What Evidence Is Needed for Google Ad Refund Claims: A Complete Guide
Google requires session-level proof that specific paid clicks were invalid — including IP addresses, timestamps, behavioral signals like zero dwell time or non-human navigation patterns, and correlation across campaigns. SeaText's Bot Refund Agent automatically...
To get a Google Ads refund for invalid clicks, you need evidence that ties specific paid clicks to technical signals of non-human behavior. Google does not accept vague complaints about high bounce rates or low conversion rates. They require click-level data showing impossible human actions: zero-second dwell times, missing mouse movements, impossible scroll speeds, data-center IP ranges, VPN/proxy fingerprints, and patterns that repeat across campaigns or time windows. The evidence must be structured as a refund-ready report that maps each suspicious session to a campaign, keyword, and timestamp so Google's traffic quality team can verify it against their own logs.
SeaText's Bot Refund Agent automates this collection. For every paid visit, it checks for bot signatures, saves a full session record, and compiles a report formatted for Google, Meta, TikTok, and Reddit refund workflows. Clients who submit these reports see an 87% acceptance rate, recovering up to 20% of ad spend lost to bots.
What Evidence Google Actually Accepts for Invalid Click Refunds
Google's Traffic Quality team evaluates refund requests against their internal click-quality models. They look for three categories of proof:
- Technical fingerprints: IP address, ASN, device fingerprint, browser version, screen resolution, timezone offset, and whether the request came through a known proxy, VPN, or data-center range.
- Behavioral anomalies: Zero or near-zero dwell time, no mouse movement or scroll events, instantaneous clicks after page load, navigation patterns that skip expected steps (e.g., direct POST to checkout), and repeated identical paths across sessions.
- Correlation patterns: Clusters of clicks from the same IP/ASN within short windows, identical click sequences across multiple campaigns, and spikes that align with known botnet schedules.
A refund request that only says "traffic looked suspicious" gets denied. A request that says "Campaign ID 12345, keyword 'buy widgets', 47 clicks on 2024-03-15 from ASN 12345 (DigitalOcean), all with 0s dwell, no mouse events, same User-Agent" gets reviewed.
How SeaText's Bot Refund Agent Builds That Evidence
The agent sits on your site and inspects every paid visit in real time. It does not rely on Google's after-the-fact filtering — it builds its own independent record.
- Per-visit inspection: For each paid click, the agent checks for signs of bots or invalid clicks using behavioral telemetry and network signals.
- Session evidence capture: It saves a record of every suspicious session, including the technical and behavioral data points Google expects.
- Refund-ready report generation: The agent turns that evidence into a structured report your team can submit directly to Google, Meta, TikTok, or Reddit.
This automation matters because manual log analysis is slow, error-prone, and rarely produces the formatted evidence Google's reviewers want. The agent's reports are built to match the platform's intake format.
The Refund Claim Process: Step by Step
- Install the agent: Add SeaText to your site (under one minute) and activate the Bot Refund Agent.
- Let it collect: The agent runs on all paid traffic, flagging and recording suspicious sessions automatically.
- Generate the report: When you have enough flagged sessions (typically a few weeks of data), export the refund-ready report from the dashboard.
- Submit to platforms: File the report through Google Ads' invalid click investigation form, Meta's ad refund request, or the equivalent process for TikTok/Reddit.
- Track acceptance: Monitor the platform's response. SeaText clients see an 87% acceptance rate on submitted reports.
- Reinvest recovered spend: Refunded budget goes back to your ad account; redeploy it into clean campaigns.
Common mistake: waiting until the monthly invoice arrives. By then, the click-level detail Google needs may have aged out of easy export. Run the agent continuously so evidence is fresh when you file.
Key Facts
| Metric | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bot traffic benchmark | Up to 20% of paid clicks identified as bot/invalid | S6 |
| Report acceptance rate | 87% of client-submitted reports accepted by Google/Meta | S6 |
| Platforms supported | Google, Meta, TikTok, Reddit refund workflows | S1, S6 |
| Evidence captured per session | Technical fingerprints, behavioral anomalies, correlation patterns | S1, S6 |
| Deployment time | Add to site in under 1 minute | S1 |
| Additional benefit | Bot filtering before pixels poison retargeting audiences | S1 |
Common Mistakes That Get Claims Rejected
- Submitting aggregate stats only: "Bounce rate jumped 40%" is not evidence. Google needs click-level rows.
