What it is

What an ad library MCP server does

MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is the open standard that lets an AI assistant call outside tools. An ad library MCP server is one of those tools: instead of pasting ad copy into the chat, Claude queries an ad database itself and answers from what it finds. If the protocol is new to you, MCP for marketers explains it in five minutes.

Ad Radar's server sits on a narrow board on purpose. It holds only Meta ads with at least $50k in estimated spend, each tagged on ten dimensions, with its video transcript searchable. On the October 9, 2026 snapshot that was 2,443 ads from 749 brands. So when Claude cites an ad, that ad has already had real money behind it, and when it says a hook "wins more often", it is comparing winners against winners.

The point is speed with a paper trail. A competitor pass that used to mean reading fifty scripts by hand becomes a handful of questions, and every answer comes back with the brand, the opening line, the estimated spend and the days live, so you can open the ad and check it.

Six tools

What Claude can do with it

Claude picks the tool on its own from what you ask. You never have to name one, but it helps to know what each is for.

  • search_ads

    Search winning ads

    Find ads by niche, by any of the ten tags, by days live, or by a line from the headline, the body copy or the video transcript. Each result comes back with the brand, the opening line, the format, the estimated spend, days live and variants.

    problem-aware UGC skincare ads that open with a number

  • get_ad

    Read one ad in full

    The full record of one ad: copy, script, tags, signals, days live and variants. This is what Claude reads before it quotes a hook or maps a script.

    split this transcript into hook, problem, proof and CTA

  • winning_patterns

    See what wins more often

    Which hooks, angles, formats and proof levels reach the top tier more often than the rest of the board, with the number of ads behind each one.

    which hook patterns beat the baseline in video?

  • advertiser_hooks

    Read a brand's playbook

    The hook and angle mix one advertiser is running this month, so you see the pattern behind ten ads instead of guessing from one.

    what is this brand repeating across its ads?

  • get_swipe_prompt

    Turn a winner into a brief

    A ready brief that maps a winning ad's structure and adapts it to the product you describe. The draft keeps the order of the argument, not the words.

    remake this ad as a 30-second UGC script for my product

  • list_taxonomy

    The valid values of the ten tag dimensions, so Claude filters with exact words instead of guessing. Calling it first is the easiest way to avoid an empty search.

    list the valid niches and hook patterns

The ten dimensions are hook pattern, hook mechanism, narrative angle, reader awareness, proof level, production format, video type, landing page type, niche and CTA type. How each one is defined is in the methodology, and the design of the taxonomy in AI ad analysis.

Setup

Connect it to Claude in a minute

One server address for every Claude app. You sign in to Ad Radar and approve: there is no token to copy.

Claude Code

  1. Run this in your terminal:

    Terminal

    claude mcp add --transport http ad-radar \
      https://app.ad-radar.dev/api/mcp
  2. Type /mcp, pick ad-radar and choose Authenticate.
  3. Sign in to Ad Radar and approve. Claude can now call the six tools.

claude.ai and Claude Desktop

  1. Add a custom connector with this URL: https://app.ad-radar.dev/api/mcp
  2. Choose to sign in with OAuth and click Connect.
  3. Sign in to Ad Radar and approve. Ask your first question in a new chat.

Using another MCP client that connects over HTTP? Create a personal token from your account settings and send it as a Bearer token to the same URL.

You need an active Ad Radar plan. The MCP server is included in Membership and Agency, with no add-on.

Examples

Four prompts to start with

Real questions from a competitor pass on oral care, with what came back. The numbers are from the October 9, 2026 snapshot.

  1. Find winning oral care ads that have run 90 days or more with at least two variants. Table: brand, opening line, estimated spend, days live.

    • list_taxonomy
    • search_ads

    What comes back

    A table of the ads brands have kept feeding. Of the 52 oral care ads on the board, 33 had passed 90 days and 11 ran two or more variants. Claude also points out that the niche mixes human and pet dental care, so one follow-up drops the pet brands.

  2. Open the LIVFRESH ad that starts "This new toothpaste gel formula" and split the transcript into beats.

    • get_ad

    What comes back

    The 13-line transcript, then a beat map: hook, problem, mechanism, a five-line proof stack, urgency, and a CTA that asks for a read instead of a purchase. Each beat is quoted, so you can check it against the ad.

  3. Which hook patterns, proof levels and awareness levels reach the top tier more often than the board? Flag anything with fewer than 20 ads.

    • winning_patterns

    What comes back

    Tag values ranked against the board baseline of about 10%. Strong proof reached the top tier 16.3% of the time and specific-number openers 12.9%, while unaware openers sat just below average at 8.6%. That changes the brief: keep the structure, add proof you can show on camera.

