Glossary entry
What is IP Exclusion?
IP Exclusion is a technique in digital advertising that stops particular IP addresses from seeing ads. It's mainly used to weed out known click fraud sources or internal traffic.
How IP Exclusion Works
IP Exclusion works by keeping a list of IP addresses that can't receive ads or have their activity counted. Advertisers or ad platforms add IPs to this list based on evidence of dodgy behaviour, such as repeated clicks from the same address with no conversions, or known data centre IPs bots use. When an ad request comes from a blocked IP, the ad server either refuses to serve the ad, or serves it but ignores the impression or click data.
Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads have built-in IP exclusion tools, so advertisers can manually enter IPs or upload lists. But these lists are static and need constant updating to stay effective against fraud sources that keep changing.
Why IP Exclusion Matters for Ad Fraud
IP Exclusion is a basic but limited defence against click fraud. It works best against simple, repeated attacks from a small number of IPs. For instance, if a competitor clicks your ads from a single office IP, you can block them quickly.
But sophisticated fraudsters use huge IP pools, including residential proxies and rotating IPs, which makes static IP exclusion lists pretty useless. Relying only on IP exclusion can give you a false sense of security, because it catches just a tiny slice of modern ad fraud.
Limitations and Best Practices
Limitations:
- Static lists can't keep up with the dynamic IP rotation that botnets use.
- Blocking an IP might also block legitimate users who share that IP, like in offices or on public Wi-Fi.
- IP exclusion only tackles one type of fraud; it won't catch click injection, SDK spoofing, or other clever methods.
Best Practices:
- Use IP exclusion as part of a layered defence, not on its own.
- Keep your exclusion lists current by updating them with real-time threat intelligence.
- Use it alongside other detection tools such as device fingerprinting, behavioural analysis, and third-party fraud detection services.
Platform Protection versus Third-Party Protection
Ad platforms give you basic IP exclusion tools, but these tend only to filter traffic that their own systems have already flagged as invalid, like Google's IVT filters. These filters are reactive and can easily miss sophisticated fraud.
Managed third-party protection services take a proactive approach, offering real-time IP exclusion integrated into a wider fraud detection framework. They maintain dynamic blacklists fed by global threat data, and can automatically block IPs across multiple ad platforms. That cuts down on manual effort and gives you better coverage as fraud tactics evolve.
How Unled Network can help
Unled's managed click fraud protection stops bots, click farms, and competitor fraud across Google, Meta and Microsoft Ads, including Performance Max, and recovers wasted spend through invalid-traffic refund disputesPair it with DDoS Protection for full edge defence.
Frequently asked
Can IP exclusion stop click fraud entirely?
No, IP exclusion only works for simple, static IP-based attacks. Modern fraud relies on rotating IPs and residential proxies, so IP exclusion alone isn't enough.
How do I work out which IP addresses to exclude?
Look for suspicious IPs by examining click logs for patterns like very high click frequency, zero conversions, or traffic coming from data centre IP ranges. Third-party fraud detection tools can automate this for you.
Will IP exclusion affect genuine users?
Yes, blocking an IP can accidentally block legitimate users who share that IP, for example in an office or on a public network. Be careful, and only exclude IPs that are clearly fraudulent.
How often should I refresh my IP exclusion list?
Ideally, update it in real time or at least daily, fraudsters switch IPs frequently. Automated third-party solutions handle this more effectively than manual updates.