How to Download Ads From Facebook Ad Library (2026 Guide)

By Zachary Murray, Founder, Foreplay · Last updated: October 2, 2026

The Meta Ad Library lets you view ads running across Facebook and Instagram, but it has no download or save button.

There are still three ways to get the file:

• Foreplay Chrome extension: one click saves the ad with its copy and landing page, then you download the .mp4 or image.
• Chrome DevTools: free and built into your browser, one video at a time.
• Paste-a-link downloader sites: free, no install, file only.

Why you can't just download ads from the Meta Ad Library

The Ad Library is a transparency tool, not a creative archive. Meta lets you look, and it allows limited downloading, but it doesn't make it easy.

Meta's own Ad Library API page puts it this way: "While you cannot currently download a batch of archived ads, you can download ad creative such as images and text for an individual ad. If you do so, it must be for analysis and you must comply with the data storage terms in our Terms of Service." (Meta Ad Library API)

So individual downloads for analysis are allowed. Batch downloads are not offered.

Ads disappear, and your research goes with them

The bigger problem is that ads don't stay in the library forever. According to Meta's Help Center:

• The library shows active ads.
• Ads about social issues, elections or politics are kept for 7 years.
• Ads delivered to the EU or UK are kept for a year after they last ran.

For most commercial ads outside those categories, that means the ad is gone once the advertiser stops it. Ad Library links also stop working when the campaign is stopped or the ad ID changes (why Facebook Ad Library links expire). A bookmark or a screenshot isn't a reliable archive.

Instagram ads are in the same library

When you search the Meta Ad Library, you're also searching Instagram placements. Use the Platform filter to narrow results to Instagram.

Method 1: Save and download any ad with the Foreplay Chrome extension (recommended)

This method is for anyone who saves more than the occasional ad, or who needs an ad to survive being taken down.

Step 1: Install the free extension

1. Open the Foreplay extension on the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome.
2. Pin the Foreplay icon to your Chrome toolbar so it's always visible.
3. Log in to your Foreplay account. The extension is free to install; saving requires a Foreplay account. See Foreplay plans and the trial.

As of October 2026, per the Chrome Web Store, the extension has 20,000 users and a 4.9/5 rating from 251 ratings.

Watch: Install the Foreplay Chrome extension (1:11)

Step 2: Open the Meta Ad Library and find the ad

1. Go to facebook.com/ads/library.
2. Pick the country and the "All ads" category.
3. Search a brand name or keyword.
4. Optionally filter by platform (Facebook, Instagram) and media type.

New to the library? Our guide on how to use the Meta Ad Library covers search and filters in depth.

Step 3: Click "Save to Foreplay" and pick a board

The extension adds a Save to Foreplay button to each ad in the library. Click it and choose the board the ad should go to.

Watch: Save ads from the Meta Ad Library (2:03)

Step 4: What gets saved

Each saved ad includes:

• The creative: video, image, carousel, or DCO/multi-version ads
• The ad copy
• The CTA
• The landing page URL and a landing page screenshot
• An automatic, searchable transcript for video ads

The saved ad stays in your Foreplay account even if the advertiser turns it off or it disappears from the library. Foreplay also shows whether the ad is still running and how long it has been live.

Watch: What Foreplay captures from each saved ad (2:49)

Step 5: Download the file

Open the saved ad in Foreplay and click Download to get the video (.mp4) or image file.

Watch: Download saved ads for briefs and decks (7:33)

Full setup guide: Foreplay Chrome extension.

Method 2: Download a single Ad Library video for free with Chrome DevTools

If you need one video right now and don't want to install anything, Chrome's built-in developer tools can grab the file.

1. Open the ad in the Meta Ad Library in desktop Chrome.
2. Open DevTools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows; Cmd+Option+I on Mac) and go to the Network tab.
3. Filter by Media, or type mp4 in the filter box.
4. Play the video. A request ending in .mp4 appears in the list.
5. Right-click the request and choose Open in new tab.
6. In the new tab, right-click the video and choose Save video as… (or use the ⋮ menu → Download).