  4. Remake the LIVFRESH ad for my toothpaste tablets: fluoride-free, 60-day jar, $24. UGC, 30 seconds.

    • get_swipe_prompt

    What comes back

    A structure map of the donor ad, a first draft for your product at about the same length, and a side-by-side showing where the draft keeps the structure and where it changes the content. You still replace any claim you can't back for your own product.

The full session, tool call by tool call, is in Claude for marketing research: a competitor ad walkthrough. For more questions to ask, see 25 Claude prompts for Facebook ads and the swipe file AI workflow.

Limits

What the MCP server won't do

  • Meta only. The board covers Facebook and Instagram ads. TikTok is on the roadmap, Google and YouTube ads are not on it.
  • It never touches your ad account. The tools read the Ad Radar board of competitor ads. They can't see your campaigns, change a budget or launch an ad.
  • Spend is estimated. Every figure is modeled on public engagement data from the Meta Ad Library. Use it to rank ads against each other, not as a competitor's invoice.
  • Winners only. Ads under $50k in estimated spend are not on the board. To keep any other ad, save it from the Meta Ad Library with the Chrome extension (free to install, works with an Ad Radar membership): it lands in your boards with a transcript, tags and a swipe prompt.
  • You still sign off. Open three ads yourself before a brief goes out, and check that the lines Claude quoted match the transcript. Claude for media buying covers what to hand over and what to keep.

Price

Included in every plan

Membership is $49 every 4 weeks at the launch price (list $99), with one seat. Agency is $199 every 4 weeks with 5 seats and 25 client workspaces. Both include the MCP server, the full board of winning Meta ads and the Chrome extension. How MCP access and pricing compare with other ad research tools is in the side-by-side pages below.

FAQ

Questions

What is an ad library MCP server?

It is a connector that lets an AI assistant like Claude query an ad database directly, through the Model Context Protocol. Instead of pasting ads into the chat, you ask a question and Claude searches the ads, reads them and answers with the evidence attached.

Which apps does the Ad Radar MCP server work with?

Claude Code, Claude Desktop and claude.ai. In Claude Code you add it with one command; in Claude Desktop and claude.ai you add it as a custom connector. Other MCP clients that connect over HTTP can use a personal token from your account settings.

Do I need to copy an API key?

Not for Claude. You sign in to Ad Radar and approve the connection with OAuth, and Claude is connected. A personal token is only needed for other MCP clients.

Is the MCP server included in Membership?

Yes. It is part of every plan: Membership at $49 every 4 weeks (launch price, list $99) and Agency at $199 every 4 weeks. There is no separate add-on.

Can Claude change my Meta ad account through it?

No. The six tools read the Ad Radar board of competitor ads and return text. Ad Radar doesn't connect to your ad account, so nothing in your campaigns can be seen or changed through it.

Is the spend data exact?

No. Every spend figure is an estimate modeled on public engagement data from the Meta Ad Library, tracked over time. It is reliable for ranking ads against each other, not as a competitor's real budget. Ask Claude to label it as estimated in anything it writes.

Does it cover TikTok ads?

Not yet. The board covers Meta ads, which means Facebook and Instagram. TikTok coverage is on the roadmap.

From the Ad Radar blog: using Claude and MCP on a board of Meta ads with $50k+ in estimated spend.

AI and Claude for adsClaude for Marketing Research: A Competitor Ad WalkthroughClaude for marketing research, step by step: one session with the Ad Radar MCP tools, from search_ads to a finished swipe, on 52 winning oral care ads.Read the research AI and Claude for adsMCP for Marketers: What the Model Context Protocol Means for Your WorkflowMCP for marketers in plain English: what the Model Context Protocol is, which ad platforms shipped MCP servers in 2026, and what it changes for Meta ads.Read the research AI and Claude for adsClaude Prompts for Facebook Ads: 25 Prompts That Work25 Claude prompts for Facebook ads, grouped by job: research, hooks, copy, scripts, briefs and review. Each is grounded in data from 2,443 winning Meta ads.Read the research AI and Claude for adsFrom Winning Ad to New Creative: A Swipe File AI WorkflowA swipe file AI workflow that copies structure, not words: pick a donor from 2,443 winning Meta ads, map it with AI and ship a creative that is yours.Read the research AI and Claude for adsClaude for Media Buying: A Practical GuideClaude for media buying, task by task: what to hand it in a Meta ads week, what to keep, and how to connect it to ad data. Prompts and numbers from 2,443 ads.Read the research AI and Claude for adsAI Ad Analysis: How to Tag Ads and Build a Creative TaxonomyAI ad analysis starts with tagging. How Ad Radar's ten tag dimensions work on 2,443 winning Meta ads, and how to build, prompt and validate your own taxonomy.Read the research

Ask Claude what is winning.

Membership is $49 every 4 weeks at the launch price, MCP server included. Cancel anytime.