Below are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about accounts disabled for invalid traffic.
On this page:
- Account disablement
- Account reinstatement and appeals
- Final payments
- Other AdSense publisher's accounts
Account disablement
Why was my account disabled?
To protect our users, advertisers, and publishers, we cannot share information that could be used to circumvent our invalid traffic defenses, including specific information about publishers' accounts. We encourage you to learn more about the common reasons AdSense accounts are disabled for invalid traffic.
Google treats invalid traffic very seriously, analyzing all clicks and impressions to determine whether they fit a pattern of use that might artificially drive up an advertiser's costs or a publisher's earnings. If we determine that an AdSense account might pose a risk to the integrity of our invalid traffic defenses and our Google Ads advertisers, we may disable that account to protect our advertisers' interests.
Lastly, as outlined in our Terms and Conditions, Google will use its sole discretion when determining instances of invalid traffic. Note that Google doesn’t analyze or validate third-party data as part of invalid traffic investigations.
My account was disabled for being related to another disabled account. Can you tell me more about this relation?
As with invalid traffic, we're unable to provide publishers with any information about relations we find between publishers' accounts. We take this precaution with all of our publishers to protect our invalid traffic defenses.
Account reinstatement and appeals
Can my account be reinstated after being disabled for invalid traffic?
If you think that this decision was made in error, you may appeal through our invalid activity appeal form. For us to properly review each case, please provide as much information on the relevant activity as you can. You must also confirm and ensure that any invalid traffic was not due to actions or negligence on your part or on the part of those for whom you're responsible.
What are some tips for writing an effective invalid traffic appeal?
- Review the common reasons AdSense accounts are disabled for invalid traffic. Do any of these reasons apply to you or your content? Did your friends click on your ads too many times? Did you purchase traffic that led to a surge of invalid traffic? Can you make content and/or behavioral changes to prevent the invalid traffic from happening again?
- Review the ad implementations on your desktop site, mobile site, and/or mobile app. Think about what your typical user journey would be, and check if the ad implementations might cause users to accidentally click on your ads.
- In the appeal form, provide the email address that's associated with your disabled Google AdSense account. This will help us locate your account and reduce delays in processing your appeal.
- Tell us what changes you’ll make for the future. What systems or behaviors have you put in place to ensure this won't happen again? For example, tell us how you've adjusted your ad implementations, evaluated your traffic sources, etc.
My account was reinstated. Why aren't ads showing up on my sites, apps, or videos?
After your AdSense account has been reinstated, it may take up to 48 hours for our servers to be updated and ad serving to resume. We appreciate your patience as our systems update.
If you're a YouTube publisher, you might need to re-associate your YouTube channel with your AdSense account. For instructions, refer to: Set up an AdSense account for payments.
My appeal was denied. Can I rejoin the program or open a new account?
No. Publishers disabled for invalid traffic are not allowed any further participation in AdSense. For this reason, you may not open a new account.
Google reserves the right to disable an account for any reason, including invalid traffic from any source.
Final payments
Will I still be paid out for my AdSense earnings?
Publishers disabled for invalid traffic and/or violations of our publisher policies may be eligible for a final payment of the portion of their revenue that has not been identified as invalid. Upon account disablement, a 30-day payment hold is put in place to enable calculation of this final payment (where applicable). Following this 30-day period, please sign in to AdSense to view your remaining eligible balance (if any) and arrange for payment. Deductions from your final balance for invalid traffic and/or publisher policy violations will be refunded to affected advertisers where appropriate and possible.
I've just received my PIN. What should I do with it?
To receive any final payment, your personal information must be verified. If you haven't already done so, you can enter your PIN to verify your payment address.
Will I still receive tax forms for the payments I've received?
If you’ve received a payment from us in the past, or if you have a payable balance remaining in your account, you’ll still receive a tax form from us if necessary. Learn more about paying taxes on your AdSense earnings.
Other AdSense publisher's accounts
I want to let another AdSense publisher place their ads on my site. Will this create a problem for their account? Is my site disabled as well?
AdSense publishers are allowed to place their ads on any site that complies with the AdSense Program policies and Terms and Conditions. A publisher's account status may be separate from a specific site's compliance with our policies. However, if we determine that another publisher's account may pose a risk to our Google Ads advertisers, we may disable it to protect our advertisers' interests.
If someone related to me creates an AdSense account, will their account be disabled as well?
If we determine that a related publisher's account might pose a risk to the integrity of our invalid traffic defenses and our Google Ads advertisers, we may disable it to protect our advertisers' interests.
