AdMob Limited Ad Serving: What It Means and How to Fix
What limited ad serving means, why Google applies it, what changes for your earnings and the steps that help clear it.
Read the guide →AdMob Invalid Traffic: Meaning, Causes and How to Appeal
Quick answer AdMob invalid traffic, which Google calls invalid activity, is any click or impression that could artificially raise advertiser costs or publisher earnings, such as clicking your own live ads. Fix the cause first, then appeal honestly through the appeal form if your account was suspended.
Few messages scare an app developer more than one that mentions invalid traffic. Your earnings may drop, ad serving may be limited and your account may be at risk. This guide explains what Google means, the causes behind most cases, how to find yours, what to fix before you appeal and how to write an appeal that is honest and complete.
What is AdMob invalid traffic?
AdMob invalid traffic, which Google's help pages call invalid activity, means clicks or impressions that could artificially raise advertiser costs or publisher earnings. Google analyzes all clicks and impressions for such patterns. Clicking your own live ads is the best-known example, but it also covers friends clicking too much, purchased traffic and layouts that cause accidental taps.
It is the reason behind some ad serving limits. Our guide to AdMob limited ad serving explains the limit itself, while this guide is about the invalid activity behind it and what to do if your account is suspended.
A note on honesty: This guide helps you fix real problems and appeal truthfully. It does not help hide activity from Google. If you or someone you are responsible for caused the activity, say so and explain what you changed.
What causes invalid traffic?
Google's invalid activity page names several things to review. The table adds what we see most often with new app developers.
| Cause | What Google says or implies | Typical situation |
|---|---|---|
| Clicking your own live ads | Against AdMob policy and can lead to suspension | Checking whether ads work on your own phone |
| Friends clicking too many times | Named as an example to review | Family and testers tapping ads out of curiosity |
| Purchased traffic | Evaluate your sources and avoid purchased traffic | Paying for installs or traffic from unknown sources |
| Ad placements causing accidental clicks | Review placements that cause users to click accidentally | Banner next to buttons, interstitial on Back |
| Untrusted partners or low-quality sources | Avoid partnerships with them | Cheap install providers |
Offering rewards for clicking ads is also against Google's policies, so check the AdMob policy pages before you design any reward feature. Our list of risky placements is in the limited ad serving guide.
What happens when AdMob finds it?
| Stage | What Google describes |
|---|---|
| Ad serving limit | Serving can be limited due to invalid traffic concerns. This applies to AdMob Network only. Continued invalid activity may lead to further enforcement. |
| Suspension | Clicking your own live ads or inflating impressions may get your account suspended. |
| Disabling | If invalid activity continues after reinstatement, the account may be disabled. Google may also disable ad serving at any time at its sole discretion. |
| Final payment | Disabled publishers may get a payment for revenue not identified as invalid, after a payment hold of at least 30 days. |
Google's page on ad serving limits adds that such limits typically affect publishers for less than 30 days, though some take longer.
How do you find the cause?
Start with your own behavior and your testers, then look at the data. Google does not tell you the exact clicks it flagged, so you are looking for the most likely explanation.
| What to check | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Did you use live ad units while building or testing? | Your own clicks or impressions |
| Was a closed test running with live ads? | Testers or friends tapping ads. See how testers join a closed test |
| Did you buy installs or traffic? | Purchased traffic |
| Is there a sudden spike from one country or one app version? | A source you do not control |
| Do banners sit next to buttons, or interstitials show on launch or Back? | Accidental clicks |
| Did you recently add a mediation partner or SDK? | A partner source to review |
| Does your Policy center show any message? | A specific policy issue to fix |
What should you fix before appealing?
- Switch every development build to test adsUse Google's test ad units. See the test ads guide.
- Stop all clicking of live adsIncluding your own and your family's. Tell everyone clearly.
- Fix risky placementsMove ads away from buttons, remove interstitials on launch and Back, and never cover close buttons.
- Remove paid traffic and doubtful sourcesStop buying installs. Remove partners you cannot vouch for.
- Update your testing instructionsAdd “Please do not click ads” to your tester message. See how to share the closed testing link.
- Record what you changedWrite down dates and the exact changes. You will need them for the appeal.
How do you write the appeal?
Google says appeals must go through the appeal form. You must be able to say in good faith that the activity was not caused by you or by anyone you are responsible for, and you can describe planned changes. If that statement is not true for you, do not write it. Describe what happened and what you have changed instead.
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Be specific about your app, package name and dates | Write vague claims of innocence |
| Explain what you found and what you changed | Blame Google or other developers |
| Admit mistakes that are yours, for example testing with live ads | Hide activity you know about |
| Describe the controls you now use, such as test ads | Threaten, argue or send repeated messages |
| Keep it short and factual | Paste long legal-sounding text |
Here is a template. Replace everything in square brackets with real details and delete lines that are not true.
Subject: Appeal for AdMob account [publisher ID]
Hello,
I am the developer of [app name] (package [package name]).
My account was [limited / suspended] on [date] for invalid activity.
What I found:
- [For example: during development and my closed test between
[dates], I used live ad units on test devices and some testers
tapped ads.]
What I changed:
- [Switched all development builds to test ad units on [date].]
- [Moved the banner away from the main buttons and removed the
interstitial that showed on launch.]
- [Told all testers not to click ads and added this to my
tester instructions.]
- [I do not buy installs or traffic.]
I understand the AdMob policies and I will keep following them.
I would be grateful if you could review my account again.
Thank you,
[Name]What happens after you appeal?
Google says reinstatement is not guaranteed and that further appeals may not be considered after a decision. That is why you fix the cause first and send one complete appeal rather than several quick ones. Google does not give a standard reply time on the pages we read, so keep working on your app while you wait. If your app is still in its closed test, applying for production access does not depend on AdMob.
How do you prevent it?
- Use test ads in every debug and closed test build, and switch to live units only for the version you publish.
- Put a no-clicking line in every tester message. If you buy testers, make sure the provider does the same. See what to ask a tester provider.
- Review your placements against typical user journeys before launch.
- Check AdMob's Policy center regularly.
- Read why ads may not show in a new app so you do not mistake normal start-up delays for a problem and start clicking to test.
Part of a series: this article is one chapter of Google Play Closed Testing: The Complete Guide. Start there for the full roadmap from setup to production.
Sources
- AdMob Help: Invalid activity
- AdMob Help: Ad serving limits
- AdMob Help: Limited ad serving
- AdMob Help: Enable test ads
- AdMob Help: Policy enforcement and ad serving
Frequently asked questions
Is invalid traffic the same as limited ad serving?
They are related. Google lists invalid traffic concerns as one cause of an ad serving limit. Limited ad serving is the restriction, and invalid activity is one reason Google may apply it.
Can I appeal a limit on ad serving?
For a traffic quality assessment Google says it reviews and updates the limit automatically. Appeals go through the appeal form when invalid activity has led to a suspension.
Will I be paid if my account is disabled?
Google says disabled publishers may get a final payment for revenue not identified as invalid, after a payment hold of at least 30 days.
Can my friends or testers cause invalid traffic?
Yes. Google gives friends clicking your ads too many times as an example to review. Use test ads and ask testers not to click ads.
Can I appeal more than once?
Google says further appeals may not be considered after a decision, and reinstatement is not guaranteed. Make the first appeal complete and honest.
Should I open a new AdMob account instead?
We do not recommend it. A new account does not remove the cause, and the same activity can trigger the same problem. Fix the cause first.
