# Google ad details

> One ad from Google's Ads Transparency Center: every version of the creative, where it ran and, for political ads, spend and targeting.

- **Request:** `GET https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/google/ad`
- **Auth:** `x-api-key` header ([get a free key](https://lurkapi.com/login?next=/dashboard))
- **Cost:** 1 credit per call. Validation errors, `401`/`402`/`429` rejections and `5xx` failures are free; `not_found` is charged ([how charging works](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#credits)).
- **MCP tool:** `google_ad` on `https://api.lurkapi.com/mcp`
- **Freshness:** responses are cached for up to 12 hours
- **Try it live:** https://lurkapi.com/docs/google/ad#try (no signup)
- **Platform:** [Google](https://lurkapi.com/docs/google.md) (adstransparency.google.com)
- **Web page:** https://lurkapi.com/docs/google/ad

## When to use this

Use it after company ads (google_company_ads) for one ad's versions, regions and landing page. Pass the ad's Transparency Center link as `url`, or `advertiser_id` + `creative_id`.

Each version has an `imageUrl` when Google archived it as a picture, else a `previewUrl`. For text and video ads we also read one live preview for the headline, description, landing page and YouTube video; image-only text stays null (we don't OCR). Impressions, spend and targeting are only published for political ads.

Returns 404 `not_found` if the ad doesn't exist.

## Parameters

All parameters go in the query string.

| Name | Type | Required | Default | Allowed values | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `url` | string | no |  |  | The ad's Transparency Center link, e.g. `https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/creative/CR11071274990039990273`. Required unless you pass both ids. | `https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/creative/CR11071274990039990273?region=US` |
| `advertiser_id` | string | no |  |  | The advertiser's id (`AR…`), with `creative_id`, instead of `url`. |  |
| `creative_id` | string | no |  |  | The ad's id (`CR…`), with `advertiser_id`, instead of `url`. |  |

## Example request

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with your key, or set `LURKAPI_KEY` for the code. [Get a free key](https://lurkapi.com/login?next=/dashboard).

curl:

```bash
curl "https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/google/ad?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadstransparency.google.com%2Fadvertiser%2FAR16735076323512287233%2Fcreative%2FCR11071274990039990273%3Fregion%3DUS" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

JavaScript:

```js
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  url: "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/creative/CR11071274990039990273?region=US",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/google/ad?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.LURKAPI_KEY },
});
const data = await res.json();
if (!data.success) throw new Error(`${data.code}: ${data.error}`);
console.log(data.creativeRegions);
```

Python:

```python
import os
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/google/ad",
    params={
        "url": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/creative/CR11071274990039990273?region=US",
    },
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["LURKAPI_KEY"]},
    timeout=60,
)
data = res.json()
if not data["success"]:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{data['code']}: {data['error']}")
print(data["creativeRegions"])
```

## Example response

A real response from this endpoint, captured from the live API and trimmed to a couple of items. Strings over 96 characters (mostly signed media URLs) are cut short and end in `…`.

200 OK (application/json):

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "credits_remaining": 999997,
  "credits_charged": 1,
  "advertiserId": "AR16735076323512287233",
  "creativeId": "CR11071274990039990273",
  "advertiserName": "Nike, Inc.",
  "format": "video",
  "adUrl": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/cre…",
  "firstShown": null,
  "lastShown": "2026-09-30T09:58:06.000Z",
  "daysShown": null,
  "overallImpressions": null,
  "spend": null,
  "targeting": null,
  "creativeRegions": [
    {
      "regionCode": "US",
      "regionName": "United States"
    }
  ],
  "regionStats": [
    {
      "regionCode": "US",
      "regionName": "United States",
      "firstShown": null,
      "lastShown": "2026-09-30",
      "impressions": null,
      "platformImpressions": []
    }
  ],
  "variations": [
    {
      "destinationUrl": "https://www.nike.com/retail/",
      "headline": "Engineered for Max Airflow",
      "description": "Maximum breathability meets ultra-light comfort in new Nike Aero-FIT styles.",
      "allText": null,
      "imageUrl": null,
      "previewUrl": "https://displayads-formats.googleusercontent.com/ads/preview/content.js?…",
      "videoId": "RZ1MLoOdWcc"
    },
    {
      "destinationUrl": null,
      "headline": null,
      "description": null,
      "allText": null,
      "imageUrl": null,
      "previewUrl": "https://displayads-formats.googleusercontent.com/ads/preview/content.js?…",
      "videoId": null
    }
  ]
}
```

## Response fields

Every field of a successful response. `[]` marks a list: `a[].b` is the `b` of each item in `a`. **nullable** fields can be `null`; **optional** fields can be missing.

