Summary
Ads Defender uses Google Ads’ native IP exclusion slots to actively block fraudulent traffic in real time. Ads Defender only manages IPs that it has placed into the account or campaign itself. These slots are limited. If this limit is exceeded and Ads Defender cannot rotate or replace outdated IPs, protection becomes restricted or entirely ineffective.
This issue is called IP Slot Overloading – and it can be resolved using the built-in recovery tool described below.
What causes IP Slot Overloading?
By default, Ads Defender only manages IPs that it has placed into the account or campaign itself. This design ensures we do not overwrite IPs added manually by the advertiser or by third-party tools. However, in certain situations, external IPs accumulate and block the available capacity for protection.
Common causes include:
Manual IP exclusions added by the advertiser in Google Ads.
Third-party tools pushing IPs into exclusion lists.
Campaign duplication via the Google Ads Editor or Experiment setup, which copies over old exclusions.
Bulk updates that copy existing exclusions into new campaigns without clearing unused entries.
As a result, Ads Defender’s automated IP protection can no longer update exclusions efficiently, which may leave malicious IPs unblocked.
How do I know if this is happening?
If IP Slot Overloading is detected, Ads Defender will:
Display an Alert in your Workspace and in Settings under IP Protection.
Send a notification email to workspace Admins and Owners.
This indicates that protection coverage is currently compromised due to external or static IPs occupying available slots.
How to fix the issue
There are two ways to resolve IP Slot Overloading. We strongly recommend using the first method.
1. Enable “Delete All External IPs”
Navigate to:
Click Fraud > Settings > IP Protection
There, activate the setting: Delete all external IPs
What it does:
This gives Ads Defender full control over the 500-slot IP exclusion list. Any IPs not placed by Ads Defender will be automatically removed. Our system will then use the full slot capacity exclusively for real-time fraud prevention.
Important:
Any manual IP exclusions you make will also be removed automatically on the next refresh cycle.
This setting ensures that Ads Defender can operate with maximum protection efficiency.
2. Manually delete IPs
In rare cases, you may prefer to manually identify and delete non-Ads Defender IPs from your campaigns.
Attention: This is not recommended in practice, as it requires precise knowledge of which IPs were externally added – something that is usually not trackable without a change log.
What happens after resolution?
Once the slot issue is cleared (either manually or via “Delete All External IPs”):
Ads Defender will resume full IP blocking.
The alert in your dashboard will disappear automatically.
Exclusion updates will continue on the usual rotation.
By allowing Ads Defender to manage the full exclusion list, you maximize protection efficiency and reduce the risk of silent overloading issues that could leave your account vulnerable.