About confirmed click

Confirmed click is a product feature that adds a confirmation to ad placements that may be generating accidental clicks. When a user clicks an ad with confirmed click, the user is asked to confirm their intent to visit the advertiser page by clicking a button, such as "Visit Site" or "Download.” 

Click to view an example of confirmed click

Why does confirmed click happen?

Confirmed click is applied when our systems determine that your ad placement is generating accidental clicks. This can create a poor user experience because a user may be surprised to end up on an advertiser landing page instead of their intended content. 

By introducing the second click confirmation, the user can confirm their intent to visit the advertised page. 

How can you prevent accidental clicks?

To avoid accidental clicks, follow ad implementation recommendations. Remember to be careful when placing links, play buttons, download buttons, navigation buttons (for example, “Previous" or “Next"), game windows, video players, Down arrows, or applications near ads because they might lead to accidental clicks.

Implementation examples you should review for, include but are not limited to:

• Ads close to navigational elements
• Navigational elements overlaid on display ads
• Buttons on top of or close to ads
• App content on top of or close to ads
• Any violations of the ad placement policies

FAQs

Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions about confirmed click. 

Where is confirmed click applied?

Confirmed click is applied to banner and native ad units that are causing accidental clicks for users. 

How can I fix accidental clicks on my ad units?

Identify which ad units are causing a poor user experience by reviewing the disallowed and recommended implementations:

• Implementation guidance
• Banner ad guidance
  • Discouraged banner implementations
  • Recommended banner implementations
• Native Advanced Policy Compliance Checklist

Focus on improving ad unit implementation to minimize accidental clicks.

How can I appeal confirmed click?

Google’s ad serving systems automatically apply confirmed click when ad placements exhibit signs of generating accidental clicks. There is no need to appeal; instead, confirmed click is automatically lifted when ad serving systems no longer detect ongoing accidental clicks. 

Why has my CTR/revenue/eCPM decreased?

Many factors determine the performance of an ad including impressions, impressions CTR, clicks, eCPM, and others. Lower CTR doesn’t mean lower long-term revenue. Confirmed click aims to improve the overall user experience of your app while minimizing any accidental clicks. Maximizing post-click activity is in the best interest of all parties.

Why was this behavior changed on some apps and not others?

Our system measures click quality based on many factors. Certain content, layouts, and placements can lead to accidental clicks. The system identifies those scenarios and applies confirmed click to improve quality.

I’ve reviewed my entire app and have taken action on my impacted ad units. Why do my ad units still have confirmed click?

The system takes into account data from multiple days of ad serving. When the system detects a sustained improvement in click quality, confirmed click will be disabled from impacted ad units.