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `success` | `true` | Always true here; errors have `success: false`. |
| `credits_remaining` | `number` | Your balance after this call. On anonymous playground calls: free tries left today. |
| `credits_charged` | `number` | Credits this call cost; 0 on free endpoints. On anonymous playground calls: tries used (1). |
| `advertiserId` | `string` | The advertiser's id (`AR…`). Pass it as `advertiser_id` to company ads. |
| `creativeId` | `string` | The ad's id (`CR…`). |
| `advertiserName` | `string`, nullable | Who paid for the ad (Google's "paid for by" name), e.g. `Nike, Inc.`; it can differ from the advertiser account, e.g. for agencies. Often null for political ads. |
| `format` | `string`, nullable | text, image or video. Text ads are often archived as a picture of the ad. |
| `adUrl` | `string` | The ad's page on the Ads Transparency Center. |
| `firstShown` | `string`, nullable | When the ad was first shown, ISO 8601 (UTC). Google often leaves it out here; company ads always has it. |
| `lastShown` | `string`, nullable | When the ad was last shown, ISO 8601 (UTC). Today's date for ads still running. |
| `daysShown` | `number`, nullable | How many days the ad has been shown. A long run usually means the ad works. null when Google leaves it out. |
| `overallImpressions` | `object`, nullable | Impressions as the range Google reports. Political ads only; null otherwise. |
| `overallImpressions.min` | `number` | Lower bound of impressions. |
| `overallImpressions.max` | `number` | Upper bound of impressions. |
| `spend` | `object`, nullable | Spend as the range Google reports. Political ads only; null otherwise. |
| `spend.currency` | `string` | Currency code, e.g. USD. |
| `spend.lower` | `number` | Lower bound of the spend, in `currency`. |
| `spend.upper` | `number` | Upper bound of the spend, in `currency`. |
| `targeting` | `object`, nullable | Who the ad targeted. Political ads only; null otherwise. Empty lists can still mean targeting was used: Google doesn't always list the groups. |
| `targeting.age` | `object` | Age groups (0-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+, unknown) targeting. |
| `targeting.age.included` | `string[]` | Age groups (0-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+, unknown) the ad targeted. |
| `targeting.age.excluded` | `string[]` | Age groups (0-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+, unknown) the ad excluded. |
| `targeting.gender` | `object` | Genders (male, female, unknown) targeting. |
| `targeting.gender.included` | `string[]` | Genders (male, female, unknown) the ad targeted. |
| `targeting.gender.excluded` | `string[]` | Genders (male, female, unknown) the ad excluded. |
| `targeting.location` | `object` | Location targeting. |
| `targeting.location.included` | `object[]` | Locations the ad targeted. |
| `targeting.location.included[].criterionId` | `string` | Google's location id, e.g. 2840 (United States) or 1015229 (a city). |
| `targeting.location.included[].name` | `string`, nullable | The country's name for country-level ids; null for cities and regions, which we don't resolve. |
| `targeting.location.included[].fullName` | `string`, nullable | Same as `name` for countries; null for cities and regions. |
| `targeting.location.included[].countryCodes` | `string[]` | The country code for country-level ids, e.g. ["US"]; empty otherwise. |
| `targeting.location.excluded` | `object[]` | Locations the ad excluded. |
| `targeting.location.excluded[].criterionId` | `string` | Google's location id, e.g. 2840 (United States) or 1015229 (a city). |
| `targeting.location.excluded[].name` | `string`, nullable | The country's name for country-level ids; null for cities and regions, which we don't resolve. |
| `targeting.location.excluded[].fullName` | `string`, nullable | Same as `name` for countries; null for cities and regions. |
| `targeting.location.excluded[].countryCodes` | `string[]` | The country code for country-level ids, e.g. ["US"]; empty otherwise. |
| `creativeRegions` | `object[]` | Countries where the ad was shown. |
| `creativeRegions[].regionCode` | `string` | 2-letter country code, e.g. US. |
| `creativeRegions[].regionName` | `string` | Country name in English. |
| `regionStats` | `object[]` | Per-country delivery: dates and, for political ads, impressions. |
| `regionStats[].regionCode` | `string` | 2-letter country code, e.g. US. |
| `regionStats[].regionName` | `string` | Country name in English. |
| `regionStats[].firstShown` | `string`, nullable | First day shown in this country, YYYY-MM-DD; often null outside political ads. |
| `regionStats[].lastShown` | `string`, nullable | Last day shown in this country, YYYY-MM-DD. |
| `regionStats[].impressions` | `object`, nullable | Impressions in this country. Political ads only; null otherwise. |
| `regionStats[].impressions.min` | `number` | Lower bound of impressions. |
| `regionStats[].impressions.max` | `number` | Upper bound of impressions. |
| `regionStats[].platformImpressions` | `object[]` | Impressions per Google product in this country, when Google reports them; usually empty. |
| `regionStats[].platformImpressions[].platform` | `string`, nullable | The Google product. |
| `regionStats[].platformImpressions[].min` | `number`, nullable | Lower bound of impressions there. |
| `regionStats[].platformImpressions[].max` | `number`, nullable | Upper bound of impressions there. |
| `variations` | `object[]` | Every version of the creative Google shows. We read the live preview of the first previewed version of text and video ads only. |
| `variations[].destinationUrl` | `string`, nullable | Landing page, from the version's live preview. For search ads it can be just the display URL (e.g. `nike.com`); null when we didn't read one. |
| `variations[].headline` | `string`, nullable | Headline, from the live preview; null for image-only versions and ones we didn't read. |
| `variations[].description` | `string`, nullable | Description text, from the live preview; null for image-only versions and ones we didn't read. |
| `variations[].allText` | `string`, nullable | All text on the ad. Always null for now: reading text off archived images needs OCR, which we don't run. |
| `variations[].imageUrl` | `string`, nullable | Picture of this version; null when it only has a live preview. |
| `variations[].previewUrl` | `string`, nullable | Google's live preview of this version (a script); null when there's an `imageUrl`. |
| `variations[].videoId` | `string`, nullable | The YouTube video id of a video ad, from the live preview (youtube.com/watch?v=<id>); null otherwise. |

