Ad spy tool
Every Monday, the ads that keep running in your market, and why they work.
143 daysSomeone else notices first
63 daysRemoves the risk up front
29 daysA deadline you can believe
212 daysAuthority before product
76 daysCreator talks to camera
ledgerline.com
Run payroll in 4 minutes, not 40.
Payroll, tax filings and benefits in one place. Switch from your current provider free.
96 daysAnchors on the rival's price
58 daysProof on a timeline
3 daysA swap, not a new habit
118 daysOne product, one claim
44 daysShows the result movingWhat is an ad spy tool?
A tool that watches the ads in your market and saves the ones worth learning from.
Hundreds of ads start every week, and many don’t last. This one sends you the few worth a look, and why.
A month of ads, sped up
Pick what to watch
Your market, the brands you care about, or both, and which platforms. Add a rule if you like: only ads running for 30 days or more, only video.
It watches every week
Each week Chatly looks through the Meta and Google ad libraries, and TikTok's for ads shown in the EU, the UK and Switzerland, and keeps the ads that are new or still running.
Read the swipe file
A short file every Monday: the ads worth borrowing an idea from, how long each has run, why it works, and what changed since last week.
UK skincare ads started this month
Day 1
12 of 12 still running
Sponsored this month
Verdant
Glowe
Saltmere
Oriel
Kinra
Corvia
Nuvi
Haze & Co
Bloomday
Mira Lab
Pell- Arlo Skin
Set it watching
Watch a few brands
Tell me whenever Verdant, Oriel or Corvia start a new ad.
Each new ad, the week it launches.
Try itWhat's spreading
Which kinds of opening line are spreading across skincare ads this month?
The patterns, with the ads that use them.
Try itAds that moved platforms
Which UK supplement ads started on TikTok and now run on Meta?
The ones brands kept and moved.
Try it
Monday’s email
Five ads worth borrowing from this week
Chatly to me
Mon 8:00Swipe file · UK skincare · Week 43
Daily-diary ads are taking over. Discount ads are fading.
Verdant · Meta video
“My skin at 8am, every day for a month.”
Oriel · TikTok video
“The sunscreen I actually wear every day.”
Haze & Co · Meta carousel
“Seven nights, one photo a night.”
One idea to test
A 15-second video of the same face at the same time each morning. Keep the product off screen until the last frame.
Where the ads come from
Meta Ad Library
Every live ad on Facebook and Instagram, in any country.
Start dates and versions, no spend.
Google Ads Transparency Center
A company’s search, YouTube and display ads.
Listed by advertiser, no spend or searches.
TikTok ad library
Ads shown in the EU, the UK and Switzerland.
Nothing for ads shown elsewhere.
Who reads the swipe file
Monday · creative stand-up
- 9:30Read the swipe file, five picks
- 9:45Choose one idea to test this week
- 10:00Brief it to the video team
Creative teams planning the week
Start the week from what's working in your market, like the ads a brand has kept running for months.
People buying ads
Know the week a rival launches a new offer, instead of finding out when your own results dip.
ChatlyThu 14:02
Corvia started a new ad
“Buy the serum, get the cleanser free”
ChatlyWed 09:15
Saltmere stopped 3 ads
All from its autumn sale
Agencies with several clients
One swipe file per client, sent every Monday, so the ideas are ready before the creative meeting.
Swipe files · Monday 8:00
- Halcyon SkinSent
- BrightpawSent
- TaskloomSent
Frequently asked questions
Why not search the ad libraries myself?
You can, one brand at a time, and none of them can sort by how long an ad has run. This checks every brand you pick each week, keeps the ads still running, and says why each one works.
Which platforms does it cover?
Facebook and Instagram through the Meta Ad Library, Google search and YouTube ads through Google's ads data, and TikTok through its ad library, which only lists ads shown in the EU, the UK and Switzerland.
How do you decide which ads are working?
By how long a brand keeps an ad running, and how many copies of it they make. Brands keep their budget on ads that work, so long runners usually do. That's a strong sign, not proof, and the file says so.
Can I see how much competitors spend, or what they earn?
No. The platforms don't publish spend or results for ordinary ads, so the file doesn't guess.
Is it legal to use competitors' ads as inspiration?
Studying public ads is normal, and the libraries exist so anyone can see them. Copying a brand's ad, claims or logo is different: use the file for ideas and structure, then make your own.
One prompt in.
Real work out.
Every Monday, the ads that keep running in your market, and why they work.
Chatly on your phone and your Mac
Chatly for iPhone
Ask for a rival's ads on the train, scroll the swipe file, and share it from your phone. Every ad report you run here is on your phone.
Download on the App Store
Chatly for Mac
Ad research on your desktop, with the briefs and decks you already have to hand.
Download for macOS