Facebook Ad Library

Facebook Ad Library Search API

Searches Meta's public Ad Library by keyword and returns the matching ads from Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads and the Audience Network. Each ad has its advertiser, the days it first and last ran, whether it's still active, where it ran and its creatives: headline, text, link, call to action, images and videos. Political and social-issue ads add the payer and Meta's impression, reach and spend ranges. Filter by country, language, status and dates. Ads come most impressions first, the Ad Library's own order.

GET /v1/facebook/search_ads

Try it

Example

cURL
curl 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads?country=US&query=coffee' \
  -H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"
TypeScript SDK
import { SocialTap } from "socialtap";

const client = new SocialTap(); // apiKey defaults to process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY

const res = await client.facebook.searchAds.list({ query: "coffee", country: "US" });
console.log(res.data);
console.log(res.credits.charged, res.meta.request_id);
Node.js (fetch)
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  country: "US",
  query: "coffee",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY ?? "" },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${body.error.code}: ${body.error.message}`);
const { data, page, meta } = body;
console.log(data, meta.credits_charged);
Python (requests)
import os

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads",
    params={"country": "US", "query": "coffee"},
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"]},
)
body = res.json()
if not res.ok:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{body['error']['code']}: {body['error']['message']}")
data, page, meta = body["data"], body["page"], body["meta"]
print(data, meta["credits_charged"])
Go (net/http)
package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"log"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
	"os"
)

func main() {
	q := url.Values{}
	q.Set("country", "US")
	q.Set("query", "coffee")
	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads?"+q.Encode(), nil)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()
	var body struct {
		Data  json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
		Page  json.RawMessage `json:"page"`
		Meta  map[string]any  `json:"meta"`
		Error *struct {
			Code    string `json:"code"`
			Message string `json:"message"`
		} `json:"error"`
	}
	if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&body); err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	if body.Error != nil {
		log.Fatalf("%s: %s", body.Error.Code, body.Error.Message)
	}
	fmt.Println(string(body.Data), body.Meta["credits_charged"])
}
PHP
<?php

$query = http_build_query([
    'country' => 'US',
    'query' => 'coffee',
]);
$ch = curl_init('https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads?' . $query);
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['x-api-key: ' . getenv('SOCIALTAP_API_KEY')],
]);
$body = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
if (curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_RESPONSE_CODE) >= 400) {
    throw new RuntimeException($body['error']['code'] . ': ' . $body['error']['message']);
}
print_r($body['data']);
echo $body['meta']['credits_charged'], PHP_EOL;
Ruby
require "json"
require "net/http"

uri = URI("https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form('country' => 'US', 'query' => 'coffee')
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req["x-api-key"] = ENV.fetch("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")
res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: uri.scheme == "https") { |http| http.request(req) }
body = JSON.parse(res.body)
raise "#{body["error"]["code"]}: #{body["error"]["message"]}" unless res.is_a?(Net::HTTPSuccess)
pp body["data"]
puts body["meta"]["credits_charged"]
Java
import java.net.URI;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        String query = "country=" + encode("US")
            + "&query=" + encode("coffee");
        HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
            .uri(URI.create("https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads?" + query))
            .header("x-api-key", System.getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
            .GET()
            .build();
        HttpResponse<String> response = HttpClient.newHttpClient()
            .send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
        // An error is {"error": {"code", "message", ...}}; success is {data, meta}, meta.credits_charged its price.
        if (response.statusCode() >= 400) throw new RuntimeException(response.body());
        System.out.println(response.body());
    }

    static String encode(String value) {
        return URLEncoder.encode(value, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
    }
}
.NET
using System.Text.Json;

using var http = new HttpClient();
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("x-api-key", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"));

var query = string.Join("&",
    "country=" + Uri.EscapeDataString("US"),
    "query=" + Uri.EscapeDataString("coffee"));
var res = await http.GetAsync("https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads?" + query);
using var body = JsonDocument.Parse(await res.Content.ReadAsStringAsync());
if (!res.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
    var error = body.RootElement.GetProperty("error");
    throw new Exception($"{error.GetProperty("code")}: {error.GetProperty("message")}");
}
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("data"));
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("meta").GetProperty("credits_charged"));
Rust
// Cargo.toml: reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["blocking", "json"] }, serde_json = "1"
use std::env;

