Why ad search?

When we started showing our search tool to some of our friends, we often got a question you may be asking, "Why would I want to search for ads?"

Having worked in the online advertising industry for over a decade, we found it frustrating that we couldn't find a simple way to search for ads. Online ads have tended to be transient, visible one second and gone the next. Whether you want to see the ads from a particular brand, discover new advertisers, or get inspiration from innovative creative campaigns, the need for a centralized ad search is evident.

Our goal at Moat is to balance the art of advertising with the science of advertising and bring an additional level of transparency to the digital world. Moat Ad Search is our first step in this direction, and our future products will serve the same goal. We hope you enjoy it!

Why is the company called Moat?

The name of the company is inspired by Warren Buffett who has said that "a truly great business must have an enduring moat." Buffett believes that a strong brand functions as a powerful moat around a company. Disney, Coca-Cola, Google, and Apple - these are all companies who have gotten their start from technological innovation but over time are able to maintain their dominant market position through the strength of their brands. (Watch video of Buffett discussing brands and moats.) Our goal at Moat is to create products which help companies build and strengthen their brands online and ultimately fortify their moats.

What are some benefits of Moat Ad Search?

Transparency - Ads are transient; viewable one second and gone the next. Moat Ad Search provides a single location to easily find ads running on the Web.

Media Insights - Whether you're an advertiser, a publisher or an agency, it's helpful to understand what ads are running where as you formulate your own campaigns.

Showcasing - Creative agencies need a forum to demonstrate the innovative work they have done.

Business Development - If your website is selling advertising, you need to know which advertisers are buying and where they are running.

Are there any advanced search options?

Yes! Moat Ad Search supports several advanced search operators that can be added to your query to fine-tune the results you find. You can read about them on the Advanced Search Operators page.

How are Moat Ad Search results compiled?

Moat Ad Search is a search engine that focuses on ads instead of other kinds of online content. Our results are compiled using a web crawler that is specifically tuned to look for ads on the web and index them for later retrieval. Moat Ad Search is covered by the same fair use rights as search engines that index websites, videos, images and other types of content. Moat also accepts submissions from advertisers and agencies that wish to have their ads included.

Is there a fee for using the service or including my ads in Moat Ad Search?

Nope, we do not charge any fees for using the basic search engine or including ads in the search results.

How can I include my ads in Moat Ad Search?

Glad you asked! If you would like us to include your ads, you can submit via the ad submission form.

We're a creative agency and we would like to receive an attribution credit for the ads that we've built. Can this be done?

Yes, we love to give credit where credit is due. Please use our contact form to let us know which ads are yours.

I would like to suggest a change to a search result. Is this possible?

Yes, we certainly appreciate your help. If you mouse-over a search result, you’ll see an enlarged thumbnail with a link to our “flag” functionality. If you flag a result, it will be reviewed by our team.

Do the companies whose ads appear in the search results endorse Moat?

Just like the results of other search engines, the ads that appear in the Moat Ad Search results are not there because the companies are affiliated with or endorse Moat. All the trademarks, service marks and copyrights in the ads are the property of their respective owners.

What do I do if I believe an ad violates my intellectual property or other rights?

Please click here for our infringement policy.