Google Ads refund request: the invalid click form step by step

Google Ads either never charges for the invalid clicks its own filters catch, or credits them back later. You do not need to do anything for that credit. For clicks you believe Google missed, however, you have to open the review request yourself. This guide walks through the whole process: the checks to do first, the current form flow, the evidence file and the request text.

Let us set expectations first: a review request is not a “refund guarantee”. Google compares your evidence with its own records and only credits the part it can confirm as invalid with its own data. The more concrete your evidence and the easier it is to match at click level, the easier the review becomes.

1. Before filing: check the automatic credit

We explain the basic definition of invalid clicks and what Google removes on its own in our guide to invalid clicks in Google Ads. Before filing, look in two places:

• Campaigns table → Columns → “Invalid clicks” and “Invalid click rate”. These are clicks Google filtered before billing; you did not pay for them.
• Billing → Transactions (transaction history). Credits applied for invalid activity detected after billing appear here as separate lines.

These two sources show whether Google has already done something about the period you suspect. If you saw a sudden spike in clicks on a given day and Google reports a high invalid click count for the same day, at least part of the attack has already been filtered. Your request should then focus on the remainder that was not.

2. Time limit: do not wait too long

Google asks for review requests to be sent as soon as possible after the suspicious activity, and no later than 60 days after it occurred. Older activity is generally outside the scope of review. So rather than saving requests up, file them at regular intervals, for example monthly or right after a clear attack.

3. The current form flow

Invalid click review requests are filed through the click quality (invalid clicks) issue form in the Google Ads Help Center. The form is called “click quality” and lives at support.google.com/google-ads/contact/click_quality. Opening the invalid clicks topic in the Help Center and following the “contact us” or “request a review” link leads to the same form.

Step 1: Choose the right Google account

This is where most people get stuck. The form opens with whichever Google account is signed in by default in your browser. If you have several Google accounts in the browser (say, personal Gmail and a work account) and the default one has no access to the relevant Google Ads account, the form may drop you on a generic help page instead of a page where you can choose a customer ID. It is easy to conclude that the form is broken.

The fix is simple: before opening the form, pick the account that has access to Google Ads in Google's account chooser. A practical way is to open accounts.google.com/AccountChooser and pass the form as the “continue” target; alternatively, open the form in a private window signed in only with the right account. Once you arrive with the right account, the form recognises the Google Ads customer IDs linked to it.

Step 2: Open the interface in English (hl=en)

On Google's support forms, the interface language is set by the hl parameter in the address bar. The localised versions should be functionally identical, but we have seen cases where some support forms did not load properly under a non-English locale, with fields missing or in a different order. Adding hl=en to the URL opens the form with the English interface. The practical benefits:

• Field names match the English terms used in help articles and community forums, so it is easier to verify what is being asked.
• The form is not affected by display problems caused by locale differences.
• If you want to write your explanation in English for the review team, it is consistent with the interface.
• It is clearer which format date fields expect (month/day/year or day/month/year); still, check the example next to the field.

An English interface does not oblige you to write in English; explanations in other languages are accepted. But if you run into locale problems, hl=en should be the first thing you try.

Step 3: The information the form asks for

The form is updated from time to time; field labels and order may change. In general, have the following ready:

• Contact name and email address.
• Google Ads customer ID (in the format 123-456-7890).
• The affected campaign or campaigns.
• Start and end dates of the suspicious activity.
• An explanation of why you believe the clicks were invalid.
• An evidence file if available, or a summary of what it contains.

4. Evidence: what can Google match?

Google's review team does not assess a “this looks suspicious” statement; it assesses concrete data it can compare with its own records. Prepare your evidence with that in mind. The most valuable fields are the ones Google also has on its side:

A few practical principles:

• Give times in a single time zone and say which one. If your Google Ads account and your site use different time zones, note it in the explanation.
• Capture the gclid if you can. With auto-tagging on, every ad click adds a gclid to the landing URL; record it on your site and you identify the click beyond dispute.
• Add a summary next to the individual rows: how many clicks, which date range, how many distinct devices, estimated cost.
• Share personal data only as far as needed and only to pass it to Google; store files containing raw IPs securely.
• Do not speculate. Instead of “my competitor is doing this”, write “14 clicks in 3 days from the same device signature, zero engagement”.

Prepare the evidence file as CSV or a spreadsheet with clear column names in the first row. If the form has no upload field or does not accept the file, give the summary table in the explanation field and mention that you can send the file through the case conversation if Google asks for more information. Include only rows for the period and campaigns you are claiming; a large file full of unrelated data slows the review down.

