Google Ads Spam Leads: How to Find the Source and Stop Fake Leads

Google Ads spam leads come from three different problems: bots that submit your forms, invalid clicks from non-human or fraudulent traffic, and real people who are simply unqualified. Each one needs a different fix. The lasting fix is to stop bidding on raw form fills and optimize to qualified leads imported from your CRM.

Much of the advice we reviewed stops at “turn off Search partners and add a CAPTCHA.” That helps, but it skips why Performance Max keeps finding junk, what Google will credit, and how to pull fake conversions back out of Smart Bidding. If you are still planning campaigns, start with our guide to Google Ads for lead generation. Last verified: September 16, 2026, against Google Ads Help, Google developer docs and Cloudflare’s Turnstile docs.

Key takeaways

• Diagnose first. Bots, invalid clicks and junk humans look alike in a CRM but need different fixes.
• Google credits invalid traffic, not genuine prospects who turn out to be junk. Investigation requests cover the last 60 days.
• A raw form fill as the primary conversion can teach Smart Bidding to find more spam. Move to Qualified lead or Converted lead once volume allows.
• Google says lead generation goal categories trigger invalid traffic protections built for lead gen.
• reCAPTCHA and Turnstile only protect a form when the token is verified on your server.
• Retract spam conversions within 7 days so bidding sees the correction. Website tag conversions need an order ID to be retracted.
• Since June 15, 2026, Google routes offline conversion and ECL uploads through the Data Manager API, so build new integrations there.

Why am I getting spam leads from Google Ads?

You get spam leads from Google Ads when bots reach your forms, when invalid traffic slips past Google’s filters, or when your settings attract real but unqualified people. The usual causes are Display and app inventory, Search partners, loose match types, wide location settings and bidding that optimizes toward any form fill.

Bots, invalid clicks and junk humans are three different problems

Form bots are automated programs that find a form and submit it. Many never click an ad, so they fill your inbox without showing up in Google Ads. Invalid clicks are ad clicks without genuine interest. Google’s invalid traffic article covers them in detail.

Junk humans are real people who will never buy: job seekers, students, people outside your service area or someone who wants a free version. Google’s invalid traffic rules target interactions without genuine interest, so its filters and credits are not designed to catch them. Targeting, qualification and better conversion data are what fix this group.

What are the usual culprits?

In the lead gen accounts we manage, the first thing we check is what the campaign optimizes toward. If a plain “Submit lead form” action is the primary goal, Smart Bidding treats a bot submission and a real enquiry as the same success, then finds more of whatever converted cheapest. Next we check placements, Search partners, Display Expansion, search terms and location settings. Threads such as “PMAX campaign is only providing spam and bot leads” show how these can combine in one account.

Diagnosis table: match your symptom to the fix

Find the likely source before you change anything.

Is it invalid traffic or a low-quality lead, and will Google refund it?

Google credits invalid traffic, not bad leads. Invalid impressions, clicks, interactions and conversions it detects before month end are removed from billing and reports, or credited later if found after billing. Google’s docs offer no credit for a genuine prospect who submits a junk enquiry.

What does Google count as invalid traffic?

Google defines invalid traffic as traffic without genuine interest: bots and automated software, accidental clicks, fraudulent placements such as clickjacking and ad stacking, and competitors clicking to raise costs. Detection combines automated filters, machine learning and manual review. Google’s invalid clicks article adds duplicate clicks, such as the second click of a double-click. Click fraud is one type of invalid traffic, not a separate category.

How do automatic filtering and credits work?

Add the Invalid clicks column to see what was filtered. Google’s Ad Traffic Quality page for advertisers adds two useful points: charges are based only on Google’s metrics, and with auto-tagging on, a visit without a GCLID did not come from your ad.

Invalid traffic vs low-quality leads

How do I file a Click Quality investigation?

Use the Click Quality form if you believe invalid activity was not filtered. Google says the form also covers poor quality form submissions, clicks outside your location targeting and sudden cost increases. Investigations cover the last 60 days, so act quickly.

