Google Ads adds Invalid Activity Credit Report columns for Search &

Google Ads has rolled out ten new columns in its Invalid Activity Credit Report, letting advertisers see credited clicks, interactions and amount alongside adjusted cost, clicks and conversion metrics for Search and Performance Max campaigns [1]. The addition promises a cleaner view of spend after invalid traffic credits, cutting the manual reconciliation that previously plagued large‑budget advertisers.

New metrics and how they work

Google’s help document explains that the report now breaks invalid activity credits down by campaign and network, distinguishing between traffic filtered before billing and activity detected after invoicing [1]. The three credit metrics capture clicks, non‑click interactions and monetary value that are credited back to advertisers once invalid activity is identified post‑billing. The seven adjusted metrics subtract those credits from standard figures, producing “net” values such as adjusted cost (invoiced spend minus credits) and adjusted CTR (adjusted clicks ÷ impressions). Because the adjustments can shift performance indicators—e.g., adjusted average CPC may rise if fraudulent clicks inflated the original click count—advertisers gain a more accurate cost‑per‑action picture without exporting separate billing files.

Access and scope

The report lives in the Google Ads Report Editor under the “Template gallery” as “Invalid Activity Credit Report: Search & PMax,” and users can drag‑and‑drop any of the ten new columns into their view [1]. It is currently limited to Search and Performance Max campaigns; Display, Video and Demand Gen campaigns remain excluded. Google notes that minor rounding differences may appear in monthly credit totals, but these are negligible relative to the overall credit amount [1].

What to watch

• Rollout to other campaign types – Google may expand the report to Display, Video and Demand Gen, closing the current coverage gap.
• Advertiser adoption rates – Monitoring how quickly agencies enable the new columns will indicate the tool’s practical impact on billing reconciliation.
• Policy‑related credit trends – Changes in the volume of post‑billing credits could signal shifts in Google’s detection algorithms or policy enforcement.

The report’s introduction marks a tangible step toward greater transparency in Google’s ad ecosystem, giving high‑spend advertisers a built‑in mechanism to quantify and adjust for invalid traffic without the spreadsheet gymnastics that previously obscured true campaign performance.