5. Request text template

The explanation should be short, factual and verifiable. An example:

“Hello Google Ads team. We believe campaign [Campaign name / ID] in account [Customer ID] received invalid clicks between [start date] and [end date]. Our site logs show [N] ad clicks (identified by gclid) with no on-page engagement, repeated visits from the same device signature across changing IP addresses, and traffic from data-center networks. The attached CSV lists each click with timestamp (UTC), gclid, IP, user agent and the signals observed. Estimated affected spend: [amount, currency]. We kindly request a review of these clicks and any applicable credit.”

You can use the same structure in any language: which account, which campaign, which date range, how many clicks, what you observed, what is attached and what you are requesting. Emotional or accusatory wording does not speed up a review.

6. What happens after you submit?

After submitting you receive a case number by email. Response time depends on the scope of the case; simple cases are faster, while cases spanning long date ranges and many campaigns can take longer. Google may ask for more information; reply in the same case rather than opening a new one.

The outcome usually takes one of three forms: a credit for all or part of the reviewed clicks, an explanation that the clicks were already filtered, or a reply that no invalid activity requiring a credit was found. If a credit is issued, it appears as a separate line in your billing transaction history; your campaign cost report may not change retroactively. Track the credit in Billing, not in the campaign report.

There is no reliable general figure for how many claimed clicks get accepted; the result depends largely on the quality of the evidence and what Google sees in its own records. A rejected request does not mean your evidence was wrong; it means Google could not confirm it with its own data. If you have new and stronger evidence, you can add it to the same case.

Common mistakes

• Opening the form with the default browser account, landing on a generic help page and concluding the form does not work.
• Sending timestamps without stating the time zone.
• Attaching only a Google Analytics screenshot as evidence; without click-level data that can be matched, the review gets harder.
• Reporting bad traffic (irrelevant search terms, out-of-area locations) as invalid clicks. These are not covered by the policy.
• Filing for activity older than 60 days.
• Opening several new cases for the same period; it does not speed things up, it confuses them.

Set up evidence collection in advance

The most common reason refund requests fail is that, once suspicion arises, there is no click-level data at hand. Google will not give you the IP address, device or session behaviour of the people who clicked. You can only collect this on your own site at the moment of the click; you cannot produce it retroactively. That is why the evidence infrastructure needs to be in place before an attack starts.

A minimum setup should include:

1. Make sure auto-tagging is on in your Google Ads account so every ad click adds a gclid to the landing URL.
2. Record the gclid, click time, IP address and User-Agent server-side on your landing pages.
3. Add simple session-level behaviour measures: time on page, scrolling, whether there was any interaction.
4. Keep records long enough to cover the 60-day review window, but no longer than necessary.
5. State clearly in your privacy policy that this data is processed for security and ad verification.

This infrastructure is not just for refund requests; it is also the basis for regularly monitoring traffic quality in your campaigns. When you see a suspicious spike, having the data ready lets you prepare a request within hours.

Notes for agencies and multi-account managers

Agencies managing several client accounts need a bit more care. Open the form with a Google account that has access to the relevant client account; even if you have manager account (MCC) access, make sure you choose the right identity in the account chooser. Open a separate case for each client account; combining several clients in one request makes the review harder. Let your client know in writing that a request has been filed, with the case number and the expected outcome, and track together which invoice the credit lands on. Our approach for agency workflows is on the marketing agency solutions page.

Refund requests versus protection

A refund request is a backward-looking tool: it lets you recover part of the loss, to the extent Google can verify it. But as long as the same source keeps clicking, you have to file again every month. The lasting fix is to stop the suspicious source from clicking again and again and to keep your bid strategy from learning the wrong lessons from that traffic. We cover that side in our Google Ads budget protection strategies article.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the form send me to a generic help page?

Most likely the form is opening with your default browser account, which has no access to the Google Ads account. Choose the right account in the account chooser, or open the form in a window signed in only with that account.

Can I write the request in a language other than English?

Yes. Opening the interface in English with hl=en does not require you to write in English. A short, factual English text does, however, reduce the risk of misunderstanding because it matches the field names.

When and where does the credit appear?

Once the review is complete, it appears as an invalid activity credit in your billing transaction history. The campaign cost report may not reflect it.

What should I do if my request is rejected?

A rejection means Google could not confirm invalid activity with its own data. If you have new and more concrete evidence, reply in the same case. If not, put your energy into prevention: stopping the repeating source and tightening campaign settings.

Should I file a request every month?

Only for periods in which you measured clearly more suspicious activity than Google filtered and can show it at click level. Routine requests without evidence do not speed up reviews.