## Caching and freshness

Responses are cached for up to 12 hours, so a repeat call within that window can return the same data. It still costs 1 credit.

## Errors

Errors return `{ success: false, error, code, docs }` with the HTTP status below. Validation errors, `401`/`402`/`429` rejections and `5xx` failures are free; `not_found` is charged ([how charging works](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#credits)). [All error codes](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#errors).

| Status | Code | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 | `missing_api_key` | No API key. Send it in the `x-api-key` header. |
| 401 | `invalid_api_key` | The key is unknown or was revoked. |
| 402 | `insufficient_credits` | Not enough credits for this call. Buy a pack or wait for tomorrow's top-up. |
| 404 | `not_found` | The endpoint, or the thing you asked for (ad, post, subreddit), doesn't exist. Charged when the platform was checked. |
| 405 | `method_not_allowed` | Endpoints take GET with query params. |
| 429 | `rate_limited` | Too many calls at once. Wait for the `retry-after` seconds, then retry. |
| 500 | `internal_error` | Something broke on our side. Retry; 5xx errors are free. |
| 502 | `upstream_error` | The platform didn't give a usable answer. Retry; 5xx errors are free. |
| 503 | `upstream_busy` | All our connections to the platform are busy. Retry in a few seconds; 5xx errors are free. |
| 504 | `upstream_timeout` | The platform took over 30 seconds to answer. Retry; timeouts are free. |

## Use it in Claude

Once LurkAPI is [connected to Claude](https://lurkapi.com/docs.md#claude), this endpoint is the `google_ad` tool. Ask in plain English, for example:

Ask Claude:

```text
Use LurkAPI's google_ad with url "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/creative/CR11071274990039990273?region=US" and summarize what you find.
```

Claude calls `google_ad` with arguments like these, and each call costs 1 credit:

Tool arguments:

```json
{
  "url": "https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16735076323512287233/creative/CR11071274990039990273?region=US"
}
```

Tool results skip nulls and empty lists to save tokens.

---

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