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let res = reqwest::blocking::Client::new()
        .get("https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads")
        .query(&[("country", "US"), ("query", "coffee")])
        .header("x-api-key", env::var("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")?)
        .send()?;
    let ok = res.status().is_success();
    let body: serde_json::Value = res.json()?;
    if !ok {
        return Err(format!("{}: {}", body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"]).into());
    }
    println!("{} {}", body["data"], body["meta"]["credits_charged"]);
    Ok(())
}
200 OK
{
  "data": [
    {
      "advertiser": {
        "avatar_url": "https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/739782028_1533198008291919_1079542453788497101_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBED&…",
        "display_name": "American Health Support Community",
        "id": "966175593248497",
        "is_verified": null,
        "url": "https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588018263996",
        "username": null
      },
      "approximate_fields": [
        "first_shown_at"
      ],
      "audience_size": null,
      "country_codes": [],
      "creatives": [
        {
          "body": "My aunt called me a creep for putting a camera in Nana’s living room.\n\nNana called me practical.\n\nThen the camera caught something worse than a fall.\n\nI need to be clear about one thing before anyone decides what kind of grandson I am.\n\nNana asked for the camera.\n\nNot me.\n\nNot my…",
          "cta_text": "Learn more",
          "link_description": null,
          "link_url": "https://shop.pipitea.com/hbt/kd/sp-nm",
          "media": [
            {
              "alt_text": null,
              "duration_ms": null,
              "expires_at": "2026-10-25T18:00:00Z",
              "height": null,
              "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/742001725_2100792434176297_9060645049521596104_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s600x600_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBE…",
              "type": "image",
              "url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/742501415_1706621370582971_4085631001896338504_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBED&oe=F2A52380",
              "width": null
            }
          ],
          "title": "Natural Relief in Weeks"
        }
      ],
      "first_shown_at": "2026-07-18T07:00:00Z",
      "id": "2619351891814847",
      "impressions": null,
      "is_active": true,
      "is_political": false,
      "languages": [],
      "last_shown_at": null,
      "paid_by": null,
      "platform": "facebook",
      "platform_specific": {
        "facebook": {
          "advertiser_categories": [
            "Community Center"
          ],
          "advertiser_instagram": null,
          "advertiser_instagram_follower_count": null,
          "advertiser_like_count": 4072,
          "beneficiary": null,
          "collation_count": 1,
          "collation_id": "2362783507580471",
          "cta_type": "learn_more",
          "impression_shares": null,
          "is_advertiser_deleted": false,
          "is_removed": null,
          "is_synthetic": false,
          "link_caption": "shop.pipitea.com",
          "partner": null,
          "removal_reasons": [],
          "special_ad_categories": [],
          "targeting": []
        }
      },
      "publisher_platforms": [
        "facebook",
        "instagram",
        "audience_network"
      ],
      "reach": null,
      "spend": null,
      "type": "image",
      "unknown_fields": [
        "country_codes",
        "languages",
        "platform_specific.facebook.removal_reasons"
      ],
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=2619351891814847"
    },
    {
      "advertiser": {
        "avatar_url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/712623693_1599994994434095_1320701223312676781_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBED&…",
        "display_name": "American Health Support Community",
        "id": "966175593248497",
        "is_verified": null,
        "url": "https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588018263996",
        "username": null
      },
      "approximate_fields": [
        "first_shown_at",
        "last_shown_at"
      ],
      "audience_size": null,
      "country_codes": [],
      "creatives": [
        {
          "body": "I almost looked past the woman who saved my husband's life. She was seventy-nine, sitting alone at the booth next to ours at the Cracker Barrel off Highway 31. A glass of milk in front of her. She kept stirring it. She wasn't eating.\n\nIf I'd known, the night I leaned over and ask…",
          "cta_text": "Learn more",
          "link_description": "\"I've tried everything to support my kidney function naturally. Fish oil, CoQ10, cutting protein, stressing about every meal. Nothing moved the needle enough to satisfy my doctor. Hibiscus tea is the first thing that actually showed up in my numbers. It's been 3 months and my eGF…",
          "link_url": "https://shop.pipitea.com/hbt/kd/sp",
          "media": [
            {
              "alt_text": null,
              "duration_ms": null,
              "expires_at": "2026-10-25T18:00:00Z",
              "height": null,
              "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/711729685_1717035472767079_186136568392095276_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s600x600_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBED…",
              "type": "image",
              "url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/713729791_868879862958547_7409366389733397444_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBED&oe=F2A52380",
