How to Download Ads from Facebook Ad Library

Saving an ad you spotted in the Facebook Ad Library isn't as simple as right-clicking, but it’s a necessary skill for any performance marketer, agency owner, or social media manager. This guide walks you through the exact methods, manual workarounds, and browser tools you can use to download ad creatives for your swipe file, competitive analysis, or inspiration board. You'll learn how to get high-quality versions of both images and videos without the fuss.

Why You Should Build an Ad Swipe File

Before getting into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." A well-organized swipe file isn't just a collection of ads, it's a strategic asset. By saving top-performing ads from competitors and industry leaders, you give yourself a powerful reference library for your own creative process. It helps you:

• Spot and Analyze Trends: See what visuals, hooks, and messaging formats are working right now. Are user-generated content (UGC) videos dominating your niche? Are bold, graphic-heavy images making a comeback? Your swipe file will tell you.
• Deconstruct High-Converting Copy: Save ads with compelling headlines, body text, and calls-to-action (CTAs). By studying what others are doing successfully, you can learn to write copy that resonates more deeply with your target audience. You can analyze their pain points, the solutions they offer, and the emotional triggers they use.
• Fuel Your Creative Brainstorming: Nothing cures a creative block like a fresh source of inspiration. When you’re stuck on what to test next, scrolling through your curated swipe file can spark new ideas for angles, formats, and offers. See a unique carousel format or a clever video intro? Save it.
• Track Competitor Strategy: A swipe file allows you to monitor your competitors' long-term advertising strategies. You can see how they change their messaging over time, which products they promote most heavily, and what kinds of offers they use for holidays or seasonal events.

In short, building a swipe file is about working smarter, not harder. You’re leveraging billions of dollars in ad spend from other companies to inform your own campaigns.

The Manual Approach: Screenshots and Screen Recordings

Let’s start with the most straightforward method. It doesn't require any special tools or technical skills - just the features already built into your computer. While it might not give you the original source file, it's perfect for quickly capturing an ad's look and feel.

Saving Image Ads

For static images, a simple screenshot is often all you need. The goal is to get a clean capture of the ad creative without any distracting browser elements.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Navigate to the Facebook Ad Library.
2. Use the search bar to find the advertiser's page you want to analyze.
3. Filter the results until you find the specific image ad you're interested in. Click "See ad details" to view it more closely.
4. Use your computer’s built-in snipping tool for a precise screenshot.
   • On Windows: Press Win + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool. Drag a rectangle around the ad creative to capture it. The image is automatically copied to your clipboard.
   • On Mac: Press Cmd + Shift + 4. Your cursor will turn into a crosshair. Drag a rectangle around the ad to save a screenshot to your desktop.

This method is fast and easy, perfect for grabbing a single image for a presentation or mood board. The main drawback is that the resolution is limited to what’s displayed on your screen.

Saving Video Ads

For video ads, the manual equivalent of a screenshot is a screen recording. This captures the ad exactly as a user would see it, complete with motion and in-video text.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Find the video ad in the Ad Library that you want to save.
2. Prepare the video by getting it ready to play.
3. Open your computer's screen recording software.
   • On Windows: Press Win + G to open the Xbox Game Bar. The record button is in the "Capture" pane.
   • On Mac: Open the QuickTime Player app. Go to File >, New Screen Recording.
4. Start the recording, then immediately play the video ad in the Ad Library.
5. Once the video ad is finished, stop the recording and save the file.

The biggest benefit here is that you capture the full ad experience. However, the quality can be a bit lower than the original file, and you might accidentally record your cursor or other on-screen elements.

Going Deeper: Using Browser Developer Tools to Download Ads

If you want a high-quality, direct download of the original video or image file, the browser developer tools are your best friend. This method might look a bit intimidating with all the code, but it's a series of simple steps that anyone can follow. Don't worry, you don't need to actually understand the code to make this work.

Step-by-Step Guide for Downloading Video Ads

This is the most reliable way to get an MP4 file of a video ad directly from Facebook's servers.

1. Find the video ad in the Ad Library and click to have it start playing.
2. Right-click directly on the playing video and select "Inspect" from the dropdown menu. This will open the Developer Tools panel, likely docked to the side or bottom of your browser window.
3. In the Developer Tools window, you'll see a lot of HTML code. You can ignore most of it. Because you right-clicked on the video, the correct line of code should already be highlighted. Look for a tag that starts with <,video....
4. Within that <,video>, tag, look for an attribute called src="[some long URL]". The URL inside the quotation marks is the direct link to the video file.
5. Double-click the URL to highlight it, then copy it to your clipboard (Ctrl + C or Cmd + C).
6. Open a new browser tab and paste the URL into the address bar (Ctrl + V or Cmd + V), then press Enter.
7. The video will appear by itself on a black background. Now, just right-click on the video and choose "Save video as...". You can now save the MP4 file directly to your computer.

What About Image Ads?

The process for images is very similar, though sometimes Facebook's code can make it a little trickier to find the right link.

1. Find the image ad you want in the Library.
2. Right-click on the image and choose "Inspect."
3. Look for the highlighted line of code. It will usually be an <,img...>, tag.
4. Find the src="[URL]" attribute within that tag. Copy the URL.
5. Paste it into a new tab, press Enter, and then right-click to "Save image as...".

Occasionally, Facebook uses complex CSS to display images as backgrounds, which can make finding the src link tougher. If you can't find it on the <,img>, tag, the simple screenshot method is often a reliable fallback.

The Easiest Route: Browser Extensions Built for Ad Spying

While the developer tools method is powerful, it can feel a bit repetitive if you’re saving dozens of ads. For maximum efficiency, many marketers turn to browser extensions designed specifically for this purpose.

These tools add a simple "Download" button directly onto ads in the Facebook Ad Library, streamlining the entire process into a single click. A quick search on the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons store for "Facebook ad downloader" or "Ad Library downloader" will yield several popular options.

A Quick Word of Caution: Be mindful when installing any browser extension. Always choose well-reviewed, reputable additions to protect your privacy and security. Read recent reviews to make sure the tool is still actively maintained and works with the latest version of Facebook.

Extensions are perfect for marketers who need to build a large swipe file quickly and efficiently. Just be aware that when Facebook updates its website structure, these tools can sometimes break temporarily until the developer publishes an update.

Best Practices for Organizing Your Ad Swipe File

Downloading ads is just the first step. To make your collection truly useful, you need a smart organization system. A folder full of randomly named files won’t do you much good a month from now. Here’s how to create a system that works:

• Establish a Clear Naming Convention: This is the foundation of an organized swipe file. A good format includes the brand, the product or offer, the ad’s main angle, and the date. For example:
  Nike_AirMax_UGC-Testimonial_2024-10-26.mp4
Allbirds_TreeRunners_Comfort-Angle_2024-10-25.png
• Use Cloud Storage and Folders: Save your files in a cloud service like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Notion. This lets you access your swipe file from any device and share it with your team. Create top-level folders for different categories you care about, such as:
  • By Industry (e.g., SaaS, E-commerce, Local Business)
  • By Ad Format (e.g., Video, Carousel, Image)
  • By Marketing Angle (e.g., Problem/Solution, Testimonial, Benefit-Driven)
• Create a Companion Database or Spreadsheet: Take your organization to the next level by tracking your saved ads in a spreadsheet. This lets you add metadata and notes that aren’t visible in the file name. Include columns for:
  • Filename
  • Link to Ad in Library
  • Brand Name
  • The Hook / Headline
  • The Call-to-Action Text
  • Brief Notes (e.g., "Love the fast cuts in the first 3 seconds," "Great example of a social proof-heavy headline")

A well-organized system transforms your collection of ads from simple clutter into a searchable, strategic, and endlessly inspiring creative resource.

Final Thoughts

Building a swipe file from the Facebook Ad Library is a powerful way to stay on top of creative trends and learn from the competition. Whether you use simple screen recordings, browser developer tools, or dedicated extensions, saving ads for analysis can give your own marketing a serious edge.

Once we've gathered all that inspiration, the next step is turning it into a consistent content strategy. That's where having a clear visual planner comes in. We built Postbase because we were tired of wrestling with outdated tools, we just wanted a simple, visual calendar to plan campaigns, schedule our posts reliably (especially Reels and TikToks), and see everything at a glance without the headache. It helps us take those swipe file ideas and put them into action.