Use Google Ads Transparency Creative Lookup by Domain with Python
Look up an advertiser's live and recent Google ads by landing-page domain or advertiser ID, with ad format, preview creative, and first/last shown dates, filterable by region, platform, and date.
1. Choose the data you need
Review the published README for supported collection modes, examples, and limits. The recipe below uses the current published input definition.
2. Prepare a source-based input
This JSON contains published prefills and required-field defaults. Review every value for your task before running it; it is not a promise of successful collection.
{
"adFormat": "ALL",
"includeDetails": false,
"maxItems": 3,
"maxItemsPerTerm": 0,
"mode": "search",
"platform": "ALL",
"region": "US",
"searchTerms": [
"nike.com"
]
}
Download input.example.json and save your reviewed copy as input.json.
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
mode | string | required | Search individual ads, or build one row per advertiser for a domain/brand (ad-check). |
searchTerms | array | optional | Examples: `nike.com`, `Nike`, `AR16735076323512287233`, or an `adstransparency.google.com` URL. Brand names are resolved to the brand's website first. |
region | string | optional | Country/market to search. `Anywhere` searches all regions. |
adFormat | string | optional | Restrict to one creative format. |
platform | string | optional | Restrict to one Google surface. Platform filtering applies to ads shown from September 2023 onward. |
dateFrom | string | optional | Only ads shown on or after this date. Leave empty for no lower bound. |
dateTo | string | optional | Only ads shown on or before this date. Leave empty for no upper bound. |
maxItems | integer | optional | Total records to return across all search terms. |
maxItemsPerTerm | integer | optional | Optional per-term cap. Set to 0 for no per-term cap. |
includeDetails | boolean | optional | Fetch every creative's variants, per-country run dates, EU impression ranges, targeting, advertiser identity, and any available ad copy. Adds one or two requests per ad. |
3. Start an Actor run
Set APIFY_TOKEN in your environment. Python 3.10 or newer is sufficient; this recipe uses no third-party packages.
Execution may incur charges. Review current pricing on Apify. The request asks for a 120-second timeout and a charge limit; these settings are subject to Apify’s pricing and do not guarantee an all-inclusive spending cap.
import json
import os
import urllib.request
# Save the schema-derived example as input.json; review and edit it first.
with open("input.json", encoding="utf-8") as stream:
actor_input = json.load(stream)
token = os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"]
request = urllib.request.Request(
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/RY95C50o6LTAaUcaH/runs?timeout=120&maxTotalChargeUsd=0.50",
data=json.dumps(actor_input).encode("utf-8"),
headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + token, "Content-Type": "application/json"},
method="POST",
)
# This starts a potentially billable run. Do not automatically retry this POST.
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=40) as response:
run = json.load(response)["data"]
print("Run ID:", run["id"])
print("Status:", run["status"])
# Inspect and download results in Apify Console once the run succeeds.
4. Inspect the actual results
Open the run in Apify Console and wait for a successful completion. Use the published output schema to locate results and the dataset schema to understand declared views. Missing or optional record fields must not be treated as guaranteed values.
Ad creatives and advertiser summaries from Google Ads Transparency Center: identity, formats, run dates, variants, per-country reach, EU impressions, and targeting.
Questions before you run
Which inputs are required?
The published required fields are mode
What does this guide verify?
The fields, prefills, and schema links are rendered from the published build. This is a usage recipe, not a paid live extraction test. Source availability and collection results can vary.
What if the run request times out?
Check Apify Console before retrying. The first request may already have created a run. Do not automatically repeat a run-creation POST.
Generated from source build QYKqbZf5c4yCTduA0 and its README and schemas. Source changes regenerate this guide; no third-party editorial claims are inferred.