              "width": null
            }
          ],
          "title": "Natural Relief in Weeks"
        }
      ],
      "first_shown_at": "2026-06-01T07:00:00Z",
      "id": "1923645134954720",
      "impressions": null,
      "is_active": false,
      "is_political": false,
      "languages": [],
      "last_shown_at": "2026-10-30T07:00:00Z",
      "paid_by": null,
      "platform": "facebook",
      "platform_specific": {
        "facebook": {
          "advertiser_categories": [
            "Community Center"
          ],
          "advertiser_instagram": null,
          "advertiser_instagram_follower_count": null,
          "advertiser_like_count": 4072,
          "beneficiary": null,
          "collation_count": 1,
          "collation_id": "1304791095118481",
          "cta_type": "learn_more",
          "impression_shares": null,
          "is_advertiser_deleted": false,
          "is_removed": null,
          "is_synthetic": false,
          "link_caption": "shop.pipitea.com",
          "partner": null,
          "removal_reasons": [],
          "special_ad_categories": [],
          "targeting": []
        }
      },
      "publisher_platforms": [
        "facebook",
        "instagram",
        "audience_network"
      ],
      "reach": null,
      "spend": null,
      "type": "image",
      "unknown_fields": [
        "country_codes",
        "languages",
        "platform_specific.facebook.removal_reasons"
      ],
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1923645134954720"
    },
    {
      "advertiser": {
        "avatar_url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/712025330_1303417705276292_736671271727941526_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBED&o…",
        "display_name": "American Health Support Community",
        "id": "966175593248497",
        "is_verified": null,
        "url": "https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588018263996",
        "username": null
      },
      "approximate_fields": [
        "first_shown_at",
        "last_shown_at"
      ],
      "audience_size": null,
      "country_codes": [],
      "creatives": [
        {
          "body": "I almost looked past the woman who saved my husband's life. She was seventy-nine, sitting alone at the booth next to ours at the Cracker Barrel off Highway 31. A glass of milk in front of her. She kept stirring it. She wasn't eating.\n\nIf I'd known, the night I leaned over and ask…",
          "cta_text": "Learn more",
          "link_description": "\"I've tried everything to support my kidney function naturally. Fish oil, CoQ10, cutting protein, stressing about every meal. Nothing moved the needle enough to satisfy my doctor. Hibiscus tea is the first thing that actually showed up in my numbers. It's been 3 months and my eGF…",
          "link_url": "https://shop.pipitea.com/hbt/kd/sp",
          "media": [
            {
              "alt_text": null,
              "duration_ms": null,
              "expires_at": "2026-10-25T18:00:00Z",
              "height": null,
              "thumbnail_url": "https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/711737708_4485707625086258_2353150069319301753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s600x600_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBE…",
              "type": "image",
              "url": "https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/710755472_911440771966686_1736050619245168045_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=SCRUBBED&_nc_sid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ohc=SCRUBBED&_nc_oc=SCRUBBED&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&_nc_gid=SCRUBBED&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=SCRUBBED&oe=F2A52380",
              "width": null
            }
          ],
          "title": "Natural Relief in Weeks"
        }
      ],
      "first_shown_at": "2026-06-01T07:00:00Z",
      "id": "2140497416496021",
      "impressions": null,
      "is_active": false,
      "is_political": false,
      "languages": [],
      "last_shown_at": "2026-10-30T07:00:00Z",
      "paid_by": null,
      "platform": "facebook",
      "platform_specific": {
        "facebook": {
          "advertiser_categories": [
            "Community Center"
          ],
          "advertiser_instagram": null,
          "advertiser_instagram_follower_count": null,
          "advertiser_like_count": 4072,
          "beneficiary": null,
          "collation_count": 1,
          "collation_id": "884617784669236",
          "cta_type": "learn_more",
          "impression_shares": null,
          "is_advertiser_deleted": false,
          "is_removed": null,
          "is_synthetic": false,
          "link_caption": "shop.pipitea.com",
          "partner": null,
          "removal_reasons": [],
          "special_ad_categories": [],
          "targeting": []
        }
      },
      "publisher_platforms": [
        "facebook",
        "instagram",
        "audience_network"
      ],
      "reach": null,
      "spend": null,
      "type": "image",
      "unknown_fields": [
        "country_codes",
        "languages",
        "platform_specific.facebook.removal_reasons"
      ],
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=2140497416496021"
    }
  ],
  "page": {
    "has_more": true,
    "next_cursor": "c1.EXAMPLE_CURSOR",
    "next_cursor_expires_at": "2026-10-26T12:00:00Z",
    "end_reason": null
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
    "platform": "facebook",
    "source": "api",
    "is_cached": false,
    "credits_charged": 1,
    "latency_ms": 1482,
    "fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
    "input": null,
    "credits_remaining": 9999,
    "client_request_id": null,
    "warnings": []
  }
}

