Ad Fraud

Invalid Traffic (IVT) — Definition & Explanation

Any ad traffic that doesn't represent genuine human interest or engagement — including bots, malware, ad stacking, and pixel stuffing. IVT is categorized as General (GIVT) or Sophisticated (SIVT). Maintaining IVT rates below 1% is essential for premium demand access.

How Invalid Traffic (IVT) Works

IVT is measured by third-party verification vendors using pixel-level tracking, IP analysis, user behavior modeling, and device fingerprinting. Results are reported as a percentage of total traffic.

Why Invalid Traffic (IVT) Matters for Publishers

High IVT rates result in demand partner exclusions and CPM discounts. Premium buyers require IVT measurement from accredited vendors as a condition of partnership.

Frequently Asked Questions

What IVT rate is acceptable for premium demand?

SIVT below 1% is the standard threshold for most premium demand partners. GIVT of 3-8% is acceptable given legitimate crawler traffic.

Which IVT measurement vendors does Stellor work with?

Stellor Media integrates with IAS, DoubleVerify, and MOAT for pre-bid and post-bid IVT measurement.

What causes high IVT?

Common causes include SEO bot traffic, incentivized traffic sources, browser extension fraud, and for some publishers, geographically dispersed audiences that attract data center traffic.

Related Terms

Maximize Your Ad Revenue with Stellor Media's SSP

Ready to put programmatic expertise to work? Join publishers earning 40% more RPM with Stellor Media's publisher-first SSP platform.

Get Your Revenue Assessment →