A: Hi Aka0!

Here goes the answers to your 2 questions:

1. Although we cannot directly intervene within Google Ads, Opticks provides relevant insights at the channel level. The best approach would be to contact your Opticks Account Executive so they can share the specific details regarding the invalid traffic detected. With that information, I would suggest you then review it directly with your Google representative.

2. On Google’s side, invalid clicks are usually detected retrospectively. This means Google may identify fraudulent activity after it has occurred and issue refunds accordingly. This often involves traffic from sites or partners that were later banned from the ads platform, or clicks from users and accounts that bounce very quickly and never truly engage with your page. You can read more about this process here:
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/42995?hl=en

At Opticks, our approach is different. We analyze the traffic that actually reaches your website and detect not only sophisticated bots and advanced techniques that may bypass Google’s filters (for example, bots capable of skipping CAPTCHA), but also invalid traffic from a contextual perspective. This includes: Traffic coming from unwanted mobile apps, Hidden or low-quality placements, Adult or unsafe keyword environments, VPN and datacenter users outside your geo-targeting.

In short, we also identify users who may technically be “real” but are not aligned with your targeting strategy and are therefore not traffic you should be paying for. So, the difference lies both in the detection methodology and in the timing of the detection.

Percentages based on what we typically observe:
Search: ~1.5% invalid traffic
Performance Max: ~4.8%
Third-party inventory (Search Partners, Display, etc.): can range between 10–15%

We invite you to experience the full potential of our product by purchasing our software through our AppSumo page :)