Key Take-Aways
- Bot fraud = non-human ad interactions like URL spoofing and robotic clicks.
- CTV is a hot target. Fraud jumps whenever a new product or channel surges in adoption.
- Resonate offers three layers of defense: human-centric targeting, partner-level pre-bid controls, and supply-side real-time blocking—often before bids are even placed.
- Benchmark to watch: We run highest-level brand safety fraud filters and maintain third-party-verified allow/deny lists updated quarterly, aligning with the industry standard of <5% invalid traffic; anything unusual is flagged and actioned fast.
By Elizabeth Drenning, Director of Managed Services
The state of digital advertising has reached a critical tipping point with billions of dollars intended for reaching real human customers being siphoned away by bot fraud. Independent studies consistently confirm the severity of this problem, with global ad-fraud losses potentially climbing as high as $150 billion per year, according to the World Federation of Advertisers.
This has created a crisis where bad actors pollute signals, distort performance metrics, and erode brand trust. This continuous budget drain leaves marketers caught in a cycle of diminishing returns, spending more money only to reach more bots.
This article outlines why the solution to fighting bot fraud isn’t adding another generic filter; it’s adopting a fundamentally human-centric defense model built to prioritize verified people over suspicious proxies.
The Problem: Invalid Traffic and the Rise of CTV Targets
Bot fraud is simply a form of Invalid Traffic (IVT) where automated scripts or coordinated click farms generate fake impressions, clicks, or installs. Common types include URL spoofing and enhanced robotic clicking, any interaction that is “unnatural or inhuman.”
Worryingly, fraud follows growth: CTV is now a hot target. Whenever a new product or channel surges in adoption, fraudsters rush in to build out an ecosystem designed to exploit it.
The Solution: Resonate’s Three-Layer Bot Fraud Defense Model
To combat bot fraud, Resonate follows the industry benchmark which aims for less than 5% Invalid Traffic (IVT). Achieving this requires moving beyond basic filters and adopting a layered, proactive strategy at every stage of delivery. Resonate protects your media from bots with layered safeguards at every stage of delivery.
1. The first, and most critical, line of defense: Human-Centric Targeting
Our most powerful defense starts before a single bid is placed: we target real people, not proxies. By building campaigns around Resonate’s AI-powered human intelligence and psychographic data, we drastically reduce the chance that impressions land in non-human bot nets.
2. Pre-Bid Fraud & Brand-Safety Controls
We integrate and enable best-in-class third-party verification partners, such as DoubleVerify and IAS, and set all filters to the highest levels available. We filter fraud at the exchange and detect suspicious traffic in our bidder using signals like IP, user agent, and click patterns.
3. Real-Time SSP Incident Response (Supply-Side)
We partner closely with Supply-Side Platforms (SSPs) who perform real-time incident response. They block spoofing and fraud immediately, ensuring that clean, verified inventory flows down before we even have a chance to bid on malicious traffic.
Policy & Governance: Lists That Actually Work
To ensure clean inventory, we rely on strict policy and governance:
- Allow/Deny Lists: We maintain a quarterly-updated, third-party-verified allow list of top publishers and a comprehensive global deny list that expands the moment anomalies appear.
- Incident Playbook: If we see a spike in invalid traffic that looks off, we take immediate action: we pull a site report, block the source, and alert DSP/SSP partners.
What This Means for Marketers
For brands, agencies, and performance marketers, Resonate’s rigorous approach translates into three clear benefits:
- Less Waste: Pre-bid controls and supply-side blocks dramatically reduce the dollars lost to bots, meaning your budget actually goes toward reaching prospects.
- Better Outcomes: Human-centric targeting combined with verified supply improves ROAS and provides reliable performance signals for future optimization.
- Confidence: You get proactive monitoring and transparent communication throughout the entire flight. Our goal is for every customer to be confident that we are doing everything in our power—and the industry’s power—to combat fraud across the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bot fraud?
- Any “unnatural or inhuman” interaction with an ad.
- Common types of bot fraud: URL spoofing, enhanced/robotic clicking.
How does Resonate ensure my campaign isn’t being seen and clicked by bots?
This is a common question. Resonate protects your media from bots with layered safeguards at every stage of delivery. We filter fraud at the exchange, detect and block suspicious traffic in our bidder using signals like IP, user agent, and click patterns, and enforce strict campaign controls with verified site lists and pre-bid brand-safety/IVT tools from partners like IAS, DoubleVerify, and Peer39. The result is cleaner reach, reliable performance, and transparent verification you can trust.
What pre-bid tools does Resonate use to combat bot fraud?
We can enable partners like DoubleVerify or IAS—and set highest-level fraud and brand-safety filters by default.
How fast can you stop a spoofed site?
In real time. SSPs perform incident response and blocks immediately; much of this happens before we bid.
Do you maintain allow/deny lists?
We maintain quarterly, third-party-verified allow list and a global deny list updated as soon as we detect issues.
What invalid-traffic rate should advertisers expect?
Industry aims for <5%; we flag anything unusual and remediate.
Ready to make your next campaign bot-resilient and performance-ready? Speak with a data expert today.
This article is brought to you by Resonate, the leader in predictive consumer intelligence. Companies use Resonate’s AI-powered data and solutions to fuel growth by improving targeting precision, website personalization, and audience activation.
