Once all ad accounts are connected, tracking is embedded, and the Check-Up Call is successfully completed, the next crucial step is the Monitoring and Analysis Phase. This phase allows Ads Defender to learn about the unique traffic patterns and behaviors of each account before activating protective measures.
Why the Monitoring Phase is Important
The primary goal of the monitoring phase is to:
Gather data about the specific traffic behavior of your ad account.
Identify patterns that may indicate unqualified or fraudulent clicks.
Prevent unnecessary blocking by understanding converting users via the whitelisting event.
During this period, Ads Defender analyzes:
How many unqualified clicks would have been flagged.
Whether those clicks converted later (to avoid false positives).
This data allows Ads Defender to fine-tune protections and minimize disruption to legitimate traffic.
Duration of the Monitoring Phase
Standard Accounts:
Minimum of 7 days after full setup is completed.
Low-Volume Accounts:
If the account generates fewer clicks per day, extend the monitoring phase to 14 days.
Important:
If the Check-Up Call occurs a few days after the setup is completed, those days count toward the 7-day monitoring period.
For example:
If the Check-Up Call happens 3 days after setup, you only need 4 additional days of monitoring to reach the minimum 7-day threshold.
Key Requirements During Monitoring
Comprehensive Tracking Integration:
Ensure that the Main Tag, Session Tag, and Audience Event are correctly embedded and firing across all relevant pages.
The Whitelisting Event must be implemented on key conversion points (e.g., thank-you pages, cart pages).
Focus on Whitelisting Accuracy:
Whitelisting ensures that valuable users who later convert are not mistakenly flagged as fraudulent.
This helps Ads Defender refine click qualification, improving protection accuracy.
Audience List Growth (Passive Benefit):
As the Audience Event is embedded, the monitoring phase is already used to populate audience lists with unqualified users.
This accelerates the growth of audiences, making it easier to reach minimum list sizes by the time protection is activated.
Why Audience List Growth is Safe
Ads Defender's Audience Whitelisting uses a long look-back window to evaluate conversions.
Even users who converted before Ads Defender was connected are recognized and protected by the whitelist.
What to Expect in the Monitoring Phase
Data Flow to Dashboard:
Data begins appearing in the dashboard after the first 24 hours and gradually increases over the next 30 days.
The dashboard reflects data for the last 30 days, meaning it will continue accumulating insights as time progresses in the first month.
Monitoring Unqualified Click Rates:
In the first few days, visit the Metrics View (Click Fraud > Metrics View > Campaigns Tab).
Select the date range starting from the initial setup to observe:
Unqualified Click Ratio – Percentage of detected invalid clicks.
Campaign Performance – Identify which campaigns experience higher levels of fraudulent traffic.
Analyze Unqualified Click Categories:
In the dashboard, check the Unqualified Click Traffic Insights to see:
Traffic sources (e.g., data centers, bots, or bounce clicks).
Time of day when unqualified clicks occur.
Devices used for unqualified clicks (mobile vs. desktop).
Typical Unqualified Click Ratios
A normal unqualified click rate can range between 15% to 30%, depending on the industry.
Higher rates (31%-45%) may indicate significant exposure to fraudulent traffic or focused attacks.
If the unqualified click rate exceeds this range contact Ads Defender support to investigate potential misconfigurations.
Red Flags During Monitoring
Extremely High Unqualified Traffic (50%+):
Could indicate issues with tracking configuration.
Reach out to support if this occurs consistently.
0% Unqualified Clicks:
This may suggest that tracking is not firing correctly.
Double-check the Main Tag, Session Tag, and Audience Event to ensure proper integration.
Use the Live View (Click Fraud > Live View) to confirm that unqualified clicks are being registered in real-time.
What to Do During the Monitoring Phase
Observe Trends, Don’t Act Immediately:
It’s essential to let the data flow and avoid making immediate adjustments.
Use this phase to understand account performance without altering campaign settings.
Monitor Campaign Performance:
Pay attention to campaigns that experience a high percentage of unqualified clicks.
This data can guide future targeting or budget adjustments.
When the Monitoring Phase is Complete
Once the monitoring period concludes:
Review dashboard data and ensure unqualified traffic is being accurately detected.
Activate Ads Defender’s protection features (covered in the next article).
Continue monitoring after activation to ensure protection measures are operating correctly.
Summary of the Monitoring Phase:
Complete tracking integration and Check-Up Call.
Allow Ads Defender to gather data for 7-14 days.
If the Check-Up Call happens late, count those days towards the monitoring period.
Avoid activating protection during this phase.
Use the Metrics View and Live View to observe traffic trends.
Audience lists will automatically grow during this period, making future protection smoother.
After monitoring, proceed to activate protection.
In the next article, we will guide you through the activation of protection features and how to use Ads Defender in a complete setup with active protection.