Clicks on ads that Google considers to be illegitimate, such as unintentional clicks or clicks resulting from malicious software.
Each click on an ad is examined by our system, and Google has sophisticated systems to identify invalid clicks and impressions and remove them from your account data. When Google determines that clicks are invalid, we try to automatically filter them from your reports and payments so that you're not charged for those clicks. If we find that invalid clicks have escaped automatic detection, you may be eligible to receive a credit for those clicks. These credits are called "invalid activity" adjustments.
Here are a few examples of what Google might consider to be invalid clicks:
- Manual clicks intended to increase your advertising costs or to increase profits for website owners hosting your ads
- Clicks by automated clicking tools, robots or other deceptive software
- Extraneous clicks that provide no value to the advertiser, such as the second click of a double-click
Note: In rare cases, a click may be deemed invalid and removed, but the conversion occurring from that click might not necessarily be. This can lead to conversions being higher than clicks in some rare instances.