Where can I find competitor ads?
You can find competitor ads in four places: the Meta Ads Library (free, searchable by page name or keyword), Instagram's own "About this account" transparency tab, third-party ad intelligence platforms such as Elixon (elixon.ai), and organic content libraries that score engagement across industries. Each source shows a different layer — active ad creatives, audience signals, and what organic content is outperforming paid.
- Meta Ads Library is free and shows every active ad a Facebook or Instagram page is running, filterable by country and date.
- Organic content libraries reveal which hooks and formats earn the highest engagement before a brand puts spend behind them.
- AI ad intelligence platforms combine competitor ad tracking with creative scoring, saving research time for paid-social teams.
- Elixon tracks competitors by Instagram handle and Meta Ads Library URL, then scores content with an Elixon Opportunity Score out of 100.
- For a side-by-side comparison of tools and pricing, see Elixon vs 19 ad-intelligence tools.
| Account | Likes | Comments | Engagement rate | Score | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @levis | 17,799 | 229 | 0.2% | 99 (Diamond) | Inspired by the artwork, graphics, and lyrics that make The Smashing Pumpkins unmistakeable. Levi's®… |
| @blogilates | 17,190 | 19,323 | 1.2% | 99 (Diamond) | P R B O X G I V E A W A Y 📦 If you want to be 1 of 5 people to receive a PR box from my unreleased … |
| @ebaylive | 16,780 | 58 | – | 99 (Diamond) | How much would you spend to become your favorite character? 🤑 |
| @starbucks | 16,719 | 205 | 0.10% | 99 (Diamond) | Americano lovers, this one's for you. The NEW Aerocano, a velvety aerated take on the Americano, a… |
| @maccosmetics | 17,201 | 549 | 0.08% | 99 (Diamond) | On-the-go glam for the chronically late. @tinistoessel in our new Studio Radiance Skin Tint Stick. V… |
| @dermatologysurgeon | 17,214 | 299 | 3.5% | 99 (Diamond) | 10/10 habits for thicker hair & more growth from a derm 🙋🏾♀️ #thickerhair #hairgrowthtips #drugst… |
| @glossier | 18,008 | 276 | 0.6% | 99 (Diamond) | Meet our Holiday Collection! Mini fragrances, a juicy lip duo, and new Toasty Nuts and Just Baked Ba… |
| @louisvuitton | 16,291 | 123 | 0.03% | 99 (Diamond) | LV Ski Collection. A vintage sporting sensibility finds renewed allure in Monogram Reflective, its t… |
What does the data say about which competitor content actually works?
In Elixon's Content Library sample of 8 cross-industry Instagram posts from 8 accounts (2026-10-26), every post earned a Diamond-tier Elixon Opportunity Score of 99/100, with combined likes of 137,202. That pattern across fashion, beauty, fitness, food, e-commerce, and luxury suggests that the highest-performing hooks share a structural trait: they address a specific, named audience or trigger a self-identification reflex immediately.
Comment volume varied far more than likes. @blogilates generated 19,323 comments against 17,190 likes — the highest comment-to-like ratio in the sample — driven by a giveaway mechanic that required participation. @dermatologysurgeon reached a 3.5% engagement rate, the highest in the sample, using a credentialed expert sharing a personal story in list format. These two approaches — participation mechanics and authority-led education — are worth isolating when you audit a competitor's content library.
Which hook styles appear most in top-performing competitor content?
Three hook patterns dominate this sample. First, direct audience address: @starbucks opened with "Americano lovers, this one's for you" — naming a subgroup so specifically that members feel the post was made for them. Second, identity humor: @maccosmetics used "On-the-go glam for the chronically late," a phrase millions already use to describe themselves, which lowers the friction of engagement.
"P R B O X G I V E A W A Y 📦 If you want to be 1 of 5 people to receive a PR box from my unreleased…" — @blogilates on Instagram
Third, exclusivity and scarcity: the @blogilates hook above signals insider status ("PR box"), limits access ("1 of 5"), and withholds a detail ("unreleased") — three tension-building devices in one sentence. When you find a competitor post with this structure, it is worth noting the comment CTA they use beneath it, because that is where the conversion mechanism sits.
How do you turn competitor ad research into a creative brief?
Start with the Meta Ads Library to confirm which creatives a competitor is actively spending on. Then cross-reference their organic Instagram content — accounts often test hooks organically before scaling them as paid ads. @glossier's holiday collection hook used sensory language ("juicy," "Toasty Nuts," "Just Baked") that maps directly to paid ad copy patterns for e-commerce product launches.
Once you have identified the hook structure and format that is working for a competitor, use those signals to brief your own creative. Elixon's Content Library covers 70+ industry categories, so you can benchmark against accounts outside your direct competitive set and find patterns your competitors have not discovered yet. For a full list of tools that support this workflow, the best competitor ad tracking tools in 2026 covers pricing and feature comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Meta Ads Library enough on its own?
Meta Ads Library shows you active creatives but not engagement signals or scoring. Pairing it with an organic content library gives you the fuller picture of what is resonating before budget is applied.
Can I track competitors on Instagram specifically, not just Facebook?
Yes. Meta Ads Library covers both Facebook and Instagram placements under the same search. Elixon also tracks competitors by Instagram handle directly, alongside their Meta Ads Library URL.
How quickly can I start monitoring a competitor?
With Elixon, a 3-day free trial (from $59/month) includes 4 competitor scans, so you can have your first competitor report within minutes of signing up. A $10 pay-as-you-go option requires no subscription.
Data: Elixon Content Library — 8 Instagram posts from 8 accounts across Fashion, Fitness, Food & Beverage, Beauty, E-commerce, and Luxury, engagement measured 2026-10-26. Organic engagement, not ad spend.
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