Negative Keyword List Builder
What it does
The Negative Keyword Builder generates a starting list of negative keywords based on industry vertical and common categorical filters (freebies, jobs, tutorials, adult). Add custom additions, choose the match type (broad/phrase/exact), and export as either a copy-pastable list or a Google Ads-compatible CSV. Saves the manual process of compiling negatives from scratch when launching a new campaign.
Common situations
You’re launching a new Google Ads campaign and need a starting set of negatives before going live. Without negatives, broad match in particular picks up significant unrelated traffic. The builder gives you a sensible vertical-aware starting list in one click, much faster than typing them in individually.
You’ve added a vertical-specific competitor’s brand to an exclude list across all your campaigns. The builder’s custom-additions field lets you stack those onto the base list, giving you one definitive set rather than trying to keep multiple lists in sync.
You’re moving from broad to phrase match (or running both) and want phrase-format negatives applied. The match-type toggle outputs the negatives in the right format: broad without quotes/brackets, phrase with quotes, exact with brackets.
A campaign has been running and you’ve identified terms in the search query report that should be excluded. Add them to the custom field, regenerate the list, and export. Quicker than entering 30 negatives individually in Google Ads.
You’re consulting for multiple clients across different industries. Each one needs a different base list (legal needs different exclusions from SaaS), but the categorical filters (freebies, jobs, tutorials) are reusable. The builder saves the compilation work for each new client.
What you need to know
Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing on queries you don’t want to pay for. They’re the discipline tool that turns broad match from “Google decides” to “Google decides within the constraints I’ve set”. Without them, broad match in particular wastes significant spend on irrelevant queries.
Negatives work in three match types, same as positive keywords:
Broad negative: blocks any query containing the words in any order. running shoes (broad negative) blocks “shoes for running”, “running shoe review”, anything with both terms.
Phrase negative: blocks queries containing the exact phrase in order. "running shoes" (phrase negative) blocks queries with that phrase; doesn’t block “shoes for running”.
Exact negative: blocks only the exact term plus close variants. [running shoes] (exact negative) blocks just that query (plus close variants like “running shoe”).
For most accounts, phrase is the safe default for negatives. Broad over-blocks; exact under-blocks. Phrase is the right balance. It blocks the variants you want to block without accidentally blocking related variants you do want.
The categorical filters in the builder cover the most-common universal exclusions:
Freebies / cheap: free, cheap, discount code, coupon, voucher, cracked, pirated, torrent. People searching for free or pirated versions are typically not buyers; excluding them improves conversion rate substantially.
Jobs / careers: job, salary, career, hiring, recruitment. People looking for jobs at companies in your industry trigger ads but aren’t customers. Especially relevant for B2B campaigns where company-name keywords overlap with employer-search queries.
Tutorials / DIY: tutorial, how to, guide, learn, course, youtube, reddit. People in research-only mode rarely convert; excluding them improves spend efficiency. The trade-off: some tutorial searches do convert later through retargeting; consider whether to retain or exclude based on your funnel.
Adult / blocklist: porn, sex, xxx, adult, naked. Almost universally inappropriate for non-adult-industry advertisers; their accidental matching wastes spend and risks brand-safety issues.
Industry-specific lists include verticals where common queries are particularly off-target:
- SaaS / Software:
github,open source,wordpress plugin,free download - E-commerce:
wholesale,bulk,manufacturer,aliexpress - Legal / Law Firm:
free advice,pro bono,self help,diy - Marketing / Agency:
freelancer,fiverr,upwork,in-house - Healthcare / Medical:
nhs,symptoms,reddit,free clinic - Property / Real Estate:
for sale by owner,rent,auction,foreclosure
The lists are starting points, not final answers. Real campaigns develop their own negative lists over time from search query reports: the queries you didn’t expect that don’t convert. The builder gives you the head-start; ongoing optimisation fills in the rest.
Frequently asked questions
How many negative keywords should I have?
As many as the search query report justifies. Some accounts run with hundreds or thousands of negatives accumulated over time. The right number is however many it takes to keep search query reports clean of obviously-irrelevant queries. Don’t add negatives speculatively. Only add them when real queries demonstrate they’re needed.
Should I use broad or phrase match for negatives?
