Invalid Traffic: What It Is and Why It Can End Your Ad Account

No invalid traffic is one of the two entry requirements for a review through SAN1GO. This is not just a formality. Invalid traffic (IVT) is one of the most common reasons publishers lose revenue or their accounts entirely.

Google's definition

Google defines invalid traffic as clicks or impressions that could artificially inflate what advertisers pay or what publishers earn. It covers deliberate fraud and accidental activity alike. Intent does not change the outcome.

Common examples

The Ad Manager help page on invalid traffic lists several patterns, including:

• Publishers clicking ads on their own live pages.
• Repeated clicks or impressions from the same users.
• Encouraging visitors to click ads through wording or layouts that cause accidental clicks.
• Bots, automated clicking tools and other deceptive software.

Purchased traffic is a frequent source. Google warns that some traffic services use click bots or pay users to visit and click.

Who is responsible

Google places responsibility squarely on the publisher. As the account owner, you must make sure the traffic on your ads is valid. This holds even when a third party sends bad traffic without your knowledge.

The consequences

Depending on severity, Google can:

• Deduct earnings, which is why finalized revenue can be lower than estimates.
• Limit or stop ad serving if traffic quality cannot be confirmed.
• Suspend or disable the account.

Why partners care

An MCM partner shares the revenue from your inventory, so IVT affects their business too. A partner with monitoring in place can catch spikes early. We list ongoing monitoring of the ad stack among our services, and our application asks you to confirm the account has no invalid traffic.

Warning signs to watch

• Sudden traffic spikes with no clear source.
• Very high click-through rates on a few pages.
• Traffic from regions you do not target.
• Low time on page combined with many ad requests.

What to do if you see IVT

Investigate the source, stop or pause it, and keep notes on what you changed. Our companion guide covers prevention step by step. Once you are confident your traffic is legitimate, you can ask us to review your Ad Manager account.