I spent $220 on Google app ads and 60% of the installs were robots

A developer recently shared their experience with Google App Campaigns, revealing that a $220 advertising budget resulted in a significant amount of fraudulent traffic. After analyzing the installation data for their mobile game, the developer discovered that 60% of the recorded installs originated from bot farms rather than genuine users. The report highlights the ongoing challenges small developers face when utilizing automated ad platforms, where sophisticated bot networks can quickly deplete marketing budgets without delivering actual engagement or revenue. The author provides technical insights into how these bots mimic human behavior to bypass basic detection, raising concerns about the efficacy of Google's current anti-fraud mechanisms for smaller-scale advertisers. This case study serves as a cautionary tale for startups and independent developers regarding the risks of automated ad spend and the necessity of implementing rigorous, third-party attribution tracking to verify the quality of acquired users.