Long arrays and strings are shortened for display; real responses are complete.

x-api-keystringheaderrequired

Your API key. Authentication

querystringrequiredmax 200 chars

Keywords matched against the ad's text, in any order. Wrap the query in double quotes ("cold brew") to match an exact phrase.

Examplecoffee

countrystringiso3166-1-alpha-2

Region: an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code such as US or BR (case-insensitive). Only ads delivered in this country. All countries when omitted.

ExampleUS

langstringbcp47

Preferred language: a BCP-47 tag such as en or pt-BR (case-insensitive; _ is read as -). Only ads whose text Meta detects as this language (the primary subtag counts: pt-BR searches pt). All languages when omitted.

Exampleen

statusstring

Only items that are still running (active), only items that stopped (inactive), or both (all). Default: all.

One ofactiveinactiveall

Exampleactive

sincestringdate-time

Only items at or after this time: RFC 3339 (2026-10-01T12:00:00Z) or a date (2026-10-01, midnight UTC). On newest-first lists, paging stops when it is reached, so later pages are not fetched or charged. Ads count when they ran during the window: an ad that last ran (last_shown_at) before since is left out; active ads ran until today.

Example2026-10-01

untilstringdate-time

Only items before this time (exclusive): RFC 3339 or a date (midnight UTC). Ads count when they ran during the window: an ad that first ran (first_shown_at) at or after until is left out.

Example2026-10-08

limitintegermin 1max 10

Items per page, 1 to the endpoint's page size (its default and maximum; larger values are reduced to it). Omit it: every page costs the same, so a smaller limit means more pages to pay for.

Example10

cursorstring

page.next_cursor from the previous response. Send the same other parameters; omit to start from the first page.

Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored (Requests). limit and cursor page through the list: see Pagination.

Parameters every endpoint accepts
max_ageintegermin 0

Accept a cached response up to this many seconds old. Cache hits cost 0 credits. Omit to always fetch fresh. The Cache-Control: max-age=N request header is equivalent; max_age wins when both are sent.

fieldsstring

Return only these fields of each item: comma-separated paths in the schema's notation (id,text,metrics.view_count,segments[].text; a parent path keeps the whole object). Unknown paths are rejected. Applied after the cache, so it changes neither the price nor cache hits; page and meta are always returned whole.

Response

application/json

200

{data, page, meta}. data is an array of up to 10 ad objects, most impressions first; page says how to get the next page; meta describes the request (meta). Fields only Facebook Ad Library has are under platform_specific.facebook.

platformstring

Library owner's platform ID (facebook for Meta's library, tiktok, google, linkedin).

idstring

Library ad ID (string).

urlstring uri

Public library page of the ad.

advertiserobject

The advertising page, business or account.

ShowHide 6 child fields
idstringnullable

Platform-native account ID; null when only the handle is known.

usernamestringnullable

Handle without the @; null when the account has none.

display_namestringnullable

Display name shown on the profile.

urlstring urinullable

Canonical profile URL.

avatar_urlstring urinullable

Profile picture URL. Platform CDN URLs can expire within hours.

is_verifiedbooleannullable

Platform verification badge; null where the platform has no badge.

paid_bystringnullable

Disclosed payer ("Paid for by").

is_activebooleannullable

True while the ad is running.

first_shown_atstring date-timenullable

First delivery, RFC 3339 UTC (often date-only: see approximate_fields).

last_shown_atstring date-timenullable

Last delivery, RFC 3339 UTC; null while active.

typestring

Creative shape. New values may be added; treat unknown values as other.