1. Confirm the problem in Google Ads: date range, campaign, clicks, cost and Invalid clicks.
2. Pull IP addresses, GCLIDs, user agents and referrers for the suspect visits.
3. Include your customer ID, date range and campaign details.
4. Describe the pattern plainly, such as a burst of submissions from one search term overnight.
5. Keep fixing in parallel. A request does not stop the traffic.

Why won’t Google refund real people who submit junk?

Threads such as “Billed for Fake Leads” show the frustration. Google bills for ad interactions such as clicks, not leads. The Click Quality form accepts reports of poor quality submissions, but credits cover invalid traffic, and a genuine prospect who sends a useless enquiry does not fit that definition. The fix sits in your targeting and conversion data.

Why does Performance Max send so many spam leads?

Performance Max sends spam leads when it optimizes to a cheap, easy conversion such as any form submission while serving across Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps and Search partner inventory. Smart Bidding finds whoever converts at the lowest cost. If bots or low-intent visitors convert cheapest, that is exactly what you get more of.

Why does optimizing to “Submit lead form” attract form fillers?

Performance Max cannot tell a bot from a booked job unless you tell it. If a raw form fill is the primary conversion, every spam entry counts as a success. Google’s Performance Max lead gen best practices push the other way: with Maximize conversions, pick a goal further down the funnel and set Target CPA close to the maximum cost per lead you can accept; for value-based bidding, pick a goal closest to a sale with at least 15 conversions in the last 30 days.

Where do Performance Max ads actually show?

Check the channel performance and placement reports before you blame bots. If junk arrives mainly from Display, video or app placements, you have an inventory problem, not a fraud ring. Fraud Blocker’s benchmark of 104 million clicks across 43,701 accounts (six months to February 25, 2026) shows invalid click rates of 35.5% for Display and Video, 12.1% for Performance Max and 11.2% for Search. That is vendor data, not Google’s, and it measures clicks, not lead quality.

What does Google tell you to change in Performance Max for lead gen?

Google’s lead gen guidance for Performance Max says:

• Use lead generation goals (Contact, Submit lead form, Book appointment, Sign-up, Request quote, Qualified lead, Converted lead), which Google says get enhanced protections against invalid lead activity.
• Add qualifying questions, reCAPTCHA and server-side validation.
• Exclude irrelevant sites and apps from placement reports, and add negatives from search term insights.
• Consider turning off Final URL expansion, and add brand exclusions if needed.
• Switch location to “Presence” and review content suitability.
• Allow at least 1 to 2 weeks of learning, and up to 6 weeks for complex setups or low conversion volume.

If the campaign is underdelivering too, read why Performance Max is not performing or work through our PMax checklist.

Can you turn off Search partners and Display in Performance Max yet?

Not for most advertisers, as of late July 2026. PPC Land reported on July 28, 2026, citing Google via Digiday, that some advertisers have checkboxes to exclude the Search Partner Network and Display Network from Performance Max, in an alpha pilot with a limited group of advertisers. Without them, rely on account-level placement exclusions and better goals.

Do Search partners, Display Expansion and broad match cause junk leads?

They can. Search partners and Display Expansion widen where Search campaigns show, and broad match or AI Max widen which queries trigger them. None of them is spam by definition, but each adds traffic you control less. For lead gen, test each one against cost per qualified lead, not cost per form fill.

How do I turn off Search partners and Display Expansion?

Search partners are search sites and apps beyond Google, included by default. Google says their clicks “may not always reflect highly targeted traffic”. Untick “Include Google search partners” under Networks. Display Expansion spends unused Search budget on the Display Network; untick “Include Google Display Network”. With Maximize conversions, it shares budget when similar or better CPA is possible, and on a form-fill goal a similar CPA says nothing about lead quality.

Running Microsoft Advertising too? See our guide to excluding Microsoft syndicated search partners.

Do account-level placement exclusions block Search partner sites?

Yes. Account-level placement exclusions have also applied to Search partner websites since March 2024, for Performance Max, App, Search, Shopping and Smart campaigns. Find them under Tools, Content suitability, Advanced settings, Excluded placements; each list holds up to 65,000 entries. Google’s content suitability page also says parked domains ceased to be a Search partner ad surface effective February 10, 2026.

How do broad match and AI Max bring junk leads?

