IVT (Invalid Traffic) refers to any artificial or accidental activity that doesn't come from genuine human interactions with websites or ads. This includes both fraudulent activity and unintentional invalid clicks or impressions. For advertisers, IVT represents wasted ad spend and skewed campaign data.
Types of invalid traffic
Invalid traffic comes in two main categories: General Invalid Traffic (GIVT) and Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). GIVT includes basic, easily-identified invalid traffic like known data center traffic and crawler bots. SIVT involves more complex fraudulent schemes that try to mimic real user behavior.
- General Invalid Traffic examples: Web crawlers, known data centers, activity from non-browser user agents
- Sophisticated Invalid Traffic examples: Botnet, hijacked devices, cookie stuffing, domain spoofing
Why invalid traffic matters
Invalid traffic can seriously damage your advertising campaigns and analytics data. When bots and fake users generate artificial clicks and impressions, you waste money on non-human traffic. This false data also makes it harder to measure real campaign performance.
For businesses running pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, IVT directly impacts the bottom line. Every fraudulent click costs real money but provides zero chance of conversion.
How to detect invalid traffic
Modern invalid traffic detection uses multiple signals to identify suspicious activity. These include unusual patterns in user behavior, impossible geographic locations, and known bot signatures.
Advanced detection systems look for signs like:
- Multiple clicks from the same IP address in rapid succession
- Traffic from data centers or suspicious locations
- Unusual browsing patterns that don't match human behavior
- Clicks at consistent intervals that suggest automated activity
- Traffic from outdated or suspicious browser versions
Protecting against invalid traffic
The best defense against IVT combines multiple protection layers. Use traffic monitoring tools to detect suspicious patterns. Implement strong filters in your analytics platforms. Work with reputable ad networks that actively fight fraud.
Regular monitoring of traffic patterns helps catch IVT early. This lets you adjust campaigns before wasting too much budget on fake users.
