The Hidden Cost of AI Crawlers: Why GIVT Is on the Rise

The rise of AI-powered web crawlers and scrapers is fueling a noticeable increase in General Invalid Traffic (GIVT), quietly distorting ad performance metrics and costing advertisers valuable budget. These automated tools, designed to collect and analyze web content, have led to an 86% year-over-year increase in GIVT during the latter half of 2024. 

‍

Understanding GIVT and Its Implications

GIVT refers to non-human traffic generated by legitimate bots, such as search engine crawlers and AI data collectors. While not inherently malicious, this type of traffic can distort key advertising metrics by inflating impression counts and causing discrepancies in campaign performance evaluations. Accurate detection and filtration of GIVT are essential to maintain trust and transparency in digital advertising. ​

‍

The Role of AI in GIVT Growth

The accelerated adoption of generative AI tools has led to a notable rise in AI-driven crawlers and scrapers. In 2024, 16% of GIVT from known-bot impressions were attributed to AI scrapers such as GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and AppleBot. These tools, while serving legitimate purposes like training machine learning models, can inadvertently inflate traffic metrics by generating impressions that do not represent genuine human engagement. 

‍

Mitigation Strategies for Advertisers

To address the challenges posed by increased GIVT:

• Implement Advanced Detection Tools: Utilize sophisticated monitoring systems capable of distinguishing between human and bot traffic, ensuring more accurate campaign metrics.​
• Regular Traffic Audits: Conduct frequent analyses of web traffic to identify and filter out invalid sources, maintaining the integrity of performance data.​
• Collaborate with Industry Partners: Engage with technology providers and industry groups to stay informed about emerging threats and best practices in traffic validation.​
  
  

By proactively addressing the rise in AI-driven GIVT, advertisers can safeguard their investments and ensure the reliability of their digital marketing efforts.​

‍