Broad match and AI Max find queries you did not add, which in lead gen often means job seekers, students, DIY and “free” searches. Read search terms weekly, build shared negative lists and move proven queries into tighter match types. Performance Max now has campaign-level negative keyword lists and search terms reporting; our Performance Max negative keywords strategy shows how to use them.

Should I use “Presence” or “Presence or interest” location targeting?

Use “Presence”. “Presence or interest” also reaches people interested in your area without being there, a common source of out-of-area leads for local businesses. Google’s Performance Max lead gen guidance recommends “Presence”, and the same logic applies to Search.

Which campaign settings stop spam leads from Google Ads?

The main settings that cut spam leads are a lead generation or qualified lead goal, Search partners and Display Expansion tested off, account-level placement exclusions, “Presence” location targeting, negative keyword lists, and IP exclusions for repeat offenders. Work through the checklist below, then judge every change by cost per qualified lead.

Brand exclusions in Performance Max only cover Search, Shopping and YouTube search inventory, not Display. Our Performance Max brand exclusions setup guide walks through it.

Do not assume more exclusions always win. Optmyzr’s study of 24,702 Performance Max campaigns (2024 data) found 58% of advertisers saw flat or slightly better performance with no exclusions. It was not lead gen specific, so treat exclusions as quality control you test.

How do I stop bots from submitting my lead forms?

Stop form bots with layered, server-side checks: a score-based reCAPTCHA or Cloudflare Turnstile token verified on your server, a hidden honeypot field, a minimum time to submit, rate limits, and email or phone validation. A widget on its own is not enough, because Cloudflare warns that tokens can be forged without server-side validation.

How does score-based reCAPTCHA work now?

reCAPTCHA is now part of Google Cloud Fraud Defense, and the classic reCAPTCHA v3 page is marked deprecated. That page describes a score from 1.0 (likely good) to 0.0 (likely bot) with no visible challenge, and says you can use 0.5 as a default threshold. Verify every token on your server, check the action name, and call execute when the visitor submits, because tokens expire after two minutes. The free Essentials tier covers 10,000 assessments a month across your organization.

Is Cloudflare Turnstile better than reCAPTCHA for lead forms?

Turnstile works on any site without routing traffic through Cloudflare, offers Managed, Non-interactive and Invisible modes, and meets WCAG 2.2 AA. Contact Form 7 recommends Turnstile unless you have a reason to use reCAPTCHA. Either works if you verify tokens properly.

The step that matters most is server-side validation. Cloudflare says you must call the Siteverify API, because the widget alone does not protect your forms. Tokens last 300 seconds and validate once. The Free plan allows unlimited challenges but caps you at 20 widgets and 10 hostnames per widget.

Do honeypot fields, time checks and rate limits still work?

Yes, against simple bots. A honeypot is a hidden field, such as “website”, that people do not see or fill in; bots that complete every field get rejected. Hide it from screen readers and keyboard focus. A time check rejects forms completed faster than a person could type, and a rate limit caps submissions per IP or session. Set thresholds carefully so autofill users are not blocked.

On form submit (server side):
  if honeypot_field is not empty: reject
  if seconds_since_form_loaded is below your minimum: reject
  if submissions from this IP in the last hour exceed your limit: reject
  verify the reCAPTCHA or Turnstile token: reject on failure
  store the gclid and a unique order ID with the lead

What about double opt-in and phone validation?

Google names reCAPTCHA, double opt-in and server-side validation in its best practices for high-quality leads. Double opt-in confirms the email but can lower completed leads, so it suits downloads more than urgent enquiries. For phones, Twilio Lookup Line Type Intelligence returns the line type, such as mobile, landline or VoIP, so your CRM can flag suspect numbers before sales calls them.

Form protection comparison

None of these stops a real person with the wrong intent. If forms also convert poorly for genuine visitors, our conversion rate optimization services review form length and qualification together.

How do I stop spam from Google lead form assets?

Turn on qualifying responses and SMS phone number verification in your lead form asset, both available for Search campaigns, and send leads to your CRM by webhook so you can grade them quickly. Qualifying responses tag matching answers as qualified leads, and SMS verification filters out invalid numbers, automated spam and bots.

How do qualifying responses and SMS verification work?

