The hidden cost of fake clicks in Europe

In the era of programmatic advertising and generative AI, the web is now dominated by automated processes. Recent estimates indicate that BOT traffic has reached and surpassed a critical threshold, accounting for approximately 57.5% of total global web traffic. But how much does this affect companies' pockets?

Invalid Traffic (IVT) by Platform

The rate of invalid traffic (fraudulent clicks, scrapers, bot clickers) varies profoundly depending on the platform used. Below is the estimated average incidence in 2025/2026:

The Impact on SMEs in Europe

In Western Europe, while global corporate averages sit around 8-10%, for unprotected SMEs and local campaigns, the rate of fake clicks and bot traffic reaches peaks of 40%. This gap exists because bots target the most vulnerable budgets (Restaurants, Shops, scaling E-commerce), making the damage devastating.

An SME that invests €1,000 per month in digital advertising risks wasting on average €4,800 per year. Not only is this budget consumed without generating any real purchase intent, but bots pollute retargeting metrics, leading algorithms to optimize campaigns on fake profiles (the phenomenon of compounding waste).