# Meta Ad Library search API

> Search the Meta Ad Library (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger) by keyword: advertiser, copy, headline, images and videos, landing page, where it runs and since when. Can be limited to one country, to image or video ads, and to ads running now or stopped.

Canonical page: https://okdata.online/apis/meta/ads/search/

- **Endpoint**: `GET /v1/meta/ads/search`
- **ID**: `meta.ads.search`
- **Price**: $0.004 per call · about 30 ads per page
- **Returns**: a page of about 30 ads (`data.items`, Ad objects)
- **Status**: beta
- **Good for**: Ad intelligence, Competitor monitoring

## Price

One call costs $0.004 and returns one page of about 30 ads. Collecting 1,000 ads takes about 34 calls, $0.136 in total. Each page is a separate call; failed calls are not charged.

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `query` | string | yes |  | Keywords, as a person would type them into the platform search box. (e.g. `portable espresso`) |
| `country` | string | no |  | Only ads shown in this country (ISO code); all countries when left out. (e.g. `US`) |
| `status` | string: active / inactive / all | no | `active` | Ads running now (the default), stopped ones, or both. |
| `media` | string: all / image / video | no | `all` | Only image or only video ads; all by default. |
| `sort` | string: impressions / newest | no | `impressions` | Most impressions first (the default) or newest first. |
| `cursor` | string | no |  | Opaque cursor from page.next_cursor of the previous call. Each page is a separate call. |
| `view` | string: compact / standard / full | no | `standard` | How much of each object comes back. full adds platform-specific fields under ext. |
| `fields` | string | no |  | Comma-separated fields to keep, to save tokens. |

cursor, view and fields work as described in [Requests](https://okdata.online/docs/requests/).

## Returned fields

Each item is a [Ad](https://okdata.online/docs/objects/ad/).

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `id` | string | Ad ID in the library. |
| `url` | string | Link to the ad in the library. |
| `advertiser` | AdvertiserRef | Who runs the ad. |
| `title` | string \| null | Headline, where the ad has one. |
| `text` | string | Ad copy as plain text; empty when the ad has none. |
| `format` | string \| null | Creative format; dynamic means the platform assembles it per viewer (catalog ads). |
| `images` | string[] \| null | Image URLs of the creative. |
| `videos` | string[] \| null | Video URLs of the creative. |
| `landing_url` | string \| null | Where the ad leads. |
| `cta` | string \| null | Call-to-action button text. |
| `platforms` | string[] \| null | Where it is delivered, e.g. facebook, instagram. |
| `active` | boolean \| null | Whether the ad is still running. |
| `first_shown_at` | string \| null | First time or day shown, ISO 8601 in UTC. |
| `last_shown_at` | string \| null | Last time or day shown, ISO 8601 in UTC. |
| `reach` | string \| null | People reached, as the library publishes it: a bracket such as 1K-10K, or a count (the EU reach of a Meta ad); null where none is published. |
| `ext` | object | Platform-specific extras. Only returned with view=full. |

## Request examples

### cURL

```bash
curl -G "https://api.okdata.online/v1/meta/ads/search" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OKDATA_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode 'query=portable espresso'
```

### Python

```python
import os
import requests

resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.okdata.online/v1/meta/ads/search",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['OKDATA_API_KEY']}"},
    params={"query": "portable espresso"},
    timeout=60,
)
body = resp.json()
if body["code"] != "ok":
    raise RuntimeError(f"{body['code']}: {body['message']} (charged: {body['charged']})")

for row in body["data"]["items"]:
    print(row["advertiser"]["name"], row["first_shown_at"], row["text"][:60])
print("cost: $" + body["meta"]["billing"]["amount"])
```

### TypeScript

```ts
const url = new URL('https://api.okdata.online/v1/meta/ads/search');
url.searchParams.set('query', "portable espresso");

const res = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.OKDATA_API_KEY}`,
  },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (body.code !== 'ok') throw new Error(`${body.code}: ${body.message}`);

for (const row of body.data.items) {
  console.log(row.advertiser.name, row.first_shown_at, row.text.slice(0, 60));
}
console.log('cost: $' + body.meta.billing.amount);
```

### MCP

```json
{
  "name": "call",
  "arguments": {
    "endpoint": "meta.ads.search",
    "params": {
      "query": "portable espresso"
    }
  }
}
```

Or ask an agent that has the MCP server connected:

> Use Meta Ad Library search and sum up what these ads promise, which offers they push and since when.

## Response example

```json
{
  "code": "ok",
  "request_id": "0f6c2a8e-4b1d-4e0a-9a51-3c7d2b9e1f20",
  "data": {
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1856995242318099",
        "url": "https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1856995242318099",
        "advertiser": {
          "id": "30147264485",
          "name": "Stanley 1913",
          "url": "https://www.facebook.com/Stanley1913/"
        },
        "title": "The Holiday Collection",
        "text": "Great gifts. Under $50. No compromise.",
        "format": "carousel",
        "images": [
          "https://cdn.example.com/ad/1.jpg"
        ],
        "videos": null,
        "landing_url": "https://www.stanley1913.com/collections/gifts-under-50",
        "cta": "Shop now",
        "platforms": [
          "facebook",
          "instagram"
        ],
        "active": true,
        "first_shown_at": "2026-11-10T08:00:00Z",
        "last_shown_at": "2026-11-11T08:00:00Z",
        "reach": null
      }
    ]
  },
  "page": {
    "next_cursor": "eyJvIjoyMH0",
    "has_more": true
  },
  "warnings": [],
  "meta": {
    "capability": "meta.ads.search",
    "billing": {
      "amount": "0.004",
      "currency": "USD",
      "balance_after": "9.996"
    },
    "unavailable": {},
    "cached": false,
    "replayed": false,
    "fetched_at": "2026-11-11T08:00:00Z"
  }
}
```

## Errors

Errors share one shape and are never charged, except a timeout, whose charge is unknown until looked up. The full table: https://okdata.online/docs/errors/

## Questions

### How much does the Meta Ad Library search API cost?

One call costs $0.004 and returns one page of about 30 ads. Collecting 1,000 ads takes about 34 calls, $0.136 in total. Each page is a separate call; failed calls are not charged.

### How do I get the next page?

Pass page.next_cursor from the response back as the cursor parameter. When page.has_more is false there is nothing left. Every page is its own call at $0.004.

### Do I need a Meta Ad Library account, cookies or a QR login?

No. You send only your okdata API key. The data is public data from Meta Ad Library; nothing is fetched with your own Meta Ad Library account.

### Am I charged when a call fails?

No. Every error response says charged: false, except a timeout, which says charged: null until the outcome is known. Resend with the same Idempotency-Key and you are never charged twice.

### What if Meta Ad Library does not show a field?

The field is null, and meta.unavailable names it with the reason: platform (the platform never shows it) or capability (we cannot fetch it yet).

## More Meta Ad Library endpoints

- [Meta Ad Library ad detail](https://okdata.online/apis/meta/ads/get/): $0.004 per call
- [Meta advertiser ads](https://okdata.online/apis/meta/advertisers/ads/list/): $0.004 per call · about 30 ads per page

## Answers that use this endpoint

- [Is the Meta Ad Library API free, and what are its limits?](https://okdata.online/answers/meta-ad-library-api-price-limits/): Meta charges nothing for its Ad Library API, but you must confirm your identity with an ID document, and outside the EU it only returns ads about social issues, elections or politics, with no image or video files. To read ordinary commercial ads in any country, okdata returns 30 ads per call for $0.004, so 1,000 ads cost $0.136.