One ofimagevideocarouseltextdynamicother

publisher_platformsstring[]

Where it ran, lowercase IDs (facebook, instagram, messenger, audience_network, youtube, …); [] if not disclosed.

creativesobject[]

The ad's creatives: one per card of a carousel and per variation of a dynamic or catalog ad, else one for the ad itself; [] if none are shown.

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titlestringnullable

Headline.

bodystringnullable

Primary text.

link_urlstring urinullable

Destination URL.

link_descriptionstringnullable

Link description text.

cta_textstringnullable

Call-to-action label (e.g. Shop now).

mediaobject[]

Images and videos of this creative; [] if none.

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typestring

Kind of file. New values may be added; treat unknown values as other.

One ofimagevideoaudiogif

urlstring urinullable

Direct file URL; null when the platform withholds it, or when the link would only work from SocialTap's network or with a login. Often signed and expiring: see expires_at.

expires_atstring date-timenullable

When url stops working, RFC 3339 UTC, read from the platform's signed URL; null when unknown or when it does not expire.

thumbnail_urlstring urinullable

Poster or preview image URL.

widthintegernullable

Width in pixels.

heightintegernullable

Height in pixels.

duration_msintegernullable

Duration in milliseconds (video and audio only).

alt_textstringnullable

Accessibility text provided by the author or platform.

languagesstring[]

BCP-47 languages of the ad; [] if not disclosed.

country_codesstring[]

ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 countries where it was shown; [] if not disclosed.

is_politicalbooleannullable

Categorized as a political or social-issue ad; false when the library files it under another category, null when it shows none.

impressionsobjectnullable

Impressions or times shown range; null when not disclosed.

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lower_boundinteger

Inclusive lower bound.

upper_boundintegernullable

Inclusive upper bound; null when open-ended (e.g. ">1M"). Equal to lower_bound when exact.

reachobjectnullable

Unique users reached range; null when not disclosed.

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lower_boundinteger

Inclusive lower bound.

upper_boundintegernullable

Inclusive upper bound; null when open-ended (e.g. ">1M"). Equal to lower_bound when exact.

audience_sizeobjectnullable

Estimated target audience size range; null when not disclosed.

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lower_boundinteger

Inclusive lower bound.

upper_boundintegernullable

Inclusive upper bound; null when open-ended (e.g. ">1M"). Equal to lower_bound when exact.

spendobjectnullable

Spend range; null when not disclosed.

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lower_boundinteger

Inclusive lower bound, in whole units of currency.

upper_boundintegernullable

Inclusive upper bound in whole units of currency; null when open-ended.

currencystring

ISO 4217 currency code, uppercase (USD).

platform_specificobject

Fields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.<platform>); each null when unknown.

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facebookobjectnullable

A Meta Ad Library ad's own fields.

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cta_typestringnullable

The call to action's type (shop_now, learn_more), whatever language cta_text is in; null when the ad has none.

link_captionstringnullable

The link caption shown under the creative (usually the destination's domain); null when none.

special_ad_categoriesstring[]

Meta's special ad categories the ad is filed under (political, housing, employment, credit); [] for an ordinary ad.

collation_idstringnullable

The group of ads that share this creative and text; null when not shown.

collation_countintegernullable

How many ads share this creative and text; null when not shown.

partnerobjectnullable

The creator whose post a branded content ad promotes for the advertiser; null for other ads.

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idstringnullable

Platform-native account ID; null when only the handle is known.

usernamestringnullable

Handle without the @; null when the account has none.

display_namestringnullable

Display name shown on the profile.

urlstring urinullable

Canonical profile URL.

avatar_urlstring urinullable

Profile picture URL. Platform CDN URLs can expire within hours.

is_verifiedbooleannullable

Platform verification badge; null where the platform has no badge.

advertiser_like_countintegernullable

The advertiser's page likes; null when not shown.

advertiser_categoriesstring[]

The advertiser page's categories (Wine/spirits); [] when not shown (in unknown_fields when not shown).

is_advertiser_deletedbooleannullable

The advertiser's page has since been deleted; null when not shown.

advertiser_instagramobjectnullable

The advertiser's Instagram account, when Meta links one; null otherwise or outside the ad's details.

