How to Spy On Your Competitors Using TikTok Ads Library

Are you ready to make your ads even better, to sell more, and to have a fresh batch of proven ideas?

Then you need to do competitor research (aka spying on your competition), and TikTok library ads can help.

In this article, we’ll explain why spying on your competitors–occasionally–can help you better understand your audience and niche. And don’t worry, your competitors expect it–after all, they’re likely spying on you, too! 😎

What is TikTok Ads Library?

Thankfully, figuring out how to see the TikTok Ads Library isn’t complicated–simply follow the link to view a collection of all the ads running on TikTok at any time.

The concept is similar to that of the Facebook Ads Library. Both are great tools for research if you know how to use them–which is what we’re about to teach you! 😉

However, compared to Facebook, TikTok’s Ad Library is better because it provides additional metrics, such as an estimate of the unique users who have seen an ad and the targeted genders and age groups. That way, you have a better idea of what’s resonating.

Is it ethical to have all this information at our fingertips to look up whenever we want? We’re not answering that question today–we’ll save that for a future article.

But rest assured, if you can see your competitor’s ads, they can see yours, too. So, don’t do anything you wouldn’t want anyone else in your industry to do.

Now that you know what TikTok Ads Library is, it’s time to find out how to use it to research what your competitors are doing! 🕵️

How can I find my competitor’s ads on TikTok?

Here’s how to find the TikTok ads library. Go to https://library.tiktok.com/ and search for your competitors by name, keywords, or any other details you can think of.

Now, granted–as we’re writing this article, the search functionality feels a little clunky. But, if they’re currently running ads on TikTok, you WILL still be able to find them.

Oh, and pro tip: If you’re doing this kind of research on TikTok, it’s a good idea to do the same research on Facebook/Meta, too.

Why should you spy on your competitor’s ads?

Here’s the question you’ll be trying to answer as you’re browsing the ads library on TikTok:

What’s working for them?

You won’t see their metrics, but you can still figure a few things out by looking at their content. Here’s what to check for:

• Any type of messaging (like selling points or features) repeated across ads. This might indicate that this point brings them customers… Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t use it everywhere, right?
• Messaging repeated across platforms–so, words, phrases, selling points, or features mentioned on Facebook AND TikTok. This is another indicator that it works for them.
• The UGC itself–look for patterns. What are the creators doing in their videos? Are there any similar scenarios, surroundings, or even styles? Pay close attention to these details because you might learn something!
• The ad's published date. If it’s been running for a few months, that’s probably because it works well. Sure, there’s a slight chance they’re leaving it at a small budget to just “see what it does,” but that’s unlikely. Most brands put their money behind what’s working.

Here’s an example of what we’re talking about:

If you notice that your competitors are running multiple ads with testimonials, that’s a good indication that this type of creative is working for them. Or unboxing–if multiple videos of creators unboxing their products are in ads, it might indicate that unboxings do well for them. Either way, you’d want to experiment with those video formats yourself.

Which brings us to the next point. After you’ve figured out what’s working for them, you’ll want to ask yourself:

How can we replicate that kind of success for our brand?

We do not recommend stealing copy word-for-word from the TikTok top ads library. But, you might discover through this research that your products' most significant selling points aren’t what you’d assumed. Or you need to try a new type of UGC video for your ads. You might even discover ways to differentiate YOUR brand from the rest.

The point of researching isn’t so you can steal their ad strategy. Everything that works for them might not work for you–your brands are different for a reason. But you can use what you’ve learned to make your existing strategy better.

Is this ethical?

We get it. The word “spying” is in the title, which might make you wonder if everything we just outlined is ethical. But please–this kind of “spying” has happened since the dawn of business. We’re not talking about flying drones into people’s headquarters or sending people to steal documents. All of this is publicly available information. And, while we realize that doesn’t really answer the question of whether or not it’s ethical, there would be laws against it by now if it wasn’t.

The truth is that everyone has to do this kind of research to start a business or stay in business. Competitor research–or knowing what’s working for your competitors–is part of being a responsible business owner. It’s expected.

It’s also fair because your competitors can and should be researching what’s working for you. And, it’s ethical–as long as you don’t plagiarize or violate trademark law, which is pretty easy to avoid.

The TikTok Ads Library USA, Meta Ads Library, and similar tools help hold brands accountable for their advertising practices. They also help level the playing field because competitors can check up on each other.

So yes, using the TikTok Ads Library is ethical. And, if you were worried about this in the first place, that’s a pretty good indication that you won’t run into any problems.

Have you tried this yet?

If you haven’t tried using the TikTok Ads Library for competitor research, here’s an idea:

Take 30 minutes and check out the ads of some of your biggest competitors. Try to draw conclusions based on the tips we shared in this article.

Then, start a campaign in Clip to get UGC videos based on what you’ve learned from your competition’s ads. Craft your campaign or brief around the selling points you’ve discovered.

Think of this campaign as more of an experiment–you don’t need to switch up your strategy from here on out, but it’s good to try new things occasionally. Who knows? The results might blow you away! 🎉