Definition & Explanation

Bot traffic is automated, non-human traffic generated by software rather than real users, often designed to mimic human behavior and commit ad fraud. Malicious bots simulate activities such as clicking ads, browsing pages, and submitting forms without any intent to convert, causing advertisers to pay for fake impressions and clicks. This distorts site analytics and degrades the value of publishers’ ad inventory, with industry estimates attributing tens of billions of dollars in annual losses to bot-driven fraud.