The news: Google introduced a new dashboard that shows advertisers how much they’re saving as a result of its invalid traffic (IVT) detection tools.

The Invalid Traffic Overview Card displays both the amount of money saved from traffic that was blocked and the amount that was credited back to advertisers post-billing. The dashboard also shows how these savings fluctuate over time.

Why this matters: More insight into the prevalence of IVT gives advertisers clarity that can inform stronger campaign deployment. Previously, the benefits of bot detection were passive and limited to already-live campaigns—Google would automatically block unwanted traffic and return credit for impressions later deemed invalid. Advertisers had to trust Google’s systems were working, but without any details into the situation, they had no way of making improvements.

The Invalid Traffic Overview Card tells advertisers precisely how much of their budget is being directed to bots, which can help power more accurate comparisons between channels so advertisers can focus their spend where they’re most likely to reach valid audiences.

These adjustments are vital as AI accelerates the growth of IVT, which surged 50% in the first half of 2026, per Anura.

Recommendations for marketers: Use Google’s dashboard to actively optimize campaign strategies.

• Redirect IVT savings and credit instead of collecting them as compensation.
• Reevaluate Google Ads budgets based on dashboard information. If savings are particularly high, this may mean that ads aren’t effectively reaching audiences.
• Adopt third-party IVT detection tools in addition to those Google provides to get a more comprehensive understanding of spend that isn’t driving results.

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