Increasing transparency of AdSense payments

When you check your payments history, you might notice a difference between your estimated AdSense earnings and the final amount paid to you. The difference between these two amounts is mostly caused by invalid activity on your site, such as accidental clicks, which are deducted from finalized earnings.

We've received feedback from you that you want to know more about the differences between estimated and finalized earnings. Starting with May’s payment history, you’ll be able to see the invalid activity deductions that cause these differences.  For example, if your estimated earnings were $1,100 and your finalized earnings were $1,000, you now have a better view into how your estimated earnings break down into invalid activity and finalized earnings.

If there is a large difference between your estimated earnings and your finalized earnings, make sure to review these tips. To prevent invalid activity on your site, pay special attention to your site design and traffic acquisition. If you see unusual levels in invalid activity, we encourage you to notify us by using the Invalid Clicks Contact Form.

We hope this will help you understand the differences between your estimated and finalized earnings and how invalid activity affects your payments. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Posted by Justin Chu
AdSense Product Manager