Google Ads Refund Guide

For many digital advertisers, the realization comes slowly: your budget is draining, clicks are high, but conversions are zero. You are paying for traffic, but you aren't getting customers. If this sounds familiar, you might be a victim of invalid traffic. The good news is that Google has a mechanism for this. You can request a refund for wasted ad spend, but the burden of proof is on you.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through exactly how to identify suspicious activity using your Google Ads dashboard, how to gather evidence against competitor click fraud, and the specific steps to file a successful claim.

Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click model. In theory, this is fair. In practice, it is vulnerable to abuse. Competitor click fraud is a major issue where rivals maliciously click your ads to exhaust your daily budget. Bots and click farms also contribute to the noise.
Google does have automated filters that catch simple invalid clicks. When they catch them, they credit your account automatically. However, sophisticated fraud often bypasses these initial filters. To catch the advanced threats, you need to be proactive. You need to look beyond the basic metrics in your Google Ads dashboard and start digging for the truth.

The first step to getting a refund is confirming that you have a problem. Many advertisers don't realize that Google hides the data on invalid clicks by default. You need to unlock this view in your Google Ads dashboard.
How to Reveal Invalid Clicks:

Log in to your Google Ads dashboard. 

Go to the Campaigns tab.

Click the Columns icon and select Modify Columns. 

Under the Performance section, check the boxes for Invalid Clicks and Invalid Click Rate. Click Apply.

Now, look at your Google Ads dashboard again. You will see a new column showing how many clicks Google has already filtered out. If you see a high number here, it means your industry is being targeted. However, this number only represents what Google caught. If your conversion rate is still abnormally low despite these filters, it is highly likely that competitor click fraud or bot traffic is still leaking through.
 

Competitor click fraud is more common than most businesses admit. It happens when a rival business manually clicks your ads or hires a "click farm" to do it for them. The goal is simple: force you to spend your budget so their ads can show up cheaper.

Signs of Competitor Click Fraud:

High Bounce Rate: Visitors land on your site and leave immediately (within seconds).

Repeated IPs: You see multiple clicks from the same IP address or the same geographic location (e.g., the city where your competitor is based).

No Conversions: A sudden spike in traffic with zero leads often signals competitor click fraud.

Google's automated systems struggle to catch competitor click fraud because if the attacker spaces out their clicks or uses different devices, they look like legitimate users. This is where manual investigation fails and where you need professional help.

To get a refund, you cannot just tell Google "I think my clicks are fake." You need hard evidence. This is where click fraud prevention tools become essential.

Click fraud prevention tools act as a surveillance system for your ads. They record every single interaction—IP address, device ID, screen resolution, and mouse movement. Unlike the limited data in your Google Ads dashboard, click fraud prevention tools give you the forensic logs required to prove your case.

If you suspect foul play, click fraud prevention tools can generate a "Refund Report." This report lists the exact IP addresses that clicked your ads suspiciously. It provides timestamps and user agent strings. Without data from click fraud prevention tools, your refund request is likely to be rejected for "insufficient evidence."

Once you have gathered your evidence (either manually or via click fraud prevention tools), you are ready to file a claim. You must use Google's official Click Quality Form.
Information You Will Need:

Writing the Summary: In the form's summary section, be concise. "I observed a 300% spike in traffic from [Location] with a 100% bounce rate. My click fraud prevention tools identified these IPs as belonging to a data center, not residential users. This appears to be targeted competitor click fraud."

Getting a refund is great, but preventing the loss is better. Relying on refunds is a slow process; investigations can take weeks. You need a strategy for proactive PPC fraud protection.

PPC fraud protection is about stopping the click before you are charged. While Google refunds you after the fact, specialized software can block the bad IP address in real-time.

IP Blocking: PPC fraud protection suites automatically add malicious IPs to your Google Ads exclusion list.

Geofencing: If you only service London, but your Google Ads dashboard shows clicks from Russia, PPC fraud protection rules can automatically block those regions. 

Device Fingerprinting: Advanced PPC fraud protection can identify the same attacker even if they switch IP addresses, ensuring your budget stays safe.

Fraud is not a one-time event; it is an ongoing battle. You should make it a habit to check the "Invalid Clicks" column in your Google Ads dashboard weekly.

If you see a sudden drop in ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), do not assume your ads are bad. Check for competitor click fraud first. Use your click fraud prevention tools to audit the traffic quality. If the tool flags a surge in bot activity, update your exclusion lists immediately.