Protection
Configure detection sensitivity and automated response to click fraud.
The Protection page is where you tune how ClickFortify detects and responds to suspicious traffic. Set sensitivity levels, choose action modes, and control the scope of protection across your websites and campaigns.
Full protection settings require a connected Google Ads account. Some options may be limited until your account is linked.
Detection Strategy
Choose how ClickFortify analyzes your traffic.
Automatic (Recommended)
Uses AI-powered heuristics that adapt to your specific traffic patterns. Select a sensitivity level:
| Level | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Catches only obvious fraud | High-traffic sites concerned about false positives |
| Balanced | Good protection with minimal disruption | Most businesses — recommended starting point |
| Strict | Aggressive blocking | High-value campaigns, competitive industries |
| Very Strict | Maximum protection | Premium/luxury products, lead generation |
Manual
Enable specific detection rules individually for granular control:
- VPN/Proxy Detection
- Bot Filtering
- Click Velocity Limits
- Geographic Filtering
- Device Fingerprinting
- Data Center Detection
- Referrer Analysis
Action Modes
Define what happens when suspicious traffic is detected:
| Mode | Behavior | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| Observe | Logs only — no blocking | Testing new settings, auditing traffic |
| Warn | Temporary exclusions, soft blocking | Initial setup, understanding your traffic |
| Strict | Immediate blocking and permanent exclusions | Production, after your validation period |
Start with Warn mode for the first 7–14 days. This lets you see what ClickFortify would block before committing to hard exclusions. Review the Excluded Clicks page to validate accuracy.
Scope Settings
Apply protection settings at different levels:
| Scope | Applies To |
|---|---|
| Website Level | All traffic on a protected website — most common |
| Ad Account Level | Override defaults for a specific Google Ads account |
| Campaign Level | Granular settings for individual campaigns |
Campaign-level overrides are useful when you have high-value lead gen campaigns that need stricter protection than your brand awareness campaigns.
Detection Thresholds
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud Score Threshold | Minimum score to flag as suspicious | 60 |
| Block Threshold | Score that triggers automatic blocking | 80 |
| Click Velocity Limit | Max clicks/minute from the same IP | 10 |
| Session Time Minimum | Minimum time on site to count as valid | 2 seconds |
What ClickFortify Analyzes
IP Intelligence — Reputation database lookups, VPN/proxy identification, data center detection, historical patterns.
Device Analysis — Browser fingerprinting, device consistency checks, user-agent analysis.
Behavioral Signals — Click timing patterns, session behavior, navigation depth, conversion probability.
Notifications
Configure how you're alerted to fraud activity:
| Notification | Description |
|---|---|
| Email Alerts | Immediate notification for high-severity threats |
| Daily Digest | Summary of daily activity |
| Weekly Report | Weekly overview with trends |
| Threshold Alerts | Notify when exclusion limits approach |
Troubleshooting
Too many false positives? Lower the sensitivity level, switch to Warn mode temporarily, or review and whitelist legitimate sources.
Not catching enough fraud? Increase sensitivity, enable additional manual rules, or lower your fraud score thresholds.
Exclusions not syncing? Check your Google Ads connection in Space Settings and verify API permissions.