Where it breaks

• It works one ad at a time.
• Some videos stream in pieces or as blob: URLs, so you get no single .mp4, or a file with no audio.
• Carousels mean repeating the process for every card.
• You get only the file: no copy, CTA, landing page or date.
• Nothing is saved if the ad later disappears from the library.
• It doesn't work on mobile.

Method 3: Paste-a-link downloader websites

A number of free websites will download an Ad Library ad if you give them its link.

How it works: copy the ad's Ad Library link (the URL containing id=), paste it into the site, and download the file.

To get the link, open the ad's details in the Ad Library ("See ad details") and copy the URL that includes the ad ID.

Pros:

• Free
• No install

Cons:

• One ad at a time
• Some sites cap free downloads per day
• Files only, with no organization
• You're sending links to a third party
• The ad is gone from your research once the library drops it

Which method should you use?

Comparing ad-saving extensions? See Foreplay vs Swipekit, Foreplay vs Gethookd and Foreplay vs Atria.

How to download Instagram ads

Using Foreplay you can save Instagram ads from your desktop or straight from your phone.

From the Meta Ad Library (desktop)

Instagram ads live in the Meta Ad Library. Search a brand, set the Platform filter to Instagram, then use Method 1 or Method 2.

From Instagram on desktop

The Foreplay extension also saves organic Instagram posts and reels, including videos and images, from instagram.com.

Watch: Save ads directly from Instagram (3:17)

From your phone (Instagram DM)

1. Install the free Foreplay mobile app (iOS/Android) and link your Instagram handle. A verification code is sent by DM to @foreplay_co.
2. Choose the board new saves should go to.
3. Share any ad, post or reel to @foreplay_co via Instagram DM. It lands in that board.

Once it's in Foreplay, download the file the same way as Step 5.

How to save and download TikTok ads

The Foreplay extension works in both the TikTok Ad Library (library.tiktok.com/ads) and TikTok Creative Center (Top Ads). Click save on the ad and choose a board.

Saved TikTok ads stay in Foreplay even if TikTok removes them. To get the file, open the saved ad in Foreplay and click Download, as in Step 5 above.

On mobile, save TikTok ads with the Foreplay mobile app.

Watch: Save from TikTok Ad Library (4:23)

For research tactics inside TikTok's own tools, read how to use the TikTok Ad Library to run successful campaigns.

LinkedIn ads and YouTube Shorts

LinkedIn Ad Library

The extension saves ads from the LinkedIn Ad Library (linkedin.com/ad-library) into the same boards as your Meta and TikTok ads. Step-by-step: how to download ads from the LinkedIn Ad Library.

Watch: LinkedIn Ad Library (5:17)

YouTube Shorts

The extension also saves YouTube Shorts. Step-by-step: how to download YouTube Shorts.

Watch: YouTube Shorts (5:54)

How to download every ad from a brand (bulk and "ad library scrapers")

Saving one ad at a time doesn't scale when you want a competitor's entire ad history.

Meta doesn't offer this. As quoted above, its API page says you "cannot currently download a batch of archived ads."

The Meta Ad Library API also isn't a workaround for commercial ads. It needs an access token, and per Meta, ads that did not reach any EU location are returned only if they are about social issues, elections or politics (Meta Ad Library API). So it won't pull a US brand's commercial ads.

Foreplay's options for bulk:

• Spyder competitor ad tracking: tracks a brand and saves every Meta ad it launches, live and inactive, 24/7. It auto-transcribes hooks and keeps a landing page archive and historical timeline.
• Foreplay API: Spyder, Discovery and Swipe File endpoints, with data including videos, images, transcription and active status.
• Foreplay MCP: connects that data to AI agents such as Claude or ChatGPT.

DIY Facebook ad library scrapers exist, but they break when Meta changes its pages, and you need to check Meta's terms before running one.

Organize, share and reuse what you save

Downloading the file is often step one. Here's what teams do next in Foreplay.

• Organize: sort ads into boards, folders and tags, and add notes. Watch (6:13)
• Share: send public share links that don't need a Foreplay account to view. Watch (6:54)
• Embed: drop boards into Notion. Watch (7:21)
• Brief: turn saved ads into creative briefs with Foreplay AI. Watch (7:41)

Everything you save builds your team's swipe file. When you want ideas you haven't saved yet, search the Foreplay Discovery ad library.

Can you reuse downloaded ads? (rights and responsible use)

Downloading ads for research and analysis is the common use, and Meta's own wording frames individual downloads as "for analysis."

The creative still belongs to the advertiser. Don't rerun a competitor's ad, footage or music.

Study the hook, structure and offer, then make your own. This isn't legal advice.

Troubleshooting

• "This ad is no longer available" / broken link: the ad was stopped or its ID changed. Ads you saved to Foreplay stay in your account.
• The video downloads without sound or in pieces: this is a streaming issue with the DevTools method. Use the extension instead.
• I don't see the Save to Foreplay button: pin the extension, make sure you're logged in to Foreplay, and refresh the Ad Library tab.

FAQ

Can you download videos from the Facebook Ad Library?

Not with a built-in button. The Meta Ad Library lets you view ads but has no download or save option. You can still get the file three ways: Chrome DevTools (free, one video at a time), a paste-a-link downloader site, or the Foreplay Chrome extension, which saves the ad with its copy and landing page and lets you download the video as an .mp4.

Is there a free Facebook ad downloader?

Yes. Chrome DevTools is free and built into the browser, and several paste-a-link websites download single ads at no cost, though some cap free downloads per day. Both give you only the file. The Foreplay extension is free to install; saving requires a Foreplay account, and it keeps the copy, CTA, landing page and the ad itself after it leaves the library.

How do I download a video from the Meta Ad Library without an extension?

Open the ad in desktop Chrome, open DevTools and go to the Network tab, filter by Media or type mp4, then play the video. Right-click the .mp4 request, open it in a new tab, and save the video. Some ads stream in pieces or as blob: URLs, so this method won't always produce a single file with audio.

How do I download Instagram ads?

Instagram ads are in the Meta Ad Library, so search there and set the Platform filter to Instagram, then use the Foreplay extension or DevTools. The extension also saves organic posts and reels on instagram.com. On your phone, link your Instagram handle in the Foreplay mobile app and share any ad, post or reel to @foreplay_co by DM to save it to a board.

How do I save TikTok ads from TikTok Creative Center?

With the Foreplay Chrome extension installed, open TikTok Creative Center Top Ads or the TikTok Ad Library and save the ad to a Foreplay board. Saved TikTok ads stay in your account even if TikTok removes them. To get the file, open the saved ad in Foreplay and click Download. On mobile, use the Foreplay mobile app.

Do ads stay in the Facebook Ad Library after they stop running?

Usually not. Meta's Help Center says the library shows active ads. Ads about social issues, elections or politics are kept for seven years, and ads delivered to the EU or UK are kept for a year after they last ran. Most other commercial ads drop out once they stop, which is why Ad Library links break. Saving an ad to Foreplay keeps it.

Can I download every ad from a competitor at once?

Not from Meta directly. Meta's API page says you cannot currently download a batch of archived ads, and its API returns non-EU ads only if they are about social issues, elections or politics. To capture a brand's full Meta ad history, Foreplay's Spyder tracks the brand and saves its live and inactive ads, and the Foreplay API exposes that data programmatically.

Is it legal to download ads from the Facebook Ad Library?

Meta says you can download creative for an individual ad if it is for analysis and you follow the data storage terms in its Terms of Service. The creative still belongs to the advertiser, so study it for research rather than rerunning someone else's ad, footage or music. This isn't legal advice; check with counsel for your situation.

Does the Foreplay extension work on LinkedIn and YouTube?

Yes. The Foreplay Chrome extension saves ads from the LinkedIn Ad Library and saves YouTube Shorts, alongside the Meta Ad Library, Instagram and the TikTok Ad Library and Creative Center. Everything lands in the same Foreplay boards, so you can organize, share and download ads from every platform in one place.

Start saving ads that don't disappear

Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store, or read the full guide to save ads with the Chrome extension. Then start a Foreplay trial so every ad you save, from every library, stays in one place.