Ad Library reverse search: find ads from an image
How to do a reverse image search on Facebook and Instagram ads: start from a picture and find every active ad in the Meta Ad Library that uses it.
An Ad Library reverse search starts from a picture and finds the ads that use it. The Meta Ad Library doesn't offer one, and Google's reverse image search doesn't cover ads. Squinto does: drop in an image and get the active Facebook and Instagram ads that show the same product.
How to reverse search ads
- Open Squinto.
- Drop in the image: a product photo, an ad screenshot, a store picture.
- Drag a box over the product and press Squint.
You get the active ads from the Meta Ad Library that show it, ranked by match, with the advertiser and how long each ad has been running. The first search is free, with no account.
Why Google Lens isn't a reverse ad search
Google Lens and other reverse image search tools search the open web: store pages, marketplaces, images on websites. Ads in the Meta Ad Library aren't in those results. A reverse image search on a product finds where it's sold. An ad reverse search finds who is advertising it.
What people use reverse ad search for
- Product research: is this product already being advertised, by how many stores, and for how long?
- Competitor research: find stores advertising the same product, including ones you've never heard of.
- Finding an ad you saw: you have a screenshot, not the advertiser's name.
- Checking your photos: see whether other advertisers use your product pictures.
Tips
- Box the product only, not the whole screenshot.
- One product per search.
- A clear picture gives better matches than a tiny or blurry one.
Limits
- Only active ads are searched.
- Only ads in the Meta Ad Library: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network.
Questions
Is there a reverse image search for Facebook ads? Not from Meta. Squinto adds one on top of the public Meta Ad Library.
Does it work for Instagram ads? Yes, Instagram ads are in the same Ad Library.
Does it find ads in other countries and languages? Yes. It searches active ads in every country, whatever the language of the ad.
Related: Search the Meta Ad Library by image · Search ads by image · Find an ad from a screenshot