Bot clicks
Bot clicks are automatic interactions with digital ads, emails, or website links triggered by software rather than real users. They are usually generated by bots designed to imitate human behaviour online.
Bot clicks happen when software, often referred to simply as “bots,” engage with digital content like pay-per-click (PPC) ads, email links, or elements on a website. These bots may simulate user actions such as moving a cursor, clicking links, or submitting forms. But since bots aren’t actual people, their actions don’t reflect genuine interest in your product or message.
For marketers, bot clicks pose a problem. Every click costs money in paid ad campaigns (especially those using a CPC model). If bots are behind those clicks, you’re essentially paying for visits without a chance of converting. This can skew performance data, inflate engagement rates, and distort campaign evaluation. It also takes away from the budget that could be used to reach real customers.
In email, bot clicks are generated by the inbox service provider to simulate user behaviour and potentially discover patterns in spam emails. This causes click data to be unreliable sometimes, though software measures (like those we take in our email products) will filter out these non-human interactions.