Digital political advertising is increasingly transparent thanks to public ad libraries. This guide explains how to turn those libraries into evidence.
What ad libraries provide
Major platforms publish searchable archives of political ads including the ad content, the funding entity, spend ranges, and audience/targeting summaries.
Step 1 — Define the question
Are you researching a specific advertiser, a claim, spending patterns, or targeting? A precise question shapes which fields matter.
Step 2 — Search the libraries
Use the Meta Ad Library and Google Ads Transparency Center to find ads by page, advertiser, or keyword.
Step 3 — Extract and structure
Record advertiser, funding entity, spend, impressions, dates, and targeting into a spreadsheet. Bulk data is available via the associated datasets.
Step 4 — Analyze
Look for patterns: sudden spend spikes, near-identical ads across many pages, or mismatches between the funder's name and its apparent backers.
Step 5 — Preserve and cite
Archive ad pages and cite the transparency source for every claim.
Limitations
Coverage, definitions of "political," and data granularity vary by platform and country. Note these caveats in your findings.