competitor-ad-teardown

Competitor Ad Teardown (Meta Ad Library)

Analyze competitor paid social creatives via Appeeky Meta Ad Library integration. Produce a swipe file of patterns and hooks — not a copy-paste kit.

Research before you generate. The best first batch mirrors proven formats with your unique positioning.

Initial Assessment

1. Read app-ads-context.md — your app, category, geo
2. Identify 1–3 competitors (direct + aspirational)
3. Confirm read-only Ad Library access (Appeeky API key; optional X-Meta-Ad-Library-Token)

What You Can Learn (and Cannot)

Can learn	Cannot learn
Active creative formats	Exact spend / ROAS
Hook patterns and angles	Which ad "wins" internally
Long-running ads (proxy for profit)	Full funnel CVR
Platform mix (FB, IG, etc.)	Audience targeting details (limited)
CTA and copy structure	Proprietary assets to steal

Long-running active ads (30+ days) are the strongest signal — competitors rarely keep losers live.

Data Sources (Appeeky MCP)

Tool	Use when
meta_app_ad_intelligence	You have competitor App Store / Play ID
meta_ads_search	Keyword or brand name search
meta_ads_page_ads	You know Facebook Page ID

See appeeky-meta-ads.md.

Workflow

Step 1 — Identify Target

Input	Example
Competitor app name	"Calm"
Apple App ID	571800810
Google package	com.competitor.app
Facebook Page ID	If known from prior search

Pull organic context from aso-skills competitor-analysis if available — aligns ASO vs paid positioning.

Step 2 — Fetch Ad Intelligence (by app)

Best starting point — resolves app → brand → Ad Library:

meta_app_ad_intelligence
  app_id: "571800810"
  platform: "apple"
  country: "us"
  status: "ACTIVE"
  media_type: "ALL"
  limit: 25

Google Play:

meta_app_ad_intelligence
  app_id: "com.competitor.app"
  platform: "google"
  country: "us"
  lang: "en"
  limit: 25

Override search terms if brand name differs from app title:

meta_app_ad_intelligence
  app_id: "571800810"
  platform: "apple"
  query: "Calm meditation sleep"

Step 3 — Search by Keyword or Page

Keyword search:

meta_ads_search
  query: "Calm meditation"
  countries: "US"
  status: "ACTIVE"
  media_type: "ALL"
  limit: 25

Page-specific:

meta_ads_page_ads
  page_id: "<facebook-page-id>"
  countries: "US"
  status: "ACTIVE"
  limit: 25

Paginate with after cursor if limit exhausted.

Step 4 — Analyze Each Ad

For top 10–15 ads (prioritize long-running + diverse formats):

Dimension	What to extract
Hook	First line of primary text / video opening
Format	Video / static / carousel / meme
Angle	Problem, social proof, offer, fear, aspiration
Visual	UGC, studio, screenshot, before/after
CTA	Install, Learn more, Sign up
Runtime	ad_delivery_start_time → today
Platforms	Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network
Seasonality	Holiday, back-to-school, New Year

Step 5 — Pattern Summary

Cluster ads into 3–5 patterns. Count frequency.

Step 6 — Translate to Your Variants

Map gaps to ad-creative-variants matrix — angles competitors don't use are opportunities.

Analysis Framework

Hook Taxonomy

Type	Signal words	Example
Problem	"Tired of", "Still", "Can't"	"Still can't focus?"
Outcome	"Get", "Finally", "In X days"	"Sleep better in 7 nights"
Social proof	"Join", "million", "#1"	"Join 10M+ users"
Curiosity	"This", "Why", "Secret"	"This app fixed my mornings"
Identity	"For [persona]"	"For busy moms"
Offer	"Free", "Trial", "% off"	"7-day free trial"

Format Taxonomy

Format	Scroll-stop mechanism	Your Appeeky preset mapping
UGC phone	Authenticity	person_holding_phone + ugc
Split problem/solution	Contrast	problem_solution_split
Testimonial quote	Trust	creator_testimonial
Clean product shot	Premium	clean_app_store_mockup
Video demo	Motion proof	tiktok-creative-strategy (not static API)

Longevity Scoring

Days active	Interpretation
< 7	Testing — weak signal
7–30	Promising — watch
30–90	Likely working
90+	Core evergreen creative

REST API Equivalents

# App intelligence
GET /v1/apps/:id/ad-intelligence?platform=apple&country=us

# Search
GET /v1/ads/meta/search?query=Calm&countries=US&status=ACTIVE

# Page ads
GET /v1/ads/meta/pages/:pageId/ads?countries=US

Headers: Authorization: Bearer <appeeky-key>; optional X-Meta-Ad-Library-Token.