Qualifying responses turn multiple-choice answers into a rule. Matching submissions are tagged as qualified leads, get a Lead stage in CSV, webhook and API output, and count in the Qualified lead goal. Questions must be required. SMS phone number verification adds a one-time password step.

Ask questions that separate buyers from browsers: service type, budget, timeline or location. A law firm might ask about case type; our PPC for law firms guide covers legal lead gen.

Why can’t some accounts use lead forms?

Lead form assets run in Search and Performance Max, but require a good policy history, an eligible vertical and a privacy policy. Lead forms on Video or Display campaigns, or Search ads whose headline opens the form directly, also need spend history: the lead form policy lists more than $50,000 USD total spend, or more than $1,000 USD per account ($15,000 USD across accounts) with verification. The policy excludes sexual content, alcohol, gambling, healthcare and medicines, and political content. Google keeps leads for 60 days and CSV downloads cover only the last 30, so deliver them by webhook or integration.

How do I make Google Ads optimize for qualified leads instead of form fills?

Make a Qualified lead or Converted lead action your primary conversion, imported from your CRM through enhanced conversions for leads or offline conversion import, and set raw form fills to secondary. Bidding then learns from leads your sales team accepted. Keep every lead action in a lead generation goal category so Google’s lead gen protections apply.

What is the difference between primary and secondary conversion actions?

A primary action drives bidding when the campaign uses its goal. A secondary action stays out of Conversions and bidding but shows in All conversions. Campaign-specific goals override account defaults. Keeping the raw form fill as secondary lets you watch volume while a quality stage drives bids.

Which goal categories trigger Google’s lead gen protections?

Google says lead generation goals such as Qualified lead, Converted lead, Book appointment and Request quote “automatically trigger invalid traffic protections”; its Performance Max guide adds Contact, Submit lead form and Sign-up. It does not document how they work or how much spam they remove. Our reading, not Google’s: a form action set to Other or Page view is not a listed lead gen goal and may miss them, so we recategorize those first.

How do Qualified lead and Converted lead goals work?

A Qualified lead is a lead you qualified further in your CRM; a Converted lead completed a later step, such as a signed contract. Create them under Goals, Conversions, Summary, Create conversion action, Import, then choose CRMs, files or other data sources.

Conversion setup fixes table

Google recommends value-based bidding when leads differ in value. Conversion value rules adjust values by location, device or audience, but Google’s docs do not describe using them to zero out spam. The customer acquisition goal also offers a new customers only mode, which Google recommends for non-purchase goals like lead generation.

How do I set up offline conversion import or enhanced conversions for leads in 2026?

Set up enhanced conversions for leads with a Qualified lead or Converted lead goal, send CRM outcomes through the Google tag, Data Manager or its API, and run any GCLID import in parallel for about four weeks. Since June 15, 2026, Google routes offline conversion uploads through the Data Manager API, not the Google Ads API.

Should I use GCLID import or enhanced conversions for leads?

Offline conversion import links CRM outcomes to clicks through the GCLID. Enhanced conversions for leads (ECL) uses hashed first-party data instead, and Google recommends it for durability, accuracy and cross-device conversions. The ECL setup guide requires email, phone or address, plus GCLID if you do not use the Google tag. Google also recommends sending order ID, value, currency and consent, and data is hashed with SHA-256.

Our enhanced conversions setup guide covers tagging, and our Google Consent Mode guide covers the consent signals Google asks for.

What changed on June 15, 2026?

Google Ads Help says offline conversion and ECL uploads moved to the Data Manager API and are blocked in the Google Ads API, and developer tokens inactive from January to June 2026 get no legacy allowlisting. The API docs say UploadClickConversion requests fail if the developer token had not uploaded offline conversions or ECL before. The Data Manager API is Google’s unified ingestion API, and Google announced on September 10, 2026 that it is now universal. Google’s enhanced conversions settings page also says web and leads combine into one on or off setting from June 2026, with user-provided data accepted from tags, Data Manager and the API at the same time.

How do I upgrade from GCLID import to enhanced conversions for leads?

