Click Injection

Click Injection is a type of mobile ad fraud where fake clicks are generated to claim credit for app installs.

Why it matters

Increases fraudulent attribution, skewing marketing data.
Leads to wasted ad spend and inaccurate performance metrics.

How to measure

Analyze click-to-install time intervals.
Monitor unusual spikes in click volume.

Details

Click Injection occurs when malicious apps generate fake clicks just before a legitimate app install, claiming credit for the install. This type of fraud is particularly prevalent on Android devices due to the open nature of the platform. Fraudsters often use background services to listen for app install broadcasts and inject clicks at the last moment.

To combat Click Injection, developers should implement robust fraud detection mechanisms, such as analyzing the time between click and install and using attribution windows effectively. Additionally, working with a reliable Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) can help identify and mitigate fraudulent activities.

Examples & formulas

Consider a scenario where an app install is attributed to a click that occurred just seconds before the install. This short click-to-install time is a red flag for potential Click Injection.

Common mistakes

Ignoring short click-to-install times; always investigate these anomalies.
Relying solely on click attribution without cross-verifying with other metrics.