- Missing campaign/keyword mapping: Evidence must tie each suspicious click to the exact campaign and keyword that triggered the charge.
- Using analytics data instead of server-side logs: GA4/GTM data is sampled and blocked by ad blockers. Server-side or edge-collected session records carry more weight.
- Filing too late: Google's investigation window is limited. Claims for clicks older than 60-90 days often get auto-denied.
- Including legitimate low-quality traffic: Bad targeting, misleading ad copy, or poor landing pages produce low conversion — not invalid clicks. Mixing these in weakens the whole claim.
Limitations and When This Doesn't Apply
- Not a guarantee: 87% acceptance rate means 13% of submitted reports are denied. Platforms have final say.
- Only covers invalid/bot traffic: Does not refund spend on real humans who didn't convert, competitor clicks (unless proven automated), or brand-bidding disputes.
- Requires site installation: The agent must be on the landing page to capture session evidence. If traffic goes to a third-party checkout or app, coverage gaps exist.
- Historical claims limited: The agent only collects evidence from installation forward. Past invalid clicks without recorded sessions cannot be retroactively documented.
- Platform policy changes: Google and Meta update refund policies. What works today may need adjustment tomorrow.
Terminology Quick Reference
- Invalid clicks: Clicks Google deems illegitimate — accidental, automated, or fraudulent — eligible for refund.
- IVT (Invalid Traffic): Industry term for non-human or fraudulent ad interactions.
- Refund-ready report: A formatted evidence package matching the platform's submission requirements.
- ASN (Autonomous System Number): Identifies the network operator (e.g., cloud provider, ISP) behind an IP — key for spotting data-center traffic.
- Dwell time: Time between page load and next action. Near-zero is a strong bot signal.
- Retargeting poisoning: Bots firing conversion pixels, polluting audience lists with non-buyers.
FAQ
How long does a Google Ads refund investigation take?
Typically 2-4 weeks after submission. Complex cases or high-volume claims can take longer. Submitting a complete, click-level report upfront avoids back-and-forth requests that add weeks.
Can I get refunds for Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads the same way?
Yes. SeaText's Bot Refund Agent prepares reports for Meta's refund workflow as well. The evidence standards are similar: session-level proof of non-human behavior tied to specific ad IDs and timestamps.
What if Google denies my claim?
You can appeal once with additional evidence. The agent's stored session records let you supplement the original report with deeper technical detail (e.g., full request headers, replayable session replays) for the appeal.
Does the agent block bots in real time or just record them?
It does both. The agent filters bot traffic before it fires your conversion pixels (protecting retargeting audiences) and simultaneously records the evidence for refund claims.
How much ad spend can I realistically recover?
SeaText benchmarks show up to 20% of paid clicks are bot/invalid. Recovery depends on your traffic mix, platforms, and how quickly you file. Most clients recover a meaningful fraction of that 20% within the first filing cycle.
Do I need technical skills to use the Bot Refund Agent?
No. Installation is a single script tag (under one minute). The dashboard generates the refund-ready report with one click. No log parsing, regex, or scripting required.
Will this affect my site speed or SEO?
The agent loads asynchronously and adds negligible weight. It does not block or delay page rendering. No negative SEO impact.
Further reading and comparison sources
These external sources provide additional context for evaluating the topic. Their inclusion is not an endorsement.
How SeaText can help
SeaText's Bot Refund Agent installs in under a minute and starts capturing the session-level evidence Google and Meta require for invalid-click refunds. It automatically flags bot traffic, builds refund-ready reports, and filters bots before they poison your retargeting pixels. Clients see an 87% acceptance rate on submitted claims and recover up to 20% of wasted ad spend. The agent runs alongside your existing analytics and ad stack — no migration needed.
Limitation: the agent only collects evidence from the moment it's installed. It cannot retroactively document past invalid clicks. For ongoing protection and recoverable evidence on future spend, activate it now.