Google’s upgrade guide uses a parallel run:

1. Create a new ECL conversion action with the Qualified lead or Converted lead goal.
2. Capture email, phone or address with every lead.
3. Send data through the Google tag, Data Manager or its API.
4. Run both actions for 1 to 2 conversion cycles or 4 weeks.
5. Make ECL primary and the old import secondary.

Watch the import windows: 90 days for Google Cloud Storage, Amazon S3, HTTP, SFTP and Google Sheets; 14 days on the first run for Salesforce and HubSpot; and 14 days per run for BigQuery, Redshift, Snowflake, MySQL and PostgreSQL.

How do I remove spam conversions that already trained Smart Bidding?

Retract them with conversion adjustments. Upload a RETRACT for each spam conversion at least 24 hours after it was recorded, matched by order ID (required for website tag conversions) or, for imported conversions, GCLID plus conversion time. Adjustments are allowed within 54 days, but bidding only reads those made within 7 days.

Why isn’t negating the search term enough?

Optmyzr describes an agency case where a bot drove about 50 overnight conversions on one search term. A negative stops new clicks, but counted conversions stay in the data bidding learns from. Optmyzr says it found no way to un-count them; Google’s conversion adjustments can, when each conversion carries an order ID or was imported. Find the source first, negate or exclude it, then retract.

How do I retract spam conversions?

Conversion adjustments offer RETRACT to remove a conversion and RESTATE to change its value.

1. Send a unique order ID with every form conversion tag and store it, plus the GCLID, with the lead.
2. Mark confirmed spam in the CRM daily.
3. After 24 hours, build a RETRACT file matched by order ID, or GCLID plus conversion time for imported conversions.
4. Upload by spreadsheet or Data Manager within 7 days.
5. Use RESTATE when a lead was real but worth less.
6. Keep fixing the source. Retractions do not stop new spam.

Should I use data exclusions for spam?

Usually not. Data exclusions tell Smart Bidding to ignore periods when tracking broke, such as missing tags or failed uploads. Google’s docs do not mention spam, advise excluding at least 90% of affected clicks, and say not to remove an exclusion once applied. Use retractions for spam wherever the conversions can be identified.

How do I reduce fake and spam calls from Google Ads?

Set a minimum call length that reflects a real enquiry so short spam calls do not count as conversions, then import call outcomes from your call tracking or CRM as qualified leads. Tighten location targeting to “Presence”, schedule call assets for staffed hours, and check which campaigns and placements produce the short calls.

What minimum call length should I set?

Google counts a call conversion from call-only ads, call assets or location assets once a call lasts the minimum length you set. It needs call reporting and Google forwarding numbers, which are available in listed countries. Website call tracking uses the same idea to filter short calls. The pages we checked state no default, so base it on how long a genuine enquiry takes.

How do I stop spam calls training bidding?

Threads such as “Spam calls from Unknown numbers” mix two problems: calls you pay for and calls counted as conversions. Import booked jobs or qualified calls as a Qualified lead goal and make it primary. If you run Local Services Ads, that product handles leads separately; see our Local Services Ads guide.

Do IP exclusions or click fraud tools stop Google Ads bot traffic?

Only partly. IP exclusions block known repeat addresses, but you can add only 500 per campaign and many bots rotate addresses. Click fraud tools spot patterns and automate exclusions, but Google bills on its own metrics, so their numbers may not match your invoice. Treat both as supplements to Google’s filtering, not replacements.

How many IP addresses can I exclude in Google Ads?

Google allows 500 IP exclusions per campaign, a cap the API system limits repeat and a July 2025 reply from Google’s API forum team says cannot be raised. Account-level IP exclusions under Admin, Account settings also exist, with no limit stated in Google’s help article. A 2023 forum post asking how to block around 30,000 VPN and ASN IP addresses after a wave of fraudulent clicks and spam leads shows how quickly IP lists run out.

Are third-party click fraud tools worth it?

Tools such as ClickCease (now part of CHEQ), Fraud Blocker, ClickGUARD and Lunio monitor clicks, flag patterns and push IP exclusions. We do not endorse any vendor; test one against your own data. Vendor and Google numbers differ: Fraud Blocker reports an 11.4% average invalid click rate across Google Ads campaigns, but 17.87% in its own platform data. Before buying, ask:

• Does it require auto-tagging and read the GCLID?
• How does it handle the 500 IP cap and Performance Max?
• Does it catch form bots, or only ad clicks?

