PTENES
MODULE 2.1

🔎 Free ad libraries

Meta and TikTok show everyone all the ads currently running, for free. In this module, you’ll learn to open, search, and filter this treasure trove like a detective.

6
Topics
30
Minutes
Practical
Level
Tool
Type
search for a word find a competitor librarylist of ads filter and studyonly what matters
1

📘 Meta's Ad Library

At the address facebook.com/ads/library you can find all active ads from any brand on Facebook and Instagram. It’s public, free, and you don’t even need an account to start browsing.

🔑 Why it’s so valuable

It’s the world’s largest free source of proven ads. Everything your competitors spend money on is exposed there—copy, video, and how long it’s been running.

2

🎵 The TikTok Library

In library.tiktok.com you can see the ads running on TikTok, with similar filters. It’s home to the “everyday people talking” format—where many viral videos are born and later become paid ads.

💡 Tip

Check both libraries. Sometimes a winning TikTok ad hasn’t been copied to Meta yet—and you could be the first to adapt it.

3

🔤 Search by keyword

The fastest way to get started: type a word related to your product (e.g., "sneakers," "collagen," "English course") and see the ads that talk about it. Think like your customer would.

Step 1

Think of the word the customer would use.

Step 2

Test 3-4 different synonyms.

Step 3

Write down the ads that appear most often.

Step 4

Look for the ones with lots of variations.

4

👤 Search by Competitor

You can also type in the a brand or person’s name and see everything they’re advertising in 1 click. It’s the most direct way to study exactly who’s competing for your customer.

🔍 Practical example

Want to see what a big name in your market is running right now? Type their name into the library. All their ads are publicly available for anyone to see.

5

🎚️ The Filters

Filters narrow your search so you see only what matters: media type (video/image), platform, active ads only and date range. Good filtering is half the job.

✓ Always turn it on

  • ✓"Active ads" — only what’s live.
  • ✓Choose the "video" type if you want to make UGC.

✗ Avoid

  • ✗Look at everything in a jumble, without any filter.
  • ✗Study ads that have already been turned off (they're no longer running).
6

🌍 Country and Language

You can filter by country. You can study Brazil or see what’s already working elsewhere — many winning ideas reach other markets first, and you can bring them to yours first.

✏️ Exercise

Open Meta’s library now, filter for Brazil, turn on "active ads," and search for a word related to your business. Save 3 ads that caught your attention.

✅ Module Summary

✓
Two free libraries — Meta and TikTok, open to everyone.
✓
Search by keyword or brand — find what your niche is advertising.
✓
Always filter for “active” — study only what’s live.
✓
Explore other countries — bring the winning ideas forward first.

Next Module:

2.2 — The 4 signs of a winner

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