# Google Ads Scraper (`parseforge/google-ads-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes Google Ads from the Transparency Center by advertiser name, domain, or direct URL. Returns each ad with its creative, format, targeting, and regional stats.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/google-ads-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Marketing, Developer tools, Automation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 60 total users, 7 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.31 / 1,000 result items

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner-v4.webp)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Google Ads Scraper

**Scrape Google Ads from the Transparency Center by advertiser, domain, or region, up to a million per run.** Every ad comes with its creative, format, targeting, and regional stats. No API key or login. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

**Low minimum charge:** $0.02 to start a run, then you only pay for the results you get.

Google's official Ads API requires a developer token, OAuth, and strict quotas. This Actor reads the public Google Ads Transparency Center directly, letting you collect ads by advertiser name, website domain, or a direct URL, filtered by region. You get the ad creative, format, targeting signals, and regional performance data in one fixed schema.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Google Ads Transparency Center for |
|---|---|
| Competitive intelligence analysts | Monitor a competitor's ad creatives and formats across regions. |
| Marketing agencies | Audit a client's ad presence and regional targeting in one dataset. |
| Ad verification teams | Check that ads comply with regional policies and are running where expected. |
| Academic researchers | Study advertising trends, messaging, and targeting patterns over time. |

### What it does

This Actor collects Google Ads from the Transparency Center by advertiser search, domain, or direct URL, and returns each ad as a flat row with its creative, format, targeting, and regional stats.

- 🔍 **Advertiser search:** type a brand name like 'Nike' and the Actor finds the matching advertiser and fetches its ads.
- 🌐 **Domain search:** enter a domain like 'nike.com' to collect ads from all advertisers using that domain.
- 🔗 **Direct URL:** paste a Google Ads Transparency Center advertiser URL to scrape a known advertiser without search.
- 🌍 **Region filter:** restrict ads to a specific country or region from a list of over 50 supported markets.
- ⚡ **Skip details mode:** fetch only the ad list without targeting, regional stats, or variations for faster runs.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Google Ads Transparency Center data

**📈 Track competitor ad strategies.**

A competitive analyst searches a rival brand name, sets the region to US, and collects the latest ad creatives to spot new messaging angles.

**🌍 Audit regional ad compliance.**

An ad verification team runs the Actor for a client domain across multiple regions and checks that creatives meet local regulations.

**📊 Build an ad intelligence dataset.**

A researcher scrapes ads for a set of domains over several weeks and analyzes format trends and targeting shifts.

**🎯 Validate agency ad placements.**

A marketing agency enters a client's domain, filters by region, and confirms that the ads running match the planned campaign.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **Ad creative text** | Full headline and body copy as shown to users |
| **Ad format** | Image, video, or text ad type |
| **Targeting signals** | Inferred audience and contextual targeting data |
| **Regional stats** | Where the ad ran and how it performed per region |

### How it compares

This Actor focuses on the Google Ads Transparency Center for ad creative and targeting data, while the Google Search Results Scraper extracts paid search ads from SERPs.

| Feature | ParseForge | Google Search Results Scraper |
|---|---|---|
| Scrapes Google Ads Transparency Center | Yes | Not listed |
| Search ads by advertiser name | Yes | Not listed |
| Search ads by domain | Yes | Not listed |
| Filter ads by region | Yes | Not listed |
| Returns ad creative and format | Yes | Not listed |
| Returns ad targeting signals | Yes | Not listed |
| Scrapes paid search ads from SERPs | Not listed | Yes |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from an advertiser search, a domain, or a direct Transparency Center URL, and set a region filter so only ads shown in that market reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "searchQuery": "Nike"
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 200,
  "searchQuery": "Nike"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.01734 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $1.73 |
| 1,000 results | $17.34 |
| 10,000 results | $173.40 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Google Ads Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/google-ads-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Google Ads Transparency Center through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/google-ads-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that the advertiser name or domain is spelled correctly and that the advertiser has active ads in the Transparency Center. Try a well-known brand like 'Nike' to test.

**The Actor returns fewer ads than I expected.**

Some advertisers run only a small number of ads. Try removing the region filter to see all ads globally, or increase the max items limit.

**I get an error when using a direct URL.**

Make sure the URL is a valid Google Ads Transparency Center advertiser page, starting with 'https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/'.

**The run is slow with Skip Details off.**

Fetching detailed targeting and regional stats for each ad takes extra time. Enable Skip Details if you only need the ad list and creatives.

**Can I use both a search query and a start URL?**

No. The search query and start URL inputs are mutually exclusive. Use one or the other, not both in the same run.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a Google Ads API key? | No. This Actor reads the public Google Ads Transparency Center, so no developer token, OAuth, or API key is required. |
| Can I scrape ads for any advertiser? | Yes, as long as the advertiser has ads listed in the Google Ads Transparency Center. You can search by name or domain, or paste a direct URL. |
| What data does each ad row include? | Each row returns the ad creative text, format, targeting signals, regional stats, and ad variations. The exact fields are shown in the sample output on the Actor's page. |
| How do I filter ads by country? | Use the Region input to select a country like United States or Germany. The Actor will return only ads shown in that region. |
| What is the Skip Details option? | When enabled, the Actor skips fetching detailed targeting, regional stats, and ad variations. This makes the run faster but returns less data per ad. |
| Can I scrape ads by keyword? | The search input finds advertisers by name, not by keyword. To collect ads for a topic, search for brands in that space or use a domain search. |
| How many ads can I collect per run? | You can set a maximum of up to 1,000,000 ads per run. The Actor stops when it reaches that number or when no more ads are available. |
| What export formats are supported? | You can export your dataset to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify platform. |
| Does this work for video and image ads? | Yes. The Actor collects the ad format field, which indicates whether the ad is text, image, or video, and includes the creative content. |
| Can I schedule this Actor to run daily? | Yes. Apify supports scheduled runs, so you can collect new ads for an advertiser or domain on a recurring basis. |

### Related actors

- [google-search-scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/google-search-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp): Use this to scrape Google Search results pages, including paid search ads and organic listings.

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google LLC. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrl` (type: `string`):

Google Ads Transparency Center URL for an advertiser. Example: https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many ads to collect per run.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Search an advertiser by name. The first matching advertiser will be used to fetch ads.

## `domain` (type: `string`):

Search ads by website domain. Returns ads from all advertisers using this domain. Example: nike.com

## `region` (type: `string`):

Filter ads shown in a specific country or region.

## `skipDetails` (type: `boolean`):

When enabled, skips fetching detailed information (targeting, region stats, ad variations) for each ad. Faster but returns less data.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "searchQuery": "Nike",
  "region": "",
  "skipDetails": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "searchQuery": "Nike"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/google-ads-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "searchQuery": "Nike",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/google-ads-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "searchQuery": "Nike"
}' |
apify call parseforge/google-ads-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/google-ads-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/zRHwXusZ657Infhij/builds/6O8vIM4EK48WS0bFH/openapi.json