How do I measure lead quality and catch spam early?

Track every lead through CRM stages (spam, unqualified, qualified, opportunity, won) and report spam rate, qualified lead rate and cost per qualified lead by campaign every week. Alert on conversion increases, not just drops. A spike in cheap conversions with a flat pipeline is the earliest sign a bot has found your form.

Which KPIs and Google tools help?

• Spam rate: spam leads divided by total leads.
• Qualified lead rate: qualified leads divided by total leads.
• Cost per qualified lead: spend divided by qualified leads; our CPA calculator does the math.
• Share of leads with a GCLID: a drop points to form bots.

Google’s Lead Journey Mapping maps lead-to-sale stages, and journey-aware bidding, announced in beta in May 2026, lets Search campaigns on Target CPA learn from both biddable and non-biddable goals when the journey is tracked. For a wider review, use our Google Ads audit checklist or the scored audit checklist tool.

What is a 30-day plan to clean up Google Ads spam leads?

Spend the first week stopping the bleeding with form protection and retractions, the second week tightening networks, exclusions and targeting, the third week rebuilding conversion data around qualified leads, and the final days judging results by cost per qualified lead. Change one layer at a time so you can see what worked.

What do several guides get wrong about Google Ads spam leads?

Several spam lead guides we reviewed predate Google’s 2025 and 2026 changes, or end in a click fraud tool pitch. The errors we found include outdated inventory claims, saying spam conversions cannot be undone, advising settings Google has since removed, glossing over free plan caps, missing the refund deadline and quoting fraud statistics with no published method.

• “Demand Gen only shows on Google-owned properties.” Google’s Demand Gen page lists the Google Display Network alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps.
• “Nothing undoes spam conversions.” Retractions can, within 54 days and within 7 days for bidding, as long as each conversion has an order ID or was imported with a GCLID.
• “Block parked domains in your content exclusions.” Google says parked domains ceased to be a Search partner ad surface effective February 10, 2026, and that the parked domains option in content suitability would be removed at that time.
• “Turnstile is free without limits.” Challenges are unlimited, but the Free plan caps widgets and hostnames, and reCAPTCHA is also free up to 10,000 assessments a month.
• “There are no restrictions on when or how many times you can request a refund for invalid clicks.” A 2023 vendor guide says this, but Google limits investigations to the last 60 days.
• Unsourced fraud statistics. We found no named, dated study on Performance Max lead quality, and the only sized invalid click dataset we found is vendor data.

Where Google’s own docs disagree

Google’s help pages conflict on a few points that matter for spam clean-up: IP exclusions in Performance Max, the Data Manager API cutoff, lead form spend eligibility and Search partner site visibility. Here is each conflict and the safest way to read it as of September 2026.

• IP exclusions in Performance Max. The IP exclusions article says account-level exclusions apply “including Performance Max”, yet also says IP exclusions are not available for Performance Max campaigns. Safest reading: no campaign-level IP exclusions in PMax, but account-level lists reach it.
• API cutoff. Help pages say offline uploads are blocked in the Google Ads API from June 15, 2026, while the API docs say requests fail only for tokens that had not uploaded before. Build anything new on Data Manager.
• Lead form spend. The asset article gives only the $1,000 per account (or $15,000 across accounts) route; the policy page lists more than $50,000 total spend first. Both apply only to Video or Display lead forms and Search ads whose headline opens the form.
• Search partner visibility. Google only names partner sites for Performance Max, yet account-level placement exclusions also block partner sites in Search campaigns, where you cannot see which ones served your ads.

Frequently asked questions

These answers cover the questions advertisers ask most in the Google Ads Community and in our audits: fake leads, Performance Max spam, refunds, IP limits, form protection, spam calls and cleaning fake conversions out of bidding data. Each answer stands on its own.

Why am I getting fake leads from Google Ads?

Usually form bots, invalid clicks Google missed, or settings that attract the wrong people, such as Display inventory or “Presence or interest” targeting. Check whether leads carry a GCLID, then match the symptom in the diagnosis table.

Does Google refund money for fake leads?

