# Search the Meta Ad Library for a keyword and read every ad that comes back

The Ad Library search box shows ads one card at a time. Ask your agent instead: ads.search runs a keyword or advertiser search on the Meta Ad Library and returns each ad as a record with the advertiser, headline, body text and start date, so the agent can group them by brand, angle or offer.

HTML page: https://www.routergrowth.com/tools/ad-library/facebook-ads-library-search
Part of: [Ad libraries tools](https://www.routergrowth.com/tools/ad-library.md)

## The call

[`ads.search`](https://www.routergrowth.com/catalog/ads.search): Public ad creatives from the Meta Ad Library (advertiser or keyword) or the Google Ads Transparency Center (advertiser domain).

Price on this network: $0.00875 per search, $0.002 minimum a call. The exact quote is shown before every run.

## What a real run returned

Run on 2026-10-19: 5 records in 31.9 s for $0.04375. Personal fields are masked. A keyword search for meal kit returned five ads from three advertisers, including a dog food brand, which shows how broad a keyword match is.

| advertiser | headline | text | started |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie | Get 50% OFF Your First Box! | FETCH 50% OFF + FREE WELCOME KIT 🧡 Ollie creates fresh meals with a simple mission: your dog’s wellness. 🐾 Custom meal plans for your pup 🥕… | 2026-06-01 |
| Kroger | THIS DEAL WON'T LAST 🔥 | THIS is a game-changer🔥 Get Oven-Ready meals delivered with EVERYTHING included. 👌Easy Prep 🎉No Mess 👏Only $4.99/serving 📦Free Shipping on… | 2026-08-21 |

## How to do it

1. **Connect RouterGrowth once.** Add the MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Codex or Cursor, or call the REST API with your RouterGrowth key.
2. **Search a keyword.** Give a category word or phrase and a limit. ads.search runs it on the Meta Ad Library.
3. **Read the ads.** Each record holds the advertiser, headline, text and start date.
4. **Sort what you found.** Ask the agent to group by advertiser, list the offers used, or flag ads started in the last 30 days.

## Ask it like this

- Search the Facebook ads library for meal kit and list the advertisers, with the offer each ad leads with. (`ads.search`)
- Search for standing desk ads, then tell me the size and industry of each advertiser. (`ads.search`, `company.enrich`)

## Connect

MCP server: `https://api.routergrowth.com/mcp`

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http routergrowth https://api.routergrowth.com/mcp
```

```bash
npm install -g routergrowth && routergrowth setup
routergrowth run -c ads.search -i '{"query": "meal kit", "platform": "meta", "limit": 5}'
```

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.routergrowth.com/v1/run \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ROUTERGROWTH_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"capability": "ads.search", "input": {"query": "meal kit", "platform": "meta", "limit": 5}}'
```

## Worth knowing

- **Keyword matches are broad.** A keyword returns any ad whose text matches, so expect neighbours, as with the dog food ad in the example.
- **Charged per search.** One search is one charge. A search that returns no ads is not billed.
- **No spend or reach figures.** The records show the creative and its start date, not what the advertiser spent.

## Questions

### Can I filter by country?

The query is a keyword or an advertiser. Ask the agent to filter the returned ads afterwards.

### Are images and videos included?

Each record has a preview URL field when the library exposes one. In the example it was empty.

### Does it cover Instagram ads?

Ads in the Meta Ad Library run across Meta's apps, so Instagram placements are included.

### How many ads per search?

Set limit. The example asked for five.

## Related

- [Pull a brand's Facebook and Instagram ads without running a scraper](https://www.routergrowth.com/tools/ad-library/facebook-ads-library-scraper.md)
- [Query the Meta Ad Library from your code without a Meta developer app](https://www.routergrowth.com/tools/ad-library/facebook-ads-library-api.md)