Glossary
What is Invalid traffic (IVT)?
Also called: IVT, invalid activity
Invalid traffic (IVT) is ad clicks or impressions that do not come from genuine human interest, such as bots or publishers clicking their own ads.
हिंदी में पढ़ेंGoogle defines invalid traffic as clicks or impressions that artificially inflate an advertiser’s costs or a publisher’s earnings. It covers automated traffic such as bots, publishers clicking their own ads, repeated clicks, encouraging clicks and layouts that cause accidental clicks. Not all IVT is fraud: a search crawler that announces itself is invalid for ads but harmless.
In AdSense, estimated earnings are finalised around the 3rd of the next month. Before that, Google removes invalid activity and refunds the advertiser. Deductions can also come later, usually for traffic from the past 60 to 90 days, as a line on your Transactions page. They are final, Google does not say which clicks were invalid, and high levels of IVT can lead to account suspension.
A third party can send invalid traffic without your knowledge, but the responsibility is still yours. Watch new traffic sources and paid campaigns, and review your ads in the Ad review center instead of clicking them. The Media Rating Council splits IVT into GIVT and SIVT.
Example
Your AdSense dashboard estimated $200 for March. Google found $15 of invalid clicks and removed it before finalising, so March was finalised at $185: a deduction of $15 ÷ $200 = 7.5%.
Why it matters to publishers
Invalid traffic is taken out of what you are paid, and too much of it can cost you the account. Clean traffic protects both revenue and your standing with buyers.