How Tapper Block works
On this page
Tapper Block, the Block section of the app, keeps invalid traffic (bots, click farms, competitor clicks and repeat offenders) away from your ads. The app calls each one an invalid click. Tapper sees each click, the rule set that covers it decides whether it is invalid, and Tapper writes an exclusion to the ad platform it came from.
How it works
Tapper sees each click
- The monitoring script on your website records the browser, the device and what the visitor does on the page. Copy it from Setup > Website > Monitoring. See The monitoring script.
- The ad platform's click details. On Google Ads, Tapper sets its tracking template on the account when you connect, so each click arrives with its campaign, ad group, keyword, device and location. You paste it yourself only where a campaign, ad group or ad sets its own. See The Google Ads tracking template. On Meta Ads and TikTok Ads, the click ID and the URL parameters in your ads do the same.
The rule set decides
Each protected entity has one or more rule sets (Setup > Rule sets), holding:
- Click limits: Ad click limits count ad clicks per IP over a time window (for example, block after 3 clicks within 10 minutes).
- Detection features: JavaScript-disabled browsers, VPN traffic, suspicious click behavior, suspicious ad clicks, a minimum time on site, repeat clicks from one device, blocking across ad platforms and tracking pixels for invalid traffic.
- Monitor-only: its own tab.
- Countries: block, or allow only, the countries you list.
The Default rule set applies wherever no other set is linked; a custom set can apply to chosen platforms, ad accounts or campaigns. Tapper combines your rules with what it knows about the IP (a data center, VPN, proxy or Tor network, for example). See How Tapper decides a click is invalid.
Tapper writes an exclusion
When blocking is on, each invalid click becomes an exclusion on its platform:
| Platform | What Tapper writes |
|---|---|
| Google Ads | An IP exclusion on your Search, Display, Shopping and Demand Gen campaigns, pushed per flagged click. The visitor also joins the audiences Tapper created when you connected the account, which are excluded on your protected campaigns. Placement exclusions are written at account level. Performance Max campaigns take no IP exclusions. |
| Meta Ads | The visitor joins the "Tapper - Invalid Traffic Audience" custom audience, excluded on every ad set whose Protection switch is on. |
| TikTok Ads | Tapper records the visit and sends the event TAPPER_INVALID_TRAFFIC through your TikTok Pixel. It does not change your ad groups. |
Block repeat clicks from one device catches IPs the same device used to click your ads repeatedly, so a clicker who changes IP is still caught. Block across ad platforms blocks invalid clicks across Google Ads, Meta Ads, Microsoft Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Snapchat Ads and Apple Ads, and records them on TikTok Ads. Per Google campaign type: Which exclusions Tapper applies to each Google Ads campaign type.
How fast it happens
Tapper acts on each verdict automatically, with no approval. It is not instant, and Tapper does not promise a number of seconds:
- On Google Ads, the IP exclusion is pushed per flagged click once Tapper reaches its verdict.
- Audience exclusions take effect as each platform processes its audience lists.
- Campaigns sync every 6 hours and on Refresh. New campaigns get Tapper's IP exclusions and audience exclusion queued.
- When a Google campaign reaches Google's limit of 500 IP exclusions, Tapper rotates lower-priority IPs out. See The 500 IP exclusions per campaign limit.
- Dashboard figures update every 4 hours.
Automatic and manual exclusions
- The Exclusions page lists each excluded visitor with its Block reason and, on Google Ads, the excluded placements. See The Exclusions page and the proof drawer.
- Setup > Excluded IPs holds addresses and ranges you add by hand. Tapper pushes them to your Google Search, Display and Shopping campaigns until you remove them. See Manually exclude IP addresses and ranges.
When Block only watches
Every new rule set starts with Monitor-only on: Tapper records invalid clicks but writes no exclusions from its detections. During the free trial, and while no paid plan is active, the switch cannot be turned off. The Exclusions page is then named Flagged traffic and lists what Tapper would have excluded. Your Excluded IPs list is still pushed to Google. See Monitor-only.
A Lift only workspace has no Block. Blocking is part of the Block, Vantage and Enterprise plans.
What you see in Tapper
| Where | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Setup > Rule sets | Rule sets, click limits, detection features and the Monitor-only switch |
| Setup > Ad accounts (Google Ads, Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, Microsoft Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Snapchat Ads, Apple Ads) | Connected accounts, and the Protection switch per campaign, ad set or ad group |
| Setup > Excluded IPs | The IP addresses and ranges you exclude by hand |
| Traffic > Clicks | Every tracked ad click, with its block reason |
| Exclusions page | Every excluded visitor and, on Google Ads, every excluded placement |
| Dashboard, Invalid traffic tab | Totals, block reasons and IP exclusions per campaign |
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