Seatext library / BotRefund evidence
Do You Need Technical Skills to Set Up Automated Ad Refund Software? A Step-by-Step Guide
Basic setup for automated ad refund software like BotRefund takes about one minute and only requires adding a tracking tag to your website — no coding skills needed for most marketers. Advanced features such...
✓ Built for advertisers who need clear, refund-ready traffic evidence.
Quick Answer: Most Marketers Can Set This Up Themselves
If you can paste a JavaScript snippet into your site header or use Google Tag Manager, you have the technical skills needed for the standard BotRefund setup. The platform claims a typical installation takes about one minute and requires no credit card to start the free bot audit. You do not need to write code, configure servers, or manage APIs for the basic workflow.
Step 1: Confirm Your Ad Spend Tier
BotRefund structures onboarding around your monthly Google and Meta ad spend. The signup form asks you to select a range: Under $10,000/mo, $10,000–$50,000/mo, $50,000–$250,000/mo, $250,000–$1M/mo, $1M–$5M/mo, or Over $5M/mo. This determines whether you enter the self-serve flow or are routed to enterprise sales. Pick the tier that matches your current spend; you can adjust later.
Step 2: Create an Account and Start the Free Bot Audit
Click "Get my free bot audit" on the homepage or pricing page. You'll enter your name, work email, website URL, and monthly ad spend. No credit card is required. After submitting, you receive a calendar invite for a live bot audit call where the team reviews your site's bot traffic in real time. This call is part of the free tier and helps you see the detection engine before committing.
Step 3: Add the Tracking Tag to Your Website
This is the only technical action required for basic setup. BotRefund provides a JavaScript snippet. You can paste it directly into your site's <head> section or deploy it through Google Tag Manager, Tealium, Segment, or any tag manager you already use. The tag loads asynchronously and begins collecting behavioral signals — mouse movement, scroll patterns, click timing, and 100+ other checks — without affecting page speed.
Step 4: Connect Read-Only API Access (Optional but Recommended)
To automate refund claims, BotRefund needs read-only access to your Google Ads and Meta Ads accounts. This lets the platform pull GCLID and click IDs, match them to detected bot sessions, and compile evidence packages for platform dispute teams. You grant this via OAuth in each ad platform; no write permissions are requested. If you manage multiple client accounts (agency model), you can link them under one BotRefund dashboard.
Step 5: Review the First Audit Report and Evidence Pack
Within 24–48 hours of tag deployment, BotRefund generates a report showing bot click volume, estimated wasted spend, and video replays of flagged sessions. Each flagged session includes a timestamp, IP, user agent, and the specific behavioral signals that triggered detection (e.g., superhuman input speed <1ms, grid-aligned mouse paths, absence of humanlike tremor). You export this report and send it to your Google or Meta rep to open a billing dispute.
Step 6: Enable Automated Suppression and Ongoing Claims
Once you trust the detection accuracy, you can turn on automatic conversion suppression. This stops bot conversions from feeding back into Google and Meta optimization algorithms, protecting future pixel training. The platform then continuously monitors, builds new evidence packs, and submits refund requests on your behalf. You approve each claim before submission or set auto-approve rules.
Verification Step: Confirm Tag Firing and Data Flow
Open your browser dev tools → Network tab, filter by "botrefund," and verify the collector request returns 200. In the BotRefund dashboard, check that session counts rise within 15 minutes of a test visit. If you connected API access, confirm the first GCLID import appears under "Evidence Logs." This three-point check (tag fires, sessions record, IDs import) proves the pipeline works end-to-end.
When You Might Need a Developer
- Single-page apps or React/Vue/Angular sites where the tag must re-initialize on route changes — a one-line router hook handles this.
- Custom suppression logic (e.g., only suppress bot conversions from specific campaigns or geo regions) — requires writing a small rule in the BotRefund dashboard UI, not code, but complex logic may need a dev.
- Server-side API integration for importing offline conversion data or CRM-matched lead IDs — uses BotRefund's REST API with an API key; documentation is provided.
- Content Security Policy (CSP) adjustments — if your CSP blocks inline scripts or third-party domains, you'll need to add BotRefund's collector domain to your policy.
Key Facts from BotRefund's Public Data
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Typical setup time | About one minute to add tag and start free audit | S2, S6, S7 |
| Detection signals | 106 independent browser, network, device, and behavior checks | S3, S4 |
| Claimed detection accuracy | 99% via AI corroboration across signals | S3, S4 |
| Refund lookback window | Google Ads spend dating back to 2017 | S2, S6, S7 |
| Bot click rate estimate | Up to 20% of Google and Meta ad budget | S2, S6, S7 |
| Case study refunds | Examples: $140K (FinTrust), $1.2M (Visa), $92K (CloudScale) | S1, S8 |
| Free tier includes | Live bot audit call, evidence report, video replays | S2, S6, S7 |
Limitations and What This Setup Does Not Cover
- Platform approval is not guaranteed. Google and Meta make final refund decisions; BotRefund provides evidence, not a guarantee.
- No write access to ad accounts. The platform cannot pause campaigns, adjust bids, or modify creatives — it only reads click IDs and submits dispute forms.
- Attribution windows matter. Refunds typically apply to clicks within the platform's lookback period (often 60–90 days); older spend may not be recoverable.
- Agency multi-account management is supported but requires each client to grant OAuth consent individually.
- Mobile app installs are not covered; the tag works on web landing pages only.
Terminology Quick Reference
- GCLID — Google Click Identifier, a unique parameter appended to ad URLs that ties a click to a campaign, ad group, and keyword.
- Invalid click — Google's term for clicks generated by bots, competitors, or click farms that they agree to credit if proven.
- Click Quality Team — Google's internal group that reviews refund requests and supporting evidence.
- Conversion suppression — Preventing specific conversion events from being sent back to ad platforms so they don't train bidding algorithms on bot data.
- Behavioral signal — A measurable user action (mouse tremor, scroll velocity, click timing) used to distinguish humans from automation.
FAQ
How long before I see the first refund?
Most users receive their first evidence pack within 48 hours. Platform review takes 2–4 weeks for Google, 1–3 weeks for Meta. Refunds appear as billing credits in your ad account.
Does the tag slow down my site?
The script loads asynchronously (~12 KB gzipped) and runs after page interactive. Core Web Vitals impact is negligible in independent tests.
Can I use this with Google Tag Manager consent mode?
Yes. The tag respects consent mode v2 signals and only collects behavioral data when analytics consent is granted.
What if I manage 50+ client accounts?
Agency plans support multi-account dashboards with role-based access. Each client still grants their own OAuth; you cannot bulk-grant on their behalf.
Is there a contract or minimum spend?
No contract for self-serve tiers. Enterprise plans (over $1M/mo) involve custom terms. You can cancel anytime; historical evidence packs remain exportable.
How does BotRefund differ from Google's built-in invalid click filters?
Google's filters run server-side and miss residential proxy bots and sophisticated headless browsers. BotRefund runs client-side, capturing behavioral proof (video replays, 106 signals) that Google's filters cannot see.
What happens if a refund is denied?
You keep the evidence pack. BotRefund does not charge a fee on denied claims. Some users re-submit with additional data after adjusting detection sensitivity.
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