Issue:
IP addresses or display placements are not being excluded by Ads Defender, even though unqualified traffic is detected.
Cause Analysis and Solutions (Quick Overview):
Issue | Solution | Why This Happens |
IP-Protection is not active | Verify if IP-Protection is enabled under Protection Settings. | If the feature is not active, Ads Defender will not exclude any IP addresses. |
IP exclusion slots are full (Google Ads limit reached) | Check if IP slots are full (500 IPs max per campaign/account). Clear slots. | Ads Defender cannot add IPs if the limit is already full due to exclusions from other tools or users. Ads Defender-managed IPs rotate dynamically, but external IPs block new additions. |
Insufficient permissions for IP exclusion | Ensure the Ads Defender user that was used for connection has admin or write access to Google Ads. | Ads Defender cannot push IPs without the necessary account permissions. |
Incorrect IP exclusion mode selected | Review the exclusion mode (campaign-only) in Ads Defender. | If set to exclude IPs for specific campaigns only, Ads Defender may not apply exclusions account-wide. |
Placement Protection not active | Check if Placement Protection is enabled under Protection Settings. | Placements will not be excluded if the feature is inactive. |
No qualifying display campaigns for placement exclusion | Ensure the account has active display, Performance Max, or video campaigns. | Placement Protection only applies to campaigns with display placements. Search-only campaigns will not trigger exclusions. |
No unqualified placements detected | Review the placement report to ensure unqualified placements exist. | Ads Defender excludes placements based on traffic data; if none qualify, no exclusions occur. |
Detailed Steps to Resolve:
1. Check if IP-Protection and Placement Protection Are Active:
In Ads Defender, go to:
Protection Settings > IP-Protection / Placement Protection.Ensure that both protection options are toggled ON.
If inactive, enable them and monitor for new exclusions within 24 hours.
2. Verify IP Slot Availability (Google Ads Limit):
Google Ads allows a maximum of 500 IP exclusions per campaign or account at once.
In Google Ads:
Navigate to Tools & Settings > Shared Library > IP Exclusions.
Check if the exclusion lists are full.
Important:
Ads Defender dynamically manages and rotates IPs it blocks.
If the exclusion list is full from external sources (other tools or manual inputs), Ads Defender cannot add new IPs.
To resolve this:
Remove old or unused IPs that were not added by Ads Defender.
Clear exclusions created by previous tools to make space.
3. Check User Permissions for Google Ads:
Go to Settings > Integrations in Ads Defender.
Verify the connected Google Ads account and ensure the user has:
Standard or Admin Access to Google Ads.
Write permissions to edit IP exclusions and placement exclusions.
If permissions are missing, reauthorize Ads Defender using an account with admin rights.
4. Review and Adjust Exclusion Mode (Campaign vs. Account-Level):
Ads Defender offers different exclusion modes:
Campaign-Level Exclusion: IPs are excluded for selected campaigns only.
Account-Level Exclusion: IPs are excluded for all campaigns and account-wide.
In Ads Defender:
Go to Click Fraud > Settings > IP-Protection
Select the appropriate mode based on your needs.
If using campaign-level exclusion, ensure at least one active campaign is selected for IP blocking.
Protection on account level is recommended as it also covers campaigns, which do not natively support IP Exclusions.
5. Check for the Correct Placement Protection Setup:
In Ads Defender, navigate to:
Protection Settings > Placement Protection.Verify that:
Placement Protection is enabled.
Ads Defender has detected low-quality or fraudulent placements.
Key Checkpoint:
Placement exclusions only apply to:
Display campaigns
Performance Max campaigns
YouTube or Video campaigns
Search-only accounts without display components will not trigger any placement exclusions.
6. Check Placement Report for Unqualified Placements:
Go to the Metrics View in Ads Defender.
If no unqualified placements appear, it may indicate insufficient display impressions for analysis.
Monitor the report over time or increase ad spend on display networks to gather more data.
Important Notes:
IP Slot Management: Ads Defender rotates IPs automatically, but cannot override manually entered IP exclusions from other tools.
Display Campaigns Required: Placement exclusions do not apply to accounts running search-only campaigns.
Refresh Time: Exclusions may take up to 24 hours to reflect in Google Ads after activation.