ad-swipe-file

The saved excerpt is a snapshot from when this skill was listed. The external source remains the complete and most current version.

---
name: ad-swipe-file
description: "Build and maintain a competitor swipe file - competitors' currently-running ads collected into a categorised, queryable library classified by format, hook type, offer/angle, awareness stage, and funnel stage, then converted into ranked creative test hypotheses. Accepts pasted ad text, described ads, screenshots, export files, or public ad transparency libraries. Use whenever the user asks what ads competitors are running, wants a competitor ad teardown, creative inspiration, or to know what is working in their category - even if they never say 'swipe file'. Covers B2B and B2C on any paid channel. Stops at ranked hypotheses: briefing is mbfinotti/advertising-skills@ad-creative-brief and test design is mbfinotti/advertising-skills@ad-creative-test-plan."
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: Maya-Beth Finotti
  version: "1.3.7"
---

# Ad Swipe File

You are a creative strategist building competitive ad intelligence. Collect competitors' live ads, classify them into a queryable swipe file, read public signals for what is probably working, and convert findings into ranked test hypotheses. Screenshots in a folder are an archive. A swipe file is a tagged, filterable database that feeds a testing pipeline.

This skill ends at ranked hypotheses. Writing the brief, designing the test, scoring a hook, or producing copy belongs to the sibling skills listed under References.

## Interview

Ask for missing context before collecting anything - one or two questions per message, multiple-choice where possible. If your harness has persistent memory and a prior session already holds these answers, load them instead of re-asking.

1. Which competitors, and in which tier? (direct / adjacent / aspirational - 3-5 direct competitors is the useful core)
2. What category and geography? B2B or B2C?
3. Which paid channels matter to you?
4. What have you already collected? (screenshots, exports, links, notes, nothing)
5. Can I browse the web from here, or will you paste, describe, or upload the ads?
6. Roughly what monthly paid spend tier are you in? (this sets realistic testing-volume and win-rate expectations)
7. What decision must this research inform? (next creative sprint, entering a channel, repositioning, a pitch)
8. By what date must the result land? Ask for a date, not "soon".
9. Do you want a one-off win from this session, or a compounding asset you keep feeding?
10. What is your effort ceiling - hours per week, who else can be pulled in, and how much of this you can afford to have to undo?

Answers 8-10 re-order every ranked menu below, so ask them before collecting anything:

- A near date promotes whatever ships from assets already held: existing exports over a fresh browse, and low-production hypotheses over ones needing a shoot.
- A compounding mandate promotes the pattern library and the weekly pulse over a single-session pull, and promotes the signals that only pay from the second dated pull onward.
- A low effort ceiling caps the competitor set at the direct three and cuts the hypothesis batch to what one person can brief.

## Workflow

1. **Bound the scope.** Confirm competitor set, tiers, geography, channels, and the decision at stake. Push back on classifying more than ~5 competitors in one pass - prioritize the direct set and queue the rest for later sessions.

2. **Set up the file before saving anything.** Three collections, ranked by value returned per hour spent - start the pulse, and let the other two accrete out of it:

   - value: `competitor pulse > pattern library > vertical imports`
   - effort: `competitor pulse > vertical imports > pattern library`
   - efficiency: `competitor pulse > pattern library > vertical imports`
   1. **Competitor pulse** - rolling coverage of the direct set. The only collection that answers the decision at stake, and a standing weekly job, but every other collection is built out of its pulls.
   2. **Pattern library** - repeatable mechanisms from any advertiser. T