Output Template

# Competitor Ad Teardown — [Competitor Name]

**App ID:** [id]  |  **Platform:** apple  |  **Ads analyzed:** N active
**Date:** [date]  |  **Geo filter:** US

## Executive Summary
[2–3 sentences: what they lean on, what's missing, your opportunity]

## Top Patterns

### 1. [Pattern Name] — X of N ads
- **Format:** Video / static / carousel
- **Angle:** Problem / proof / offer
- **Typical hook:** "..."
- **Why it works:** [hypothesis]
- **Example library ID:** [id]

### 2. [Pattern Name] — X of N ads
...

## Hook Swipe File

| Hook (paraphrased) | Type | Format | Days live | Platforms |
|--------------------|------|--------|-----------|-----------|
| | Problem | Video | 90+ | IG, FB |
| | Social proof | Static | 45 | FB |

## Visual Patterns
- Dominant: [UGC / studio / screenshot]
- On-image text: [heavy / minimal]
- Brand colors: [notes]

## Platform Mix
| Platform | % of ads |
|----------|----------|
| Instagram | |
| Facebook | |
| Audience Network | |

## Gaps & Opportunities
- **Angles they avoid:** [list]
- **Formats underused:** [e.g. before/after]
- **Weak CTAs to beat:** [generic "Learn more"]
- **Geo gaps:** [EU vs US creative differences]

## Recommended Variants for Us
→ Run `ad-creative-variants` with:

| Variant | Angle (inspired by, not copied) | Style / Preset |
|---------|--------------------------------|----------------|
| A | [your problem hook] | problem_solution / split |
| B | [your UGC angle] | ugc / person_holding_phone |
| C | [gap they miss] | professional / mockup |

## Ethical Use Reminder
- Inspire format and structure — never copy exact copy/visuals
- Do not present competitor ads as your own

Multi-Competitor Comparison

When analyzing 2–3 competitors:

Pattern	Comp A	Comp B	Comp C	You
UGC video	✅ Heavy	⚠️ Some	❌ None	?
Before/after	❌	✅ Heavy	❌	Opportunity
Free trial CTA	✅	✅	⚠️	Match

TikTok Competitor Research (manual)

No TikTok Ad Library API in Appeeky yet:

1. TikTok Creative Center → Top Ads by industry
2. Search #[competitor] and "[competitor] ad" on TikTok
3. Document in same teardown template under TikTok appendix
4. Feed hooks into tiktok-creative-strategy

Benchmarks (category signals)

Signal	Saturated market	Open opportunity
Same hook in 80%+ ads	Parity required + differentiation
Video dominance	Need video channel (TikTok/Meta video)	Static may still work if others ignore
No static ads		Static 1024 via meta-ad-creative
Heavy offer ads	Trial/price in your copy	Brand/outcome angle unused

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Copying hooks verbatim	Paraphrase; adapt to your listing
Analyzing inactive ads only	Filter status: ACTIVE
One competitor only	Compare 2–3 for pattern confidence
Ignoring ad age	Weight long-running ads higher
Research without action	Always output variant recommendations
Skipping your own listing	Generate only after teardown → variants plan

Ethical & Legal Use

• Inspire, don't infringe — formats and categories are fair game; assets and exact copy are not
• Paraphrase all hooks in swipe file
• Use competitor ads for internal strategy only
• When showing user examples, label clearly as competitor ad with source

Pre-Teardown Checklist

- [ ] Competitor app IDs confirmed
- [ ] Geo filter matches your launch market
- [ ] meta_app_ad_intelligence or search returned results
- [ ] 10+ ads analyzed (or documented if fewer exist)
- [ ] Patterns counted and ranked
- [ ] Variant recommendations mapped to ad-creative-variants
- [ ] Ethical use note included in output

Related Skills

• ad-creative-variants — build counter-creatives from teardown
• meta-ad-creative — single creative from your listing
• tiktok-creative-strategy — video format selection
• meta-campaign-setup — deploy after creatives ready
• aso-skills competitor-analysis — organic/ASO side
• aso-skills competitor-tracking — ongoing monitoring
• app-ads-context — your positioning vs findings