# Facebook Ad Library Ad API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/facebook/adlibrary-ad)

> Returns one ad from the Facebook Ad Library. Video creatives land in `content.media_urls` (playable URL) and `content.thumbnail_url` (preview frame); every ad signal rides the `post.ext.ad` envelope: CTA text and type, `link_url`, `is_active`, `end_date_iso`, `display_format`, `title`, `publisher_platforms`, `categories`, the video URLs, and the advertiser's own `page_id`, `page_profile_uri` (their Facebook page, so you can chain straight to `/v1/facebook/profile`), `page_like_count` and `page_categories`. **`spend`, `reach_estimate` and `currency` are populated by Facebook for POLITICAL and issue ads only** and read null or empty on a commercial ad; Facebook publishes no per-ad impression count outside that same political set, so there is no impressions figure to return. `post.author.username` is null by design: an Ad Library record carries the page NAME, not its handle, and a name is not a handle. An ad has no public view count, so `engagement.views` carries Facebook's audience REACH ESTIMATE where one exists (political and issue ads) and is null everywhere else; the same figure is on `post.ext.ad.reach_estimate` under its real name, and `computed.engagement_rate` is derived from it rather than from any real engagement. `published_at` is the ad's first-run DATE; the `07:00:00Z` clock component on every row is an artefact of Facebook storing ad dates on a US Pacific day boundary and carries no sub-day meaning. On an ad that ran in the EU, Facebook publishes who saw it: `post.ext.ad.eu_total_reach` is the total EU reach, `post.ext.ad.eu_reach_breakdown` lists each EU country with that reach split into age bands (18-24 to 65+) by `male`, `female` and `unknown`, and `post.ext.ad.targets_eu`, `target_ages`, `target_gender` and `target_locations` are who the advertiser targeted. An ad that never ran in the EU carries none of these, and they read null. For ad video transcripts use `/v1/facebook/adlibrary/ad/transcript` (separate endpoint, premium tier).

TL;DR: `GET /v1/facebook/adlibrary/ad` costs 5 credits per call and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | no | Facebook Ad Library ad ID. Ad ids rotate as campaigns end, so take a current one from `/v1/facebook/adlibrary/company/ads` or `/v1/facebook/adlibrary/search/ads` rather than reusing an old one. |
| `url` | no | Facebook Ad Library URL for the ad (`https://www.facebook.com/ads/library?id=...`). A page URL is rejected with a 400 at 0 credits. |
| `trim` | no | Set to true for a trimmed down version of the response |

## Code example

```bash
curl -G "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/facebook/adlibrary/ad" \
  --data-urlencode "id=1702938977100376" \
  -H "x-api-key: sc_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### How do I fetch a Facebook Ad Library ad via API?

Send a GET request to /v1/facebook/adlibrary/ad with either the ad id or the Facebook Ad URL. SocialCrawl returns the ad creative, spend range, impressions range, targeting, start date, and advertiser info.

### What data does the Ad Library endpoint return?

Every ad includes the creative (text, images, video URL), advertiser page info, status, EU spend range, impressions bucket, targeting parameters, date range, and ad disclaimer. Covers political and commercial ads.

### How much does the Ad Library API cost?

Each Ad Library ad request costs 5 credits on the advanced tier. New accounts get 100 free credits with no credit card required, enough to pull 20 ad records before paying. Ideal for ad intelligence workflows.

### Can I get the video transcript for a video ad?

Yes. Pass get_transcript=true and the response will include the video transcript when the ad is under 2 minutes. Perfect for competitive copy analysis and finding winning hooks in competitor creatives.

### Does it include political and issue ads?

Yes. The endpoint returns both commercial and political/issue ads with full transparency data: funding entity, ad disclaimer, targeting criteria, and spend/impressions ranges reported by Meta.

See the full Facebook API: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/facebook

## Pricing

- Standard endpoints: 1 credit per call
- Advanced endpoints: 5 credits per call
- Premium endpoints: 10 credits per call
- 100 free credits on signup, no credit card required. Cached responses cost 0 credits. Credit packs never expire.
- Full pricing: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/pricing

## Explore with AI

Questions this API answers, phrased for an AI assistant:

- How to access the Facebook Ad Library via the SocialCrawl API
- What data does the Meta Ad Library API return?