Free Ad Library

The Meta Ad Library API: what it covers and its limits

By Published 5 min read

Short answer

Meta's Ad Library API lets verified developers query the Ad Library programmatically. It returns full data for political and social-issue ads worldwide, and for any ad delivered in the EU. Access needs identity verification and an app; commercial ads outside the EU are not covered.

Who can use the Meta Ad Library API?

  1. Create a Meta developer account and an app.
  2. Confirm your identity and location, as Meta requires for ad-transparency access.
  3. Request the Ad Library API permission and generate an access token.
  4. Query the ads_archive endpoint with search terms, countries and ad type.

What are the limits?

  • Commercial ads are only available for ads delivered in the EU (and the UK, for some fields).
  • Rate limits apply per app and token.
  • Creatives come as snapshot links, not as image or video files.
  • No reach-based sorting or spend estimates for commercial ads.

FAQ

Questions about this guide

Is the Meta Ad Library API free?

Yes, but access requires identity verification and is subject to Meta's terms and rate limits.

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