Facebook Ad Library tutorial: spot products that sell
The Facebook Ad Library (Meta Ad Library) is the most widely used free tool for spotting products that already sell. It shows ads running on Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s other services, by country, without even needing an account.
Used badly, it wastes time: you see thousands of ads, but neither their budget nor their sales. This tutorial explains what the tool really contains, how to search for a COD market in Africa or the Gulf, which signals to read, which limits to keep in mind, and how to turn your searches into a shortlist of products to test.
What the Facebook Ad Library contains
According to Meta’s Business Help Center, the library contains all active ads shown across Meta technologies, and anyone can view and search it. You only need an account to download results.
| Type of ad | Active ads | Stopped ads |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial ads (general case) | Visible | Not kept |
| Delivered in the European Union | Visible, with reach and targeting data | Kept 1 year after the last impression |
| Delivered in the United Kingdom | Visible | Kept 1 year |
| Social issues, elections, politics | Visible | Kept 7 years |
The direct consequence for a COD seller in Africa or the Gulf: you only see what is running now. A stopped ad disappears, and detailed reach data is reserved for ads delivered in the European Union. For your markets, you have to read indirect signals.
Using the Facebook Ad Library in 7 steps
1. Pick the selling country
Open the Ad Library and select the country you want to sell in: Morocco, Senegal, Saudi Arabia… What works in the United States says nothing about what works in Casablanca or Riyadh, or at what price.
2. Choose “All ads”
In the ad category, choose all ads rather than only the social issues and politics category, otherwise commercial ads won’t appear.
3. Search with the customer’s words
Search covers terms in the ads and Page names. Search in the market’s language, with the words a customer would use: a problem (“back pain”), a use (“kitchen”, “car”), a local selling point (“cash on delivery”, “الدفع عند الاستلام”, “paiement à la livraison”, “free delivery”). That last kind of search often surfaces your country’s COD stores directly.
4. Read three signals
| Signal | Where to see it | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Start date, in the ad details | An ad running for several weeks is probably profitable for the advertiser |
| Variations | Several ads from the same Page on the same product | The advertiser is investing and testing angles: they believe in it |
| Competition | Several different Pages on the same product | Demand exists, but the market may be getting saturated |
5. Open the Page and the store
Click through to the sales page: displayed price, bundles, delivery fees, language, cash-on-delivery mention, stated lead times. That gives you the local market price and the offer to beat.
6. Log everything in a sheet
For each product, note: name, country, Page, start date, number of variations, price and offer, video angle, link. Come back a week later: an ad still running is a stronger signal; one that has disappeared may have been cut for lack of profit.
7. Check margin and compliance
Before ordering anything, run each candidate through the filters in our pillar guide on how to find winning products: weight, fragility, Meta and import rules, then margin per delivered order.
Limits of the Facebook Ad Library
- No sales or budget: an ad can run for a long time without being profitable (test budget, poorly informed advertiser).
- No history for stopped commercial ads outside the EU and UK.
- No reach shown for ads delivered outside the EU.
- A snapshot: today’s market, not its trend. Add Google Trends and the TikTok Creative Center (see our guide on TikTok trending products).
Tools to go faster
| Need | Free option | Paid option |
|---|---|---|
| See active ads by country | Meta Ad LibraryFree, no account needed to browse. | MineaAd and store database; plans from $49 a month. |
| Cover TikTok too | TikTok Creative CenterTop Ads and trending hashtags, free. | PipiadsTikTok and Facebook ad research; Basic plan at $49 a month. |
| Keep your shortlist | Google SheetsOnline spreadsheet, usable with a Google account. | MineaSave tracked ads and stores inside the tool. |
Key takeaways
The Facebook Ad Library shows what’s running right now in your selling country, for free. Search with the customer’s words, read age, variations and competition, log everything, then check margin before buying. Create your ReadyStore store to test products with a dedicated Pixel and numbers per delivered order.
Sources
- Meta — About the Meta Ad Library (Business Help Center) (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Meta Transparency Center — Ad Library tools (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Meta — Advertising Standards (accessed 18 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Facebook Ad Library free?
Yes. According to Meta, anyone can view and search the library without an account. You only need to be logged in to Facebook and accept the terms to download search results. Some age-restricted ads, such as alcohol, don’t show when you’re logged out.
Can I see an ad’s budget or sales?
Not for commercial ads: no spend, no sales, no likes. Only political ads and ads delivered in the European Union show extra data such as reach. For African and Gulf markets, you have to read indirect signals: age, variations and competition.
Why did an ad disappear from the library?
Because stopped commercial ads aren’t kept, unless they were delivered in the European Union or the UK (one year) or are political ads (seven years). An ad that disappeared was stopped by the advertiser or rejected.
Is a long-running ad always profitable?
No. It’s a signal, not proof: the advertiser may be testing a budget, measuring poorly or selling in a different country from yours. Cross-check with other signals and always run your own margin calculation per delivered order before buying stock.
Can I reuse a competitor’s video?
No. Videos, photos and copy belong to their creators; reusing them exposes you to ad rejections and disputes. Take inspiration from the angle and format, then produce your own creatives with your product.
Related guides
How to find winning products for Africa and the Gulf
How to find winning products for COD in Africa and the Gulf: proof of demand, COD filters, margin per delivered order, sourcing, a scoring grid and testing.
Read the guideGetting startedCOD dropshipping startup cost: how much do you need?
COD dropshipping startup cost: stock, freight, test ad spend, center fees and a cash reserve, with a worked example and a method to size your own budget.
Read the guideGetting startedCOD fulfillment center: what it does and how to choose one
What a COD fulfillment center does (stock, confirmation, delivery, cash collection) and 7 criteria to choose one: fees, lead times, remittance and statements.
Read the guideStore for Facebook Ads
A store and tracking built for Meta campaigns: Pixel per product, CAPI, attribution and abandoned orders.
Learn more
You launch the store and the ads. The center does the rest.
Create your ReadyStore store: a short COD form, Meta Pixel and Conversions API, orders and analytics in one place.