The terms prohibit publishers from clicking their own ads or using any method, manual or automated, to artificially generate clicks or impressions, including the use of bots, robots, automated tools, or deceptive software.
This analysis describes what Google Ads's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision establishes a broad prohibition covering any mechanism of artificial click or impression generation, with the enumerated list described as non-exhaustive, meaning novel methods not explicitly listed may still constitute violations subject to account enforcement.
Under this clause, publishers are prohibited from engaging in any form of click or impression inflation, and the prohibition applies to both manual methods such as self-clicking and automated methods such as bot traffic, with violations constituting grounds for account disablement.
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Compare across platforms →"Publishers may not click their own ads or use any means to inflate impressions and/or clicks artificially, including manual methods. Clicks on Google ads must result from genuine user interest. Any method that artificially generates clicks or impressions on your Google ads is strictly prohibited. These prohibited methods include, but are not limited to, repeated manual clicks or impressions, automated click and impression generating tools and the use of robots or deceptive software. Please note that clicking your own ads for any reason is prohibited.Excerpt from Google Ads's Google AdSense Program Policies
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Click fraud and artificial impression inflation in digital advertising may engage FTC Act Section 5 prohibitions on unfair or deceptive practices in commerce, as these practices misrepresent ad performance metrics to advertisers.
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This provision establishes a broad prohibition covering any mechanism of artificial click or impression generation, with the enumerated list described as non-exhaustive, meaning novel methods not explicitly listed may still constitute violations subject to account enforcement.
Under this clause, publishers are prohibited from engaging in any form of click or impression inflation, and the prohibition applies to both manual methods such as self-clicking and automated methods such as bot traffic, with violations constituting grounds for account disablement.
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