The Meta Ad Library lets you watch a video ad, not keep it. This guide is for marketers building a swipe file or studying a competitor. For ads in general, see how to download ads from the Meta Ad Library.
Can you download a video from the Facebook Ad Library?
Not with a button. The Meta Ad Library has no download option for video ads, and each ad’s … menu only offers Copy Ad Link. Its API doesn’t return video files either, so you have to save the video from the page or use its file link.
How do I save one ad’s video?
Right-click the video and choose Save video as, if Chrome offers it. It works on some ads, not all, and saves one video at a time.
- Find the ad in the Ad Library and click See ad details for a larger player.
- Press play, then right-click the video.
- Choose Save video as if Chrome offers it.
If it isn’t there, get the video’s file link with an extension, or screen-record it, which costs you quality.
How do I get the videos of every ad a brand runs?
Use a Chrome extension. Parsly is free, collects every ad a brand runs in the library, and gives you a spreadsheet with a link to each ad’s video file.
- In the Ad Library, search for the brand and pick it from the list of advertisers.
- Open Parsly and allow it on facebook.com the first time.
- Click Collect ads. Parsly scrolls the page and reads each ad as it loads.
- Under Filters, choose video ads, and sort by Longest running to see the ones the brand has kept going.
- Download the spreadsheet. Each video ad has a Video URL (the HD file when Facebook offers one) and a Thumbnail URL. Open a video link in your browser to watch or save it, and do it soon, because these links can expire.
One-click saving of an ad’s video from its screen is planned, as it already works for Instagram and TikTok videos.
Which way should I use?
Right-click for one video and Parsly for a whole brand. Screen-record only when neither works, and skip the API, which returns no video files.
| Way | Free | Whole brand | Gets the video | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right-click, Save video as | Yes | No | Sometimes | Low |
| Screen recording | Yes | No | Yes, lower quality | Medium |
| Ad Library API | Yes | EU and UK ordinary ads only | No, a snapshot link only | Code and identity checks |
| Parsly | Yes | Yes | A link to each file | One click, then a link per video |
Which video ads are worth saving?
The ones a brand keeps paying for. The library shows no spend, so time running and the number of versions are the best signals you have. Parsly labels an ad a Likely winner when it has run 30 days or more and has extra budget behind it, shown by more copies than the advertiser usually runs or high reach.
What can’t you get?
You can’t get an ad’s spend or results, ads that stopped running outside the EU and UK, or the right to reuse a video.
- Spend and results. The library doesn’t show them for ordinary ads, so no tool can.
- Stopped ads outside the EU and UK. Meta removes them when they stop running.
- The right to reuse them. Copies are for your own research.
Questions people ask
Can I download a Facebook ad video for free?
Yes. Right-clicking sometimes offers Save video as, and Parsly's free extension gives you a link to each ad's video file, which you open and save from your browser.
Why doesn't right-click show Save video as?
Chrome offers it on some videos and not others, depending on how the page plays them. When it isn't there, use the ad's video link instead.
Does the Ad Library API give me the video?
No. The API returns a snapshot link to view each ad on Meta's site, not the video file, and for ordinary ads it only covers those shown in the EU or UK.
Do the video links expire?
They can. They're links to Facebook's file servers rather than permanent addresses, so save the videos you want soon after collecting. If a link stops working, collect the brand again to get a fresh one.
Can I download a stopped ad's video?
Only while the ad is in the library. Outside the EU and UK, ordinary ads leave when they stop running, so collect them while they're live.
Can I use a competitor's ad video in my own ads?
No. The ad belongs to the brand that made it. Keep copies for research and make your own.