How to Spy on Instagram Ads (Competitors and Niches)
How to spy on Instagram ads comes down to one tool: the Meta Ad Library, the free public tool at facebook.com/ads/library that shows every active ad Meta runs, including Instagram placements. Search a brand or keyword, filter to Instagram, and you can watch every ad they're currently running. There's no separate "Instagram ad library" because Instagram ads live inside the same system as Facebook ads.
That single fact trips people up constantly. Once you know where to look, competitor instagram ads research takes minutes, not hours.
Why isn't there a separate Instagram ad library?
Instagram has been part of Meta since 2012, and ad delivery for both platforms runs through the same auction and the same compliance system. When Meta built a public ad transparency tool, it built one library that covers Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network together, not four separate ones.
That means every technique for how to spy on instagram ads is really a technique for using the Meta Ad Library well. You just need to know how to isolate the Instagram-only results inside it. If you want the full tour of the library first, the Meta Ad Library guide covers every filter in one place.
How to spy on Instagram ads from one competitor
Go to facebook.com/ads/library, set the country, and type the brand's name into the search bar. Meta will suggest the matching Page; select it and you'll see every ad that Page is currently running across all placements, including Instagram feed, Stories, and Reels.
To narrow it to Instagram specifically, open the "Platforms" filter and uncheck everything except Instagram. If a competitor runs different creative on Facebook versus Instagram, this is the only way to isolate the Instagram-only set. Search works on exact-ish matches, so try the brand's handle if the full name doesn't return the Page.
- 1Open the Meta Ad LibrarySet the country and search the brand name
- 2Select the advertiser's PageSee every ad they're currently running
- 3Filter Platforms to InstagramIsolate the Instagram-only creative
- 4Sort by start dateLonger-running ads are the likely winners
Once you're in, click any ad to expand it. You'll see the exact creative, the primary text, the call-to-action button, and a "Started running on" date. That date is the closest thing to a performance signal the library gives you: advertisers only keep paying for ads that work, so an ad still live after six or eight weeks is very likely a winner, not a test that flopped.
What can I actually see, and what's hidden?
The Ad Library is generous about creative and stingy about results. That split matters when you're planning what your instagram ad research can realistically tell you.
| You can see | You cannot see |
|---|---|
| Every currently active ad | Spend or daily budget |
| Ad start date (longevity) | Clicks, CTR, or ROAS |
| Full creative — video, image, carousel | Audience size or targeting (outside the EU) |
| Primary text and CTA button | Ended ads, in most countries |
| Platform placement (FB / IG / etc.) | Which specific ad set it belongs to |
In the EU, the library also shows inactive ads and some reach and targeting data, because the Digital Services Act requires it. Everywhere else, once a competitor pauses an ad, it disappears from the library for good. If you spot something worth keeping, that's your only window to grab it.
How do I save the ads instead of just watching them?
Right-click-and-save works for a plain video sometimes, but it fails on most carousel ads, and it never grabs the primary text, the advertiser name, or the CTA alongside the file. That's the gap a free Chrome extension closes.
Klipio's Meta Ad Library Downloader adds a Download button to every ad card inside the library, including Instagram placements. One click saves the video in original HD with no watermark, an image, or a full carousel with every card, not just the first. Its bulk mode, "Find all ads," scrolls a whole search result and packs every running ad into one ZIP, sorted into Videos, Images, or Everything, with duplicates collapsed automatically. Every export also includes a free searchable swipe file (an index.html you can search by hook, CTA, or advertiser) plus a CSV of every ad. It's free, has no sign-up, and runs entirely in your browser. See the full setup for downloading Instagram ads for the step-by-step.
How do I spy on a whole niche, not just one brand?
Type a category term instead of a brand name, like "resistance bands" or "meal prep containers." The library returns every advertiser currently running an ad that matches, which is how you scout an entire niche rather than one competitor at a time.
This works best combined with the longevity trick above. Sort mentally by which ads have been running longest across the whole result set, since those are the ones the market has already voted for with ad spend. For a broader walkthrough of this approach across Facebook too, see how to see competitors' Facebook ads.
Are there paid tools built specifically for this?
Yes, and most of them are built on top of the same underlying Ad Library data, packaged with extra filters, saved searches, and monitoring. Whether one is worth paying for depends on how much research you're doing and how often.
| Tool | Starting price | Free option |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ad Library (direct) | Free | Yes, fully free |
| Klipio Ad Library Downloader | Free | Yes, no account needed |
| BigSpy | $9/mo | Free tier |
| Minea | $49/mo | No |
| Pipiads | $49/mo | No |
| Foreplay | $59/mo ($49 annual) | No |
| PowerAdSpy | $69/mo | No |
| Atria | $129/mo | No |
| AdSpy | $149/mo | No trial |
AdSpy is the most established name in the space and has the deepest search filters, but it's also the most expensive with no trial. Foreplay leans into swipe-file organization and boards for creative teams. BigSpy is the cheapest paid entry and worth trying if you're not ready to commit. Note that MagicBrief, once a popular option here, was acquired by Canva and shut down on July 31, 2026; its features now live inside Canva Grow. For a fuller breakdown of what each one does well, see the comparison of ad spy tools.
What should I do with the ads once I've collected them?
Read the hook, the offer, and the CTA across a dozen ads in your niche and you'll start seeing the same two or three angles repeat. That repetition is the actual insight, not any single ad.
Study the pattern, not the pixels. Copying the angle, the offer structure, the pacing, is standard research practice. Reusing someone else's exact video or image commercially is a different matter and can raise real copyright and trademark issues, so treat this as research, not asset-swiping. This isn't legal advice; if you're unsure where the line sits for your situation, check with a lawyer.
For the mechanics of downloading at scale once you know which ads matter, the Meta Ad Library Downloader install page has the extension and a walkthrough of the bulk "Find all ads" flow.
FAQ
Can I see Instagram ads without a Facebook account?
Yes. The Meta Ad Library is public and doesn't require you to log into Facebook or Instagram to browse it. You just need a browser and the advertiser's name or a keyword to search.
Is it legal to spy on competitor Instagram ads?
Viewing and researching public ads in the Meta Ad Library is standard, legal practice; the library exists specifically for transparency. Downloading and reusing someone else's exact creative commercially is a different question with real copyright risk, so this isn't legal advice, and you should check with a lawyer if you plan to reuse assets directly.
Why can't I find a competitor's Instagram ads in the library?
Either the Page name doesn't match what you searched, the ad has already been paused and removed (outside the EU), or the country filter is set wrong. Try the exact Instagram handle instead of the brand name, and double-check the country dropdown at the top of the search.
Does the Ad Library show how much competitors spend on Instagram ads?
No. Outside of US political and EU ads, the library never shows budget, spend, or reach for a normal commercial advertiser. The closest substitute is the "Started running on" date, since ads that run for weeks are almost always still profitable.
What's the difference between spying on Facebook ads and Instagram ads?
Nothing structural. Both live in the same Meta Ad Library, use the same search, and use the same Platforms filter. The only real difference is which checkbox you select under Platforms once you're inside a search result.
How do I download a competitor's Instagram video ad?
The Ad Library itself has no download button, so a plain right-click often fails, especially on carousels. A free extension like Klipio's downloader adds a Download button to each ad card and saves the original HD video, image, or full carousel in one click.
The Klipio extension adds a download button to every ad in the Meta Ad Library: one click per ad, or bulk-save a whole search as a ZIP with a searchable swipe file inside. Free, no sign-up.
Get the free extension
