Automations - Set Up Automatic Protection Rules

Automations allow you to create custom rules that automatically respond to fraud patterns and suspicious activity. Define conditions and actions to protect your ad spend without manual intervention.

Overview

Automations work by monitoring your click traffic in real-time and taking action when specific conditions are met. This enables proactive protection beyond ClickFortify's built-in detection.

How Automations Work

1. Trigger — A condition is detected (e.g., fraud score exceeds threshold)
2. Evaluation — Rule criteria are checked against the click data
3. Action — Automated response is executed (e.g., add to exclusion)
4. Logging — Activity is recorded for review

Creating an Automation

Step 1: Navigate to Automations

Click Automations in the Protection section of the sidebar.

Step 2: Click Create Rule

Start the automation creation wizard.

Step 3: Define Trigger Condition

Select what will trigger this automation:

Step 4: Select Action

Choose what happens when the condition is met:

Step 5: Set Scope

Define where the automation applies:

Step 6: Enable and Save

Review your rule and activate it.

Example Automations

High-Risk Auto-Block

Automatically block severe fraud attempts.

Click Velocity Monitor

Catch rapid-fire clicking patterns.

VPN Traffic Handler

Manage traffic from VPN/proxy sources.

Geographic Restriction

Block traffic from specific regions.

Bot Detection Response

React to identified bot traffic.

Managing Automations

View All Rules

The Automations page displays all your rules with:

• Rule name and description
• Current status (enabled/disabled)
• Trigger count (how many times fired)
• Last triggered timestamp

Edit Rules

Click on any rule to modify:

• Adjust conditions and thresholds
• Change actions
• Modify scope
• Update alert settings

Enable/Disable

Toggle rules on or off without deleting them. Useful for:

• Testing new rules cautiously
• Temporarily pausing during investigations
• Seasonal adjustments

Delete Rules

Remove rules that are no longer needed. This action cannot be undone.

Automation History

View a log of all automation activity:

• When each rule was triggered
• What action was taken
• Which entity was affected
• Success/failure status

Best Practices

1. Start conservative — Use high thresholds initially, then adjust
2. Use alerts first — Test with "Log Only" before blocking
3. Layer rules — Multiple rules with different thresholds
4. Review regularly — Check trigger frequency and effectiveness
5. Document rules — Use clear names and descriptions
6. Avoid overlap — Ensure rules don't conflict with each other

Limitations

• Maximum of 50 active automations per account
• Some conditions require specific data availability
• Actions may take a few seconds to execute
• Google Ads API limits apply to exclusions