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idstringnullable

Platform-native account ID; null when only the handle is known.

usernamestringnullable

Handle without the @; null when the account has none.

display_namestringnullable

Display name shown on the profile.

urlstring urinullable

Canonical profile URL.

avatar_urlstring urinullable

Profile picture URL. Platform CDN URLs can expire within hours.

is_verifiedbooleannullable

Platform verification badge; null where the platform has no badge.

advertiser_instagram_follower_countintegernullable

Followers of the advertiser's Instagram account; null when not shown.

beneficiarystringnullable

Whom the ad benefits, as disclosed for ads shown in the EU; null when not disclosed.

is_syntheticbooleannullable

The advertiser disclosed digitally created or altered media (an AI disclosure); null when not shown.

is_removedbooleannullable

Meta took the ad down for breaking its standards; null when not shown.

removal_reasonsstring[]

Meta's reasons for taking it down; [] when none (in unknown_fields when not shown).

targetingobject[]

Whom the advertiser targeted and whom the ad reached, per region that discloses it (the EU, the UK); [] when not disclosed (in unknown_fields when not shown).

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regionstring

The disclosing region. New values may be added.

One ofeuuk

reachintegernullable

Unique accounts the ad reached in the region; null when not shown.

gendersstring[]

Genders targeted (female, male); [] when all.

age_minintegernullable

Youngest age targeted; null when not shown.

age_maxintegernullable

Oldest age targeted (65 means 65 and over); null when not shown.

locationsobject[]

Places the advertiser targeted or excluded; [] when not shown.

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namestring

The place as Meta names it (United Kingdom, Berlin).

typestringnullable

The kind of place (countries, regions, cities); null when not shown.

is_excludedboolean

The advertiser excluded the place rather than targeting it.

reach_by_countryobject[]

Unique accounts reached per country, by age range and gender; [] when not shown.

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country_codestring

ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.

agesobject[]

Unique accounts reached there per age range.

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age_rangestring

The age range (18-24, 65+).

maleintegernullable

Men reached; null when not shown.

femaleintegernullable

Women reached; null when not shown.

unknownintegernullable

Accounts of unknown gender reached; null when not shown.

impression_sharesobjectnullable

A political or social-issue ad's audience: its share of impressions by age and gender and by region; null for other ads.

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by_age_genderobject[]

Share of impressions per age range, by gender (0 to 1).

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age_rangestring

The age range (18-24, 65+).

malenumbernullable

Share among men (0 to 1); null when not shown.

femalenumbernullable

Share among women (0 to 1); null when not shown.

unknownnumbernullable

Share among people of unknown gender (0 to 1); null when not shown.

by_regionobject[]

Share of impressions per region (0 to 1).

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regionstring

The region as Meta names it (California).

sharenumbernullable

Its share (0 to 1); null when not shown.

approximate_fieldsstring[]

JSON paths of values that are rounded, date-only or parsed from display text. A list path (external_links) means the list may be incomplete. [] when all exact.

unknown_fieldsstring[]

JSON paths of lists whose [] means unknown rather than none (a source that cannot see them); null already means unknown for every other field. [] when every list is known.

not_found is item-level: the request was fine, the item can't be returned.

400

400 Bad Request: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

A parameter is missing or malformed, or the link is not one this endpoint takes.

Fix the parameter named in param as the message says. For a link of the wrong kind, call an endpoint listed in details.endpoints, when there is one.

The cursor is malformed or expired, belongs to another endpoint, or came with other parameters than the request that returned it.

Repeat the original request without cursor to start the list again.

401

401 Unauthorized: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

unauthorizedNo retry

The x-api-key header is missing, or its key is unknown or revoked. On the dashboard's routes: the session cookie is missing or expired.

Send a valid API key in the x-api-key header. No key yet? A person gets one at details.signup_url; an AI agent follows details.agent_auth_url.

402

402 Payment Required: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

The account does not have enough credits for this request.

Have a person buy credits at details.purchase_url (or make them a checkout link with details.checkout), then repeat the request. Do not retry automatically.

The API key reached its spend limit for this period. The account may still have credits.

Wait until details.resets_at, or raise the key's spend limit (PATCH /v1/api_keys/{id}). Do not retry automatically.

403

403 Forbidden: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

forbiddenNo retry

The API key is valid but may not make this request, and details.reason says why: the account is suspended, the key lacks the route's scope, waits for its owner to confirm it by email, has expired, or was used from an IP outside its allowlist, or a rotated key's previous secret was used for a call that needs the admin scope. A running job stops with it too when its account is suspended or the key that created it is revoked or expires. It is about the key, never the item: a private item is private_or_unavailable, also 403, so branch on the code.

