Anyone figured out bot free clicks in casual encounter ads?

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I’ve been wondering about something lately and figured this forum might be the best place to ask. Has anyone here actually managed to run casual encounter ads without getting flooded by fake clicks? Every time I look at my reports, I can’t shake the feeling that half of what I’m paying for isn’t even from real people. It makes you question whether you’re doing something wrong or if this is just how the game works.

For a while, I kept telling myself it was normal. Casual encounter ads attract a mixed crowd, so of course there would be some noise. But then I realized the “noise” was way too consistent. The spikes came at the same hours, the patterns didn’t look human, and the engagement never matched the number of clicks. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to see that bots were eating up a good part of my budget.

At one point, I was convinced it was a lost cause. If the platforms couldn’t filter out robots, how was I supposed to do it from my end? It was frustrating because casual encounter ads already require careful targeting. Add fake clicks on top of that and you end up wasting money before your audience even sees what you’re offering.

After getting annoyed enough times, I started testing things on my own. Nothing scientific. Mostly trial and error, plus a lot of overthinking. One of the first things I changed was my posting schedule. I used to run ads around the clock, thinking more exposure would mean more chances of finding the right users. It turns out those late night hours were crawling with automated traffic. Once I shifted most of my spend to more predictable times of day, the click quality got a bit better.

Targeting was another thing I messed with. I always thought casting a wide net made sense for casual encounter ads. But a wider net lets the bots swim right through. Narrower targeting with interest based filters helped cut down some of the junk. Not all platforms allow that level of targeting, though, so your mileage may vary. When it worked, it felt like the clicks were coming from people who actually cared enough to look.

I also started paying more attention to where the traffic came from. Some placements gave me decent results, while others looked suspicious from the start. It taught me that not every placement is worth keeping, especially in a niche like casual encounters where bots seem to hover around anything with high volume. The moment I removed a couple of bad placements, the reporting became less chaotic.

The funny thing is, the biggest improvement came from something I used to ignore. I started reading more posts and discussions from others dealing with similar problems. Someone mentioned that checking the mix of time spent on landing pages is a good clue. Bots zip through instantly. Humans linger, even if they don’t convert. When I began comparing the two, patterns became obvious. That helped me tweak my ads more confidently instead of stabbing in the dark.

Out of curiosity, I also looked up a few tips online. I stumbled across a guide that breaks down some practical approaches people don’t usually talk about. It wasn’t magic, but it helped me sort out what I should focus on instead of trying to fix everything at once. If anyone wants to skim it, here’s the link I found helpful:
Get Bot-free Clicks in Casual Encounter Ads

I’m not saying any single trick solves the entire issue. Bots are still out there, and they always show up sooner or later. But making small adjustments has made the situation more manageable. For me, the biggest takeaway was that casual encounter ads need a bit more babysitting than regular campaigns. You can’t just set and forget them. Watching the metrics closely, especially those small behavior patterns, makes a huge difference.

So if you’re dealing with the same headache, you’re definitely not alone. I’d say don’t rely too much on automated filters and don’t panic when the numbers look off. Adjust your timing, trim the placements that feel shady, and focus on the traffic that shows human behavior. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than letting bots drain your budget for weeks without noticing.

If anyone else here has figured out a smarter way to keep the fake clicks down, I’m all ears. I feel like we’re all trying to solve the same puzzle, just with slightly different pieces.