From Data to Proof! Using Session Recordings to Detect Ad Fraud

From Data to Proof! Using Session Recordings to Detect Ad Fraud

Michael Green | June 12, 2025

Session Recordings: Your Secret Weapon Against Invisible Fraud

Flat-design illustration showing a session playback tool used to detect fraudulent user activity on a website.

Click fraud has evolved far beyond the basic spam bots of the past. In 2025, fake clicks come from advanced emulators, click farms, proxy networks, and even human fraudsters paid to act like genuine users. This makes fraudulent traffic harder to detect — and even harder to stop — using traditional analytics tools.

Advertisers today are not just losing money; they’re being tricked by sophisticated mimicry, with fraudulent traffic that looks perfectly normal in dashboards. That’s where session recordings step in — offering visibility into every click, beyond what any chart, graph, or bounce rate can show.

Learn how Clixtell’s recorder actually works: Website Recorder and How to Use It

Why Numbers Can’t Tell the Full Story

Google Ads, Google Analytics, and even third-party tools like heatmaps give you data — but data can be misleading. Bounce rate, session duration, or even page views might appear normal for fraudulent visits. That’s because bad actors have adapted their behavior to match what looks legitimate on paper.

  • A click from a real IP address that spends 40 seconds on your landing page
  • A session that navigates between two or three pages before leaving
  • A mobile user with realistic screen size and location data

All of this looks authentic in a report — but what you can’t see is the user behavior behind the numbers. And that’s exactly where fraud hides.

The Power of Watching: What Session Recordings Reveal

Clixtell’s session recording technology captures full replays of what each visitor does on your website:

  • Mouse movements
  • Click trails
  • Scroll depth
  • Time between actions
  • Rage clicks or dead clicks
  • Form interactions (without capturing sensitive data)

This allows you to see fraud unfold in real time or after the fact — like a surveillance system for your website. You don’t have to guess anymore. You don’t rely on anomalies in data. You see the behavior with your own eyes.

  • Perfectly timed robotic clicks on CTA buttons
  • Visits with zero scrolling or reading behavior
  • Repeated behavior from different IPs with identical mouse movement
  • Sessions that interact only with ad-related areas but never engage with the business

A Tool for More Than Just Detection — It’s Actionable

The advantage of using session recordings isn’t just in identifying fraud — it’s also in stopping it. Once you spot a suspicious click behavior, Clixtell lets you take immediate action:

  • Block the IP address directly
  • Trigger advanced fraud rules
  • Report invalid activity to ad networks
  • Use session footage as evidence for refund claims

More Than a Watchdog — A Strategic Advantage

In a competitive ad landscape, even a small percentage of fraudulent traffic can skew performance and drain your budget. With session recordings, you’re not reacting to damage — you’re proactively eliminating threats. This means cleaner traffic, more reliable data, and ultimately, a higher ROI from your ad spend.

When you can see what your users are doing — not just who they are or where they’re from — you gain the ultimate advantage: clarity. That clarity lets you make faster, smarter, and more profitable marketing decisions. That’s the power of ad fraud protection at scale.

Spotting Bot Patterns: What Fraud Looks Like on a Recording

Fraud often hides in plain sight. While fake clicks can pass through filters and go unnoticed in analytics, they leave a clear trail in behavior — especially when viewed through session recordings. These replays show not just that someone clicked, but how they moved, interacted, and behaved on your site.

Session recordings turn vague suspicions into visual proof. Fraudulent clicks that appear “normal” in metrics are instantly suspicious when replayed: unnatural movement, rapid exits, or erratic clicks that no human user would make. Learning to recognize these patterns is essential for any advertiser serious about protecting their budget.

Bot Like Behavior: Key Red Flags

  • No Scroll, No Read
  • Pixel-Perfect Clicks
  • Rapid-Fire Actions
  • Identical Repeats
  • Zero Engagement

Mobile vs. Desktop Fraud Differences

  • Desktop bots may mimic clicks but don’t explore naturally
  • Mobile bots often fake taps but don’t interact with swipe or scroll

Human vs. Non-Human: What Real Visitors Do Differently

  • Hesitation before clicking
  • Hovering over text or menus
  • Scrolls with pauses and changes
  • Unexpected or non-goal-driven clicks

Real vs. Fake: How to Use Mouse Movement, Click Trails, and Timing

Mouse Movements Tell a Story

  • Real: Natural, jagged, hesitant
  • Bots: Smooth, straight, robotic

Click Trails Reveal Intent

Real users explore, compare, and interact. Bots follow the same path again and again.

Timing is Everything

Real people wait for pages to load. Bots move instantly, sometimes unrealistically fast.

Why These Signals Matter More Than IPs or Devices

IPs can be spoofed. Devices can be faked. But behavior? That’s nearly impossible to mimic perfectly. Behavioral data is becoming the most accurate method of ad fraud protection.

Instant Reaction: Using Session Playback to Trigger Blocking

  • Block malicious IPs
  • Tag suspicious sessions
  • Create automatic rules based on fraud patterns
  • Export recordings as video proof for refund claims

Case in Action: $3,200 Saved Using Session Recordings

  • Robotic clicks
  • No real interaction
  • Sessions under 10 seconds still triggering cost

By blocking 100+ IPs and submitting evidence, they recovered over $3,200 in ad spend.

Read real user reviews: Clixtell Reviews – Video Recorder

Session Recordings vs. Heatmaps

Heatmaps show you aggregate behavior, while session recordings provide individual session visibility. You don’t just see where people click — you see who clicked and why.

Use Both — But Trust the One That Shows the Truth

Heatmaps help UX. But only session recordings give you the forensic proof to stop fake clicks and defend your budget.

Turn Insight into Action

  • Prove fraud to Google and win refunds
  • Optimize ads and UX for real users
  • Cut wasted budget fast
  • Focus only on valuable traffic

Ready to see who’s really clicking your ads? Start your free trial with Clixtell and protect every dollar.