Act on details.reason. suspended: contact support. scope: use a key with details.required_scope. previous_secret: use the new secret. key_pending: have the owner open the emailed link. key_expired or key_revoked: create a new key. ip_not_allowed: call from an allowed IP.

404

404 Not Found: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

not_foundNo retry

The item does not exist or was deleted. On GET /v1/requests/{id}/response: the response was not kept (details.reason says why).

Check the link or ID. Do not retry.

429

429 Too Many Requests: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

rate_limitedYes, later

The account passed its runaway-protection ceiling: a high per-account limit that stops a broken client loop (plans have no rate limit). Requests without an API key (signup, the MCP server's tool listing and find_endpoint) are limited per IP address instead. It also stops an account whose failed requests in the last hour cost far more than its successful ones paid for: failures are free within a limit (the message says so), and successes raise it.

Wait the seconds in the retry-after header, then retry. If your steady traffic needs more, ask support to raise the ceiling; without an API key, send one.

500

500 Internal Error: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

internalYes, later

An unexpected error on SocialTap's side.

Retry with backoff. If it keeps happening, contact support with the request_id.

502

502 Bad Gateway: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

upstream_errorYes, later

The platform failed, or answered with something we could not read.

Retry with backoff. Failed requests are free.

503

503 Unavailable: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

The platform refused every attempt, our own retries included.

Retry later with backoff. Failed requests are free.

overloadedYes, later

SocialTap was at capacity, or paused by its operators, and did not start the request. Nothing was fetched or charged.

Retry after the seconds in the retry-after header. Failed requests are free.

Items come in pages, most impressions first. To get the next page, send the same request plus cursor set to page.next_cursor from the previous response. Keep every other parameter the same (limit, max_age and fields may change); anything else that differs is rejected. When page.has_more is false the walk is over, and page.end_reason says why: only end means you have every item (the others say the platform or a page cap stopped the walk early).

Order
Most impressions first
Page size
Up to 10 ads (the default; limit lowers it)
Cursor lifetime
1 hour; don't store cursors
Price
Per page, 1 credit

The page object

has_moreboolean

True when another page exists; then next_cursor is set. An empty page with has_more true is not the end.

next_cursorstringnullable

Pass as cursor, with the same other parameters, to get the next page; null at the end.

next_cursor_expires_atstring date-timenullable

When next_cursor stops working, RFC 3339 UTC; null at the end. Don't store cursors.

end_reasonstringnullable

Why there are no more pages; null while has_more is true. end: the list ended, or reached since/until. platform_limit: the platform stops serving further pages although the list goes on. max_pages: SocialTap's cap on pages in one walk. New values may be added. A short or empty page is not the end: only has_more false is.

One ofendplatform_limitmax_pages

Next page

cURL: next page
curl 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/facebook/search_ads?country=US&query=coffee&cursor=c1.EXAMPLE_CURSOR' \
  -H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"
  • The price is per page: each successful page costs the same, whatever limit is and however many items it has. Empty pages are charged too (an empty page with has_more: true is not the end).
  • A limit below 10 doesn't save credits: the next request serves the rest of the same platform page, which is fetched again and charged as a page each time, and items can shift between those requests if the platform changes the list. Omitting limit is the cheapest way to walk the list.
  • Errors are free, including a rejected cursor.
  • Pages served from the cache are free.
  • An expired or altered cursor, or one sent with different parameters, fails with invalid_cursor (HTTP 400): Repeat the original request without cursor to start the list again.

Pagination guide

From 1 credit per page. Charged per successful page, whatever its number of items. Errors are free. The price depends on the source that produced the result, reported as meta.source.

SourcePrice per successful pagePer 1,000 pages
Platform API api1 credit$0.75–$1.97
Balance, sources and what you were charged

Your balance must be at least 1 credit to start a request; with less, it is refused with insufficient_credits (HTTP 402) and costs nothing. Only that minimum is set aside when the request starts.

meta.sourceSourceWhat it means
apiPlatform APIThe platform's public, logged-out API.

meta.credits_charged and the x-credits-charged header show what you paid. How credits work · Packs

Endpoint ID facebook.search_ads · operationId facebook.search_ads.list · Product overview

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