How to Build a Negative Keyword List in Google Ads

Running ads on Google Ads isn’t just about picking the right keywords, but also about knowing which ones to avoid. That’s where a negative keywords list comes in. If you’re not using negative keywords, you’re probably wasting budget on irrelevant clicks, low-quality traffic, and search terms that will never turn into paying customers.

Think about it: You’re paying for every single click. If you’re advertising project management software, do you really want to show up for searches like “free project management tools” or “project management jobs”? If you’re running ads for a luxury hotel, should your budget go to clicks from people searching “cheap hostels” or “student housing”? Probably not. Those clicks eat away at your budget without ever converting.

In this guide, we’ll break down what a negative keywords list is, why it matters for PPC marketers, and exactly how to add negative keywords in Google Ads, step-by-step. We’ll also go over AdWords negative keywords examples, different match types, and how to use a negative keywords generator or negative keywords tool to keep your campaigns sharp.

What Is a Negative Keywords List?

A negative keywords list is a collection of keywords that tells ad platforms when not to show your ads. By adding words or phrases that don’t match your target audience’s intent, you prevent wasted spend on irrelevant clicks and keep your campaigns focused on qualified traffic. 

For example, if you advertise premium project management software, adding “free,” “jobs,” or “training course” to a negative keywords list ensures you don’t pay for searches from people looking for something you don’t offer.

Using lists strategically helps you save time, keep consistency across campaigns, and avoid wasting money on irrelevant traffic. There are two main ways to use them:

• Campaign-level lists: These are tied to a single campaign. For example, if you’re running ads for luxury hotels, you might add “cheap hostels” and “student housing” as negatives only to that campaign. That way, you’re filtering out low-value searches that don’t align with your brand.
• Shared lists: These are stored at the account level and can be applied across different campaigns. If you’re advertising project management software, you might build a shared list that excludes terms like “free project management tools” or “project management jobs.” This way, you can add negative keywords to all campaigns connected to that list automatically.

Why Negative Keywords Matter in Google Ads

Negative keywords are core to profitable PPC. When you add negative keywords to your campaigns, you stop paying for clicks from people who were never your audience in the first place. That protects your budget, sharpens targeting, and lifts the quality of every click you keep. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Reduce wasted spend: Filtering out irrelevant queries means fewer useless clicks and more budget for searches that convert. Example: a B2B SaaS targeting “enterprise payroll software” shouldn’t pay for “free payroll templates.”
• Improve traffic quality: Blocking low-intent terms raises the baseline intent of your visitors, which usually translates into stronger engagement and higher conversion rates.
• Boost CTR and Quality Score: When your ads skip irrelevant impressions, your click-through rate rises. Higher CTR feeds into Quality Score, which often lowers actual CPC and improves ad rank. In other words, better filtering can mean you pay less per qualified click.
• Lift conversion rate and CPA: Removing mismatched queries raises the share of qualified visitors, which bumps conversion rate and brings cost per acquisition down, without increasing budget.
• Protect brand and funnel strategy: You keep branded campaigns clean (no “customer service” or “login” clicks stealing budget) and stop TOFU research terms from polluting BOFU conversion campaigns.
• Gain clearer data and easier optimization: Cleaner queries mean cleaner reports. It’s simpler to see which themes drive revenue, which keywords need work, and where to scale.

How to Create a Negative Keyword List (Step-by-Step)

Creating a negative keyword list in Google Ads is straightforward, but doing it right can save a lot of wasted spend and low-quality traffic. Start by navigating to the Tools & Settings menu, then click Shared library, and select Negative keywords lists. Hit the plus button, give your list a clear name, and add your negative keywords—one per line. Once your list is ready, you can apply it to campaigns to prevent your ads from showing on those terms.

Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Access Negative Keywords Lists

• Log in to your Google Ads account.
• Go to “Tools & Settings”
• Then, click on “Shared library” 
• Finally, select “Negative keyword lists.” 

This is where you can view existing lists or start creating a new one. 

Step 2: Create a New List

• Click the plus (+) button to create a new list.
• Name the list descriptively to reflect the keyword theme, e.g., “B2B low-intent terms” or “Job seeker traffic.”
• Clear naming conventions help track and maintain multiple lists efficiently.

Step 3: Add Negative Keywords

• Add negative keywords one per line.
• Use insights from your Search Terms report, competitor research, or a negative keyword generator.
• Include broad match, phrase match, or exact match negatives depending on how restrictive you want the exclusions to be.
• Focus on terms that are unlikely to convert to improve ROI and ad efficiency.

Step 4: Apply the List to Campaigns

• Apply your list to one or multiple campaigns.
• Stops ads from showing on queries that match your negative keywords.
• Manage shared vs. campaign-level negative keywords to control where exclusions apply.
• Regularly review and update lists to adapt to campaign changes and avoid blocking high-intent searches.

The Risks of Being Too Aggressive

Adding negative keywords excessively or blocking terms too broadly can backfire. Overly aggressive exclusions may prevent your ads from showing to legitimate, high-intent searches. Always review performance data and adjust your negative keywords list gradually rather than trying to block everything at once. This balance helps you reduce wasted spend while keeping potential customers within reach.

Negative Keyword Match Types Explained

Negative keywords in Google Ads work differently from regular keywords. Instead of telling Google when to show your ad, they tell it when not to show your ad. To fine-tune this, you can use three different match types: Broad, phrase, and exact. Each works in a slightly different way, giving you more control over which irrelevant searches you block.

Broad Match Negative

When you add a broad match negative keyword, your ad won’t appear if the search contains all the words in your negative keyword, regardless of order. However, if only some of the words are present, your ad can still show.

Example: If your negative keyword is free software, your ad won’t show for download free software or best free software tools, but it could still appear for software trial or software for free download.

Phrase Match Negative

With phrase match negatives, your ