Spying on Competitors’ ads when they pop up everywhere.

Many small businesses feel stuck trying to figure out what works for their competitors and whether they’re missing some secret playbook. The good news is, you don’t have to keep guessing; you can legally see exactly what ads they’re running and learn from their winning strategies.

Today’s ad platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google want advertisers to be transparent. That’s why they offer free tools that let you peek inside your competitors’ active ads without crossing any legal or ethical lines. It’s not about stealing t’s about understanding what angles work in your market so you can create ads that convert better and waste less money.

For example, Meta’s Ad Library is one of the simplest ways to see what any brand is promoting on Facebook or Instagram. By simply searching for a competitor’s page name, you can instantly browse all their active ads, whether they’re pushing holiday offers, discounts, new product launches, or special deals. You’ll see which images and videos they repeat, what headlines they’re testing, and which messages they stick with over time — all valuable clues about what’s working for them.

Google also offers an Ads Transparency Center

This lets you see what any business is promoting across Google Search, YouTube, and the Display Network. Just plug in a brand name or website, and you’ll uncover their current ads, including headlines, descriptions, and how long each ad has been running. If you notice certain phrases or promotions they rely on again and again, that’s your hint that those messages are performing well enough to keep spending money on.

If you want to dig deeper, tools like SEMrush or SpyFu can reveal paid keywords, estimated budgets, and landing pages your competitors use. Even their free trials give you a peek into which search terms they buy, how much they’re investing in ads, and what pages they use to turn clicks into sales. By combining insights from these tools, you start to see patterns: which offers get repeated, what kinds of visuals they rely on, and which gaps you can fill by positioning your own brand differently.

The goal here isn’t to copy someone else’s ads word-for-word. Instead, you’re collecting clues about what works, what doesn’t, and where you can stand out. If your competitor is offering 10% off, could you offer a better guarantee or bundle? If they’re ignoring certain angles — like a unique feature, underserved location or customer pain point — that’s your chance to grab attention where they’re not looking.

The real power of competitor research is that it saves you from endless expensive guesswork. When you know what promotions and messages connect with your shared audience, you can design your own ads to perform better from day one. Many small businesses waste money testing random ideas in the dark, but brands that study their competition first usually spend less and earn more.

One thing to remember: spying alone won’t fix your ads. You still need to write your copy in your brand’s voice, adapt ideas to your unique selling point, and test what works best for your audience. And never forget to check your results. Tracking what people click on, what drives conversions, and which creative performs best is what turns competitor spying into real profits for your business.

If this sounds like a lot to figure out on your own, you don’t have to do it alone. A quick competitor ads audit can save you hours of research and testing. We break down exactly which ads your top competitors run, which ones perform best, and how you can outsmart them with smarter offers and stronger creatives — all without wasting budget on guesses.

If you’re ready to see exactly how your competitors attract clicks and sales, book a free Competitor Ads Audit today. You’ll get a custom report with the insights you need to improve your ROI, plus a clear action plan you can apply immediately.