Invalid traffic (IVT) deductions can be confusing, especially when you're trying to estimate your earnings. This article breaks down what those deductions mean, how they affect you, and how to take action. To learn more about Invalid Traffic, you can visit this help article.
Where can I find my Invalid Traffic Deductions?
If invalid traffic has been detected on your site, you can see the deductions as a result of the invalid traffic in the Payment Overview tab of your Journey Dashboard. Just go to Analytics > View Payments > Show Earnings Adjustments.
Why does invalid traffic reduce my earnings?
Advertisers only pay for valid traffic. If an advertiser detects invalid traffic to your site, they do not pay for impressions that were served to that traffic. As a result, we deduct the amount from your gross estimated earnings before the final payout.
Please note that we reserve the right to withhold or adjust earnings that are determined to result from invalid traffic, including but not limited to non-human or otherwise fraudulent activity. As such, all payments remain subject to change based on ongoing validation of traffic quality.
In short: invalid traffic = no payment from advertisers = deduction from your earnings
How to Estimate Your Expected Payment
To calculate your expected payment, subtract any deductions for the month from your total earnings.
Here's a simple formula:
Expected Payment = Total Earnings – Deductions
You can find both amounts listed in the Upcoming Payments section of your Payment Overview.
How do we determine which traffic was invalid?
Ad networks and advertisers use proprietary fraud detection systems. To protect their advertisers and systems from being manipulated, they don’t usually disclose detailed information about:
- Which traffic was invalid
- How it was flagged
- The exact detection methods
This is part of ensuring a secure and fair ad ecosystem.
What should I do if I detect invalid traffic?
If you suspect invalid or suspicious traffic on your site, it’s important to take action quickly:
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Review your traffic sources. Check referral URLs, sudden spikes, or unusual geographies.
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Stop using any paid traffic services or questionable promotion tools promising “guaranteed clicks.”
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Work directly with your hosting provider or platform to investigate the source and take steps to mitigate it.
- Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor patterns and identify the source of the traffic.
⚠️ Important Note: We don’t control or reverse invalid traffic deductions. If you identify issues with your traffic, you must work with your host or website provider to address and reduce the problem at its source.