Google removes or credits invalid traffic it detects, but its docs offer no credit for genuine prospects who submit junk. If you think invalid activity was missed, file a Click Quality request within 60 days.

Why is my Performance Max campaign only providing spam and bot leads?

It is usually optimizing to raw form submissions while serving on Display, video and partner inventory. Add server-side form protection and placement exclusions, then move the goal to Qualified lead or Converted lead.

How do I set up Performance Max without getting spam leads?

Launch with a lead gen goal category, server-side form protection and GCLID capture. Follow Google’s guidance: goals close to sales, Target CPA near your real maximum cost per lead, placement exclusions and “Presence” targeting.

What is the difference between click fraud and invalid traffic?

Click fraud is deliberate, such as bots or competitors clicking to waste your budget. Invalid traffic is Google’s wider term and also covers accidental, duplicate and non-human clicks.

How long do I have to report invalid clicks to Google?

Click Quality investigations cover activity within the last 60 days. Collect IP addresses, GCLIDs, dates and campaign details quickly, then submit the form.

How many IP addresses can I exclude in Google Ads?

Up to 500 per campaign, and Google’s API forum team says the limit cannot be raised. Account-level IP exclusions also exist, with no limit stated in Google’s help article.

Can I exclude IP addresses from Performance Max?

Not at campaign level. Google’s IP exclusions article is inconsistent, but it says account-level IP exclusions apply to campaigns including Performance Max, so add them under Admin, Account settings.

Should I turn off Search partners to stop spam leads?

Test it. Turn partners off in a Search campaign and compare cost per qualified lead over a few weeks, since results vary by account.

Does reCAPTCHA stop spam leads from Google Ads?

Score-based reCAPTCHA stops many form bots when tokens are verified server-side, but not real people with the wrong intent. The Essentials tier is free up to 10,000 assessments a month across your organization.

Is Cloudflare Turnstile free?

Yes. The Free plan includes unlimited challenges, up to 20 widgets and 10 hostnames per widget, but it only protects forms if your server calls Siteverify.

Do Google lead form assets get spam, and how do I filter it?

They can. In Search campaigns, turn on SMS phone number verification and required qualifying questions with qualifying responses. Send leads to your CRM by webhook, because Google keeps them for only 60 days.

Can I remove fake conversions from Google Ads bidding data?

Usually. Upload RETRACT adjustments at least 24 hours after the conversion, matched by order ID or, for imported conversions, GCLID and conversion time. They are allowed within 54 days, but bidding only uses those made within 7 days.

How do I optimize Google Ads for qualified leads instead of form fills?

Import a Qualified lead or Converted lead action through enhanced conversions for leads, and make it primary once data flows reliably. Set raw form fills to secondary so they stay visible but stop driving bids.

What happens to offline conversion uploads after June 15, 2026?

Google moved offline conversion and enhanced conversions for leads uploads to the Data Manager API. Build new integrations there and check existing connectors.

How do I stop spam calls from Google Ads?

Set a minimum call length that matches a genuine enquiry and run call assets only during staffed hours. Then import real call outcomes as qualified leads, so short spam calls stop training bidding.

Want help cleaning up spam leads in your Google Ads account?

If spam leads keep coming back after these fixes, an outside review usually finds the cause faster than another month of guessing. Our free $500 audit reviews your conversion goals, network and placement settings, form protection, offline conversion setup and lead quality reporting, and we look for the gaps that let junk leads reach bidding.

Hustle Marketers is a Google Partner agency that has managed $90M+ in ad spend. Our Google Ads agency and PPC management services are month to month, and you own your ad accounts. See lead gen results in our commercial cleaning equipment case study (5.3x more leads at 73% lower cost per lead) and law firm case study (20x leads, lower CPL), then request your free $500 audit.

About the author: Ishant Sharma is a Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and SEO specialist who has worked in digital marketing since 2013, and the founder of Hustle Marketers, a Google Partner agency. Over that time he has worked with law firms, driving schools, commercial equipment suppliers and other lead generation businesses, along with ecommerce brands, and his agency has worked with more than 2,500 brands. He reviews lead quality, conversion tracking and campaign settings in the Google Ads accounts his team manages.