A negative keywords list is one of the simplest ways to stop paying for clicks that were never going to convert. Every search campaign attracts some irrelevant searches: people looking for jobs, free versions, instructions or something that shares a word with your product but means something else. A well-kept list filters those out before they cost you anything.
The catch is that a copied list can do as much harm as good. There is no comprehensive list of negative keywords that suits every account, and excluding the wrong word can block your best customers. The same goes for the output of any negative keywords generator. Use the starter lists below as a checklist of themes to consider, not a file to paste in blindly.
What are the different negative keyword match types?
There are three negative keyword match types in Google Ads: negative broad, negative phrase and negative exact. They behave differently from regular keywords in one important way: they do not match close variants. A negative for "repair" will not block "repairs" or a misspelling like "repiar". If you want to exclude plurals and common misspellings, add them yourself.
| Negative match type | How you enter it | What it blocks (example: running shoes) |
|---|---|---|
| Negative broad | running shoes | Any search containing both words, in any order, such as "shoes for running" or "red running shoes" |
| Negative phrase | "running shoes" | Searches containing the words in that exact order, such as "best running shoes", but not "shoes for running" |
| Negative exact | [running shoes] | Only the exact search "running shoes", with nothing added |
Where negatives can be applied
You can add Google Ads negative keywords at the ad group level, the campaign level, in shared lists applied to many campaigns, and at the account level. Shared lists are where most of your universal exclusions should live, because one update covers every campaign it is attached to. Account-level negatives are useful for terms you never want to appear for anywhere, and they also apply to Performance Max, which has limited negative keyword controls of its own.
Universal negative keywords list
These themes waste money in most accounts. The last column matters as much as the examples.
| Theme | Example negatives | Do not exclude if |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs and careers | jobs, job, careers, hiring, salary, resume, internship, vacancy | You are running recruitment campaigns |
| Free and DIY | diy, homemade, how to make, template, printable | You sell templates or DIY kits |
| Education and training | course, courses, training, certification, degree, class, tutorial | You sell training or certification |
| Research and definitions | definition, meaning, wiki, examples, pdf, history of | You run content campaigns aimed at research |
| Second-hand and rental | used, second hand, refurbished, rental, rent | You sell refurbished stock or offer rentals |
| Existing customer tasks | login, sign in, customer service, cancel, refund | These searches are for your brand and you want to help |
| Images and media | images, pictures, wallpaper, clipart, logo png | Almost never relevant for commercial campaigns |
| Bargain hunters | cheapest, bargain, clearance, dirt cheap | You compete on price or run outlet campaigns |
| Piracy and illegal use | crack, torrent, pirated, keygen, nulled | Almost never relevant |
Unwanted locations are better handled with location targeting than with negatives, but place names can still slip through in searches such as "roofer in [another city]". Add those town names as negatives only when the search terms report shows them.
Notice what is missing: "free" on its own. Excluding it as a broad negative also blocks "free shipping", "free estimate", "free consultation" and "gluten free", all of which can come from ready buyers. Use phrase match negative keywords for the specific free-related searches that waste money instead.
What are examples of negative keywords?
Common examples of negative keywords are jobs, careers, salary, DIY, course, used, login and wallpaper, plus industry-specific terms that share a word with your product but signal a different need. The universal themes are in the table above; these are the exclusions we see most often by industry.
Ecommerce
Wholesale, bulk and manufacturer terms if you only sell direct to consumers; manual, instructions, replacement parts and spare parts if you do not stock them; product types you do not carry that share a word with yours. A store selling leather bags, for example, may need to exclude "leather conditioner" and "leather repair". Your ecommerce keyword research already shows which modifiers signal buying intent and which do not.
Local services
DIY and "how to" phrases, parts and supplies, trade school and license exam terms, and the names of towns outside your service area if location settings alone are letting them through. A roofer will usually exclude "roofing jobs", "roofing course" and "roofing nails".
B2B software
Open source, free download, crack, login for competitors' products, and job titles when people are searching for roles rather than tools. Consider excluding "free" alternatives only after checking whether trial-seekers convert in your account.
Professional services
Law firms and accountants often exclude pro bono, free legal aid, law school, CPA exam and salary. Whether to exclude "cheap" depends on your positioning: for some firms it filters out poor-fit leads, for others it removes a large, profitable segment.
How do you make a negative keyword list?
You make a negative keyword list by pulling wasteful queries from your search terms report, choosing the shortest safe negative for each, and saving them in a shared list attached to your campaigns. Step by step:
- Pull the right data. The best place to find negative keywords is your own search terms report. Open it for the last 30 to 90 days and sort by cost. Include terms with spend and no conversions, and terms with conversions that never became customers if you import offline conversions.
- Classify each term. Is it irrelevant (wrong product, wrong intent), or relevant but not converting yet? Only irrelevant terms become negatives. Relevant, non-converting terms usually need a better ad, landing page or bid.
- Find the shortest safe negative. If "salary" appears in twenty wasteful searches, one negative broad for "salary" covers them all. If a word is only wasteful in one combination, use phrase or exact.
- Add it at the right level. Universal waste goes into a shared list. Terms that are wrong for one campaign but fine for another stay at campaign level, which also stops campaigns cannibalizing each other.
- Review weekly, then monthly. New accounts and broad match campaigns need weekly reviews. Mature accounts with stable keyword sets can move to a monthly routine.
- Keep a record. Note why each negative was added. When someone later wonders why a term never shows, the answer is on file.
Where do you find the negative keyword list in Google Ads?
You find negative keyword lists in the Shared library, under the Tools menu in Google Ads. In the current interface they sit with the other exclusion lists; Google reorganizes these menus from time to time, so searching "negative keyword lists" in the account's search bar is the quickest route. From there you create a list, add negative keywords to the list with the correct match type syntax, and apply it to campaigns. A list does nothing until it is attached to at least one campaign.
Campaign and ad group negatives are under Keywords, then Negative keywords, inside each campaign. Account-level negatives live in the account settings. If you are working from an old AdWords negative keywords list (Google Ads was called AdWords until 2018), the syntax is the same, but review each term before importing, because products and services change.
Negative keyword mistakes that block good traffic
- Single-word broad negatives that are too wide. "Free", "cheap", "small" and "kit" each block searches you probably want somewhere.
- Negative keyword conflicts. A negative that blocks one of your own active keywords stops it from serving. Google Ads flags these conflicts in recommendations, so review them.
- Excluding competitor names that convert. Check the data before deciding competitor searches are waste.
- Forgetting Shopping and Performance Max. Product campaigns attract irrelevant searches too. Standard Shopping accepts negatives directly; use account-level negatives and brand exclusions for Performance Max.
- Never removing anything. Products, services and service areas change. A negative added two years ago may now block a line you sell.
Negative keywords are also a regular part of our wider Google Ads audit checklist, and the same buyer-intent thinking shows up in organic work such as our ecommerce SEO checklist. If you want an experienced team keeping your exclusions current, our Google Ads management includes weekly search term reviews, and a free audit will show how much of your current spend goes to irrelevant searches. For more PPC guides, visit the 95 Solutions blog.