
Each search is fetched from Google's library when you run it, then kept for 24 hours. The last-shown date tells you whether an ad is still running.
Which countries are covered?
22 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the main European markets, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey.