How MGID Detects and Prevents Invalid Traffic (IVT)

Introduction

At MGID, maintaining high-quality traffic and full transparency for both publishers and advertisers is a top priority. Our dedicated Fraud Prevention team operates a proprietary system designed to detect, prevent, and eliminate invalid traffic (IVT) across the platform.

Invalid traffic (IVT) refers to traffic that does not represent genuine user engagement. It is divided into two main categories:

General invalid traffic (GIVT): Includes basic forms of invalid traffic such as bots, duplicate clicks, or known data center traffic.
Sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT): Includes advanced and harder-to-detect traffic such as botnets, emulated environments, or coordinated fraudulent activity.

MGID’s systems are built to identify and mitigate both GIVT and SIVT types using a combination of real-time detection and post-processing analysis.

How MGID Detects Invalid Traffic

MGID uses a multi-layered fraud prevention system combining list-based filtering, behavioral analysis, and real-time monitoring.

1. List-Based Filtering

MGID maintains and continuously updates internal filtering lists:

Domain blocklist: Updated daily and used to evaluate publisher domains;
IP blocklist: Updated hourly; traffic from such IPs is rejected and access to platform resources is restricted;
User-Agent blocklist: Updated hourly; traffic from suspicious user agents is filtered.

These lists help quickly identify and block known sources of invalid traffic.

2. Behavioral Analysis

MGID analyzes traffic patterns and user behavior to identify suspicious activity:

User verification page interaction rates
Visitor uniqueness
Average time between clicks
Click pattern trends
Visitor reputation signals
Inconsistencies in browser and device parameters

This approach allows detection of invalid traffic even when it does not match known patterns.

3. Real-Time Monitoring

MGID continuously processes traffic signals:

Click statistics updated every 1- 4 minutes
System response time within 3 -15 minutes
Aggregated data analysis every 60 minutes
Monitoring of traffic spikes and irregular click patterns
Analysis across geo, device, OS, and domain dimensions

This ensures timely detection and mitigation of IVT.

4. Third-Party Verification

MGID integrates with third-party verification providers, including:

Anura
Pixalate

Advertisers may also use external tracking tools such as IAS, MOAT, and DoubleVerify.

Industry Recognition and Compliance

MGID is certified by the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), a global organization focused on reducing fraud and increasing transparency in digital advertising.

MGID holds the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal
Certification is renewed annually
More information: www.tagtoday.net

MGID follows industry best practices and participates in leading initiatives:

Compliance with Coalition for Better Ads
Member of Acceptable Ads
Member of AdChoices
Implementation of ads.txt and sellers.json

FAQ

1. Can my website be blocked without prior notice?

Yes, a website may be blocked without prior notice if invalid traffic is detected.

2. Can I receive an explanation for the blocking?

MGID does not disclose detailed information about IVT detection methodologies. As a TAG-certified company, MGID follows industry standards that allow withholding specific detection logic.

3. My website received IVT traffic that I did not generate. What should I do?

We recommend the following actions:

Maintain and regularly update IP blocklists
Use IP lists provided by TAG
Use third-party databases of suspicious IPs
Implement CAPTCHA or similar protection mechanisms

4. Can I appeal a blocking decision?

Yes. Access may be restored if the source of IVT is identified and appropriate corrective actions are taken. Repeated violations may result in stricter restrictions.

5. How quickly does MGID detect IVT?

Detection depends on the type of traffic:

GIVT is typically detected and filtered in real time
SIVT may require additional analysis and can be processed within up to 24 hours

6. Does MGID guarantee 100% fraud-free traffic?

No platform can fully eliminate fraud. MGID combines proprietary technology, third-party verification, and industry standards to minimize IVT as much as possible.