We understand you may have questions and concerns about invalid traffic and keeping your account in good standing. Below we've provided a list of the most common issues and concerns publishers might have:
- I accidentally clicked on my own ads. Will this cause a problem for my account?
- I noticed some unusual traffic on my account. How can I protect myself from invalid traffic?
- Can I view my own ads without generating invalid impressions?
- My reports are showing clicks on my ads, but no earnings. What's going on?
- Can I play the videos of ads on my app?
I accidentally clicked on my own ads. Will this cause a problem for my account?
Although publishers are not permitted to click on their own ads for any reason, we do understand that accidental clicks may occur. We therefore don't require that you contact us every time you click on your ads. Rest assured that your account is being properly credited for all clicks and impressions we consider to be valid. Note that Google will use its sole discretion when determining instances of invalid activity traffic.I noticed some unusual traffic on my account. How can I protect myself from invalid traffic?
If you suspect that invalid traffic may have resulted from a visitor to your app, we suggest that you review your app's logs for any suspicious activity.
You may also wish to review our tips and guidelines for keeping your account in good standing.
Can I view my own apps without generating invalid impressions?
Yes, you're welcome to view your own app without generating invalid impressions. Simply viewing your app yourself will not jeopardize your account’s good standing. However, please continue to avoid clicking on any ads, and don't reload your screen excessively. We take the issue of invalid clicks and impressions very seriously and have a dedicated team of specialists and automated systems to flag and review any unusual activity.
My reports are showing clicks on my ads, but no earnings. What's going on?
It could be that your account has some clicks or impressions which our monitoring system considers to be invalid. As you may know, to protect the interests of our publishers and those of our advertisers, Google monitors clicks on Google ads to prevent any abuse of the program. Google's invalid traffic defenses analyze all ad clicks for any invalid traffic that is intended to artificially drive up an advertiser's clicks or a publisher's earnings. Clicks deemed by our monitoring system to be invalid will appear in your reports.
Publishers don't receive any revenue for invalid clicks, so you may occasionally notice clicks with no associated revenue. Note that your account is being properly credited for all clicks we consider to be valid.
Can I play the videos of ads on my app?
You're welcome to view the videos of ads on your app by clicking the play button. Clicks on the play button are not counted as clicks in your reports. We only count clicks that lead a user to the advertiser's site, including on the display URL or on the video while it's playing.