How to Find TikTok Ads

Finding examples of great TikTok ads can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but it's one of the best ways to understand what’s actually working on the platform. This guide will show you exactly where to look for your competitors' ads and how to pull inspiration for your own. We’ll cover everything from finding ads organically in your feed to mastering TikTok's own powerful ad library.

Why You Should Be Looking for TikTok Ads

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." Spending a little time on ad research isn't just about seeing what your direct competitors are doing, it’s about absorbing the language of the platform to make your own content better. Here’s what you gain:

• Competitive Intelligence: See the exact offers, messaging, and creative formats your competitors are putting money behind. This tells you what they believe is working.
• Creative Inspiration: Feeling stuck? Watching a dozen ads in your niche is one of the fastest ways to get ideas for hooks, video styles, and calls-to-action (CTAs).
• Trend Spotting: Ads often signal where the market is headed. You can identify trending sounds, editing styles, and caption formats that are converting viewers into customers.
• Understanding Ad Formats: You get a practical education on what User-Generated Content (UGC), high-production, and "lo-fi" ad styles look like in the wild and how they perform differently.

Method 1: Finding Ads Organically in Your "For You" Page

The simplest way to find ads is to let them find you. The TikTok algorithm is constantly trying to show you things it thinks you’ll be interested in, including sponsored posts. While this method is less targeted than using an ad library, it’s great for getting a pulse on what real users are seeing. Here's how to do it effectively.

Step 1: Train Your Algorithm

Your "For You" page is a reflection of your interests. To start seeing ads relevant to your business, you need to signal to the algorithm what you care about. Don't just scroll passively - engage intentionally.

• Follow Competitors & Industry Accounts: Find and follow your direct competitors and other major brands in your industry. This is a strong signal of interest.
• Search for Niche Hashtags: Use the search bar for terms related to your product or service (e.g., #skincare, #booktok, #projectmanagement, #SaaS). Watch and engage with the top videos.
• Like, Comment, and Save: When you see a video (organic or sponsored) that’s relevant to your business space, give it a like or a comment. Use the "Save" feature for videos you find particularly interesting.

After a day or two of this focused engagement, your "For You" page will start to fill up with content - and ads - tailored to your business interests.

Step 2: Know How to Spot the Ads

TikTok is designed to make ads feel like native content, so you have to be on the lookout. As you're scrolling, pay attention to the bottom-left corner of the screen, right above the username.

Sponsored posts will have a small, often subtle label that says "Sponsored" or "Promoted." You'll also almost always see a clickable call-to-action button, like "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Sign Up."

Pro Tip: Once you find an ad, watch it multiple times and click the CTA button (even if you don't complete the action on their site). This tells TikTok you’re very interested in this type of content, and it will likely start showing you more ads like it.

Step 3: Create a "Swipe File" of Ads You Like

Don’t let your research go to waste. When you see an ad that catches your eye, save it immediately. You can use TikTok's built-in "Favorites" feature to create collections.

Organize your saved ads into categories for easy reference later. For example, you could create collections like:

• Great Hooks: Ads with an amazing first three seconds.
• UGC Inspo: Authentic, user-generated-style ads.
• Strong CTAs: Ads with a clear and compelling call-to-action.
• Competitor [Competitor Name]: A dedicated collection for each of your main rivals.

Your swipe file will quickly become an invaluable resource when you're brainstorming your next campaign.

Method 2: Using the Official TikTok Creative Center (The Ad Library)

If scrolling and waiting for ads feels too slow, then TikTok’s own Creative Center is your best friend. This is an official, free tool designed to give advertisers and marketers transparency into what's running on the platform. It's the most powerful way to conduct detailed ad research.

Step 1: Navigate to the TikTok Creative Center

You can find this tool with a quick search for "TikTok Creative Center." Once you are on the homepage, look for the main navigation menu and find the section labeled "Inspiration." Inside that section, you'll see a link to "Top Ads Dashboard." This is TikTok’s Ad Library.

Step 2: Master the Filtering Options

The real power of the Ad Library lies in its filtering capabilities. A blank search will show you the most popular ads from around the world, but you'll want to narrow things down significantly. Here are the filters that matter most:

Region

This is the first filter you should set. Choose the country or countries where your target audience lives. The ads running in the United States can be very different from those in the United Kingdom or Australia.

Industry

Next, narrow down the results by industry. TikTok offers dozens of categories, from "Apparel & Accessories" and "Beauty & Personal Care" to "Finance" and "Education." Selecting your industry ensures you’re seeing the most relevant examples.

Campaign Objective

This filter is fantastic for strategy research. It lets you find ads based on what the advertiser was trying to achieve. The most common objectives include:

• Conversions: Ads designed to drive sales or leads. Perfect for e-commerce and lead-gen research.
• App Installs: Essential if you're marketing a mobile app.
• Reach: For finding brands focused on pure brand awareness.
• Video Views: Useful for seeing top-of-funnel content designed for broad engagement.

Timeframe

Want to see what's fresh? You can filter for ads that have been launched in the "Last 7 Days" or "Last 30 Days." This is perfect for spotting new trends and campaigns. You can also look at a broader timeframe to see what campaigns have had real staying power.

Keywords and Brand Names

Finally, use the search bar to look for ads from a specific brand or containing certain keywords. Just type in a competitor’s name to see everything they’ve been running recently. Or, search for keywords related to your product like “CRM software” or “protein powder” to get a landscape view of the ads in your space.

Step 3: Analyze the Top Performers

After you apply your filters, sort the results by "Likes," "Comments," or "Shares" to see which ads are resonating the most with users. Click on any ad to see key details like the caption, when it was first seen, landing page URL, and performance metrics. Take note of what the most successful ads have in common - you’ll likely start seeing patterns in a matter of minutes.

What to Analyze When You Find a Good Ad

Finding ads is only half the battle. To turn your research into action, you need to break down what makes an ad effective. The next time you see a great ad, don't just save it - dissect it. Ask yourself these five questions:

1. What is the hook? The first three seconds are everything on TikTok. How does the ad grab attention? Is it a bold on-screen text, an interesting visual, a problem presented as a question, or a surprising statement?
2. What is the creative style? Is the ad a polished, high-production commercial, or does it look more like organic, lo-fi content filmed on a phone? User-Generated Content (UGC) is wildly popular on TikTok because it feels authentic and less like a traditional ad. Notice what styles are dominating your industry.
3. What is the angle? The angle is the core message of the ad. Is it focusing on a pain point (e.g., “Tired of your headphones falling out?”), a unique feature, a transformation story (before and after), or a discount or special offer?
4. What sound are they using? Is it a trending audio clip, a popular song, or a custom voiceover explaining the product? Sound is a critical component of TikTok. An effective ad uses audio to enhance its message, not just as background noise.
5. What is the call-to-action (CTA)? What specific action does the ad want the viewer to take? Is it "Shop Now," "Download," "Learn More," or something else? Note both the button text and how the creator tells the viewer what to do in the video itself.

Final Thoughts

By using your "For You" page strategically and mastering the TikTok Creative Center, you can build a powerful system for competitor research and creative inspiration. Analyzing ads based on their hook, creative style, messaging, sound, and CTA will give you a repeatable framework for producing much more effective TikTok content yourself.

All this research is fantastic for sparking ideas, but turning inspiration into an actual content plan is where the real work begins. At Postbase, we designed our platform specifically for the needs of modern social media managers who are tired of wrestling with outdated tools. Our visual planning calendar and native scheduling for short-form video make it incredibly easy to take great ad concepts and plan a full campaign across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. We make sure your great ideas actually make it out into the world, on time, every time.