Phrase by default. Broad over-blocks (can match queries you don’t want to block); exact under-blocks (misses variants of the same theme). Phrase is the safe middle ground for most negative use cases.
Can I share negatives across campaigns?
Yes. Google Ads supports negative keyword lists at the account level which apply across campaigns. Useful for universal negatives (jobs, freebies, adult). Campaign-specific negatives stay at the campaign level.
Should I exclude my brand name as a negative?
No, generally. Brand searches are usually highly profitable and you want to capture them. The exception is if you have a separate brand campaign and want non-brand campaigns excluded from picking up brand queries; in that case, brand terms become negatives on non-brand campaigns.
Can negatives have unintended consequences?
Yes. Over-aggressive negatives block valuable queries. “Free shipping” as a negative blocks “free shipping running shoes” if you sell shoes, which is possibly a customer query. Test negatives on representative queries before adding them campaign-wide.
How do I find new negatives to add?
Search query reports in Google Ads. Filter by queries that triggered ads but didn’t convert, sort by spend; the highest-spend, zero-conversion queries are your prime negative candidates.
What’s a good cadence for adding negatives?
Weekly for active campaigns, monthly for stable ones. Search query patterns drift; new irrelevant queries appear constantly as Google’s broad match expands its interpretation.
Can I import the CSV directly into Google Ads?
Yes. The format matches Google Ads’ CSV import for negative keyword lists. Save the file, go to Tools & Settings → Shared Library → Negative Keyword Lists → Import.
Common problems
Problem: Added many negatives and conversions dropped sharply.
Over-blocking. The negatives are matching queries you wanted to capture too. Audit the search query report for queries that should be matching but aren’t. If they’re being blocked by your negatives, narrow the negative.
Problem: New negatives don’t seem to take effect immediately.
Google Ads applies negatives within hours but cached search results may show ads on negated queries briefly. Within 24 hours, the effect should be visible. If still showing after 24h, check whether the negative is correctly applied to the right campaign and the right match type.
Problem: Search query report shows queries I’d expect my negatives to block.
Match type mismatch. If your negative is [running shoes] (exact) and the query is “best running shoes for marathons”, the exact negative doesn’t match. Use phrase negatives for term-blocking; use exact only when you specifically want to block the exact phrase.
Problem: Negative list is huge and hard to manage.
Symptom of a structural issue. Heavy reliance on negatives often means broad match is too broad for the use case. Switch to phrase or exact match where possible and the negatives required drop dramatically.
Problem: Adding negatives in bulk via CSV produces errors.
Common formatting issues: extra whitespace, unicode characters in keywords, quotes around terms that shouldn’t have them. The builder’s CSV export uses the format Google Ads accepts; if you’ve manually edited the CSV, verify against the working format.
Tips
- Phrase match is the safe default for negatives. Use broad for category-level blocks; use exact for specific term blocks.
- Build campaign-wide universal negatives once (jobs, freebies, adult) and reuse across all campaigns via account-level negative lists.
- Audit search query reports weekly. New irrelevant queries appear constantly; staying ahead of them keeps spend efficient.
- Don’t speculatively add negatives. Only add what real queries demonstrate is needed; over-blocking hurts more than under-blocking.
- For industries with seasonal terms (Halloween, Valentine’s), build seasonal negatives in advance and apply during the relevant period.
Related tools in this suite
The Match Type Tester is the upstream tool: testing what queries match your positive keywords reveals which queries need negative coverage. The Quality Score Estimator covers the per-keyword quality side; aggressive negative usage indirectly improves Quality Score by reducing impressions on poorly-matching queries. Both are part of the Paid Search Suite.
What this looks like at scale
For a single campaign, the builder is sufficient. For an account with many campaigns and ongoing optimisation, negative keyword management should be part of the regular weekly review: search query reports analysed, new negatives added, lists maintained centrally. That’s part of the work an ongoing paid search engagement typically handles. The Knowledge Center covers the broader campaign hygiene thinking behind it.
Take it further
If negative keyword management has become unwieldy across your account (many lists, inconsistent application, drift over time), structural cleanup usually pays for itself in better spend efficiency. Talk through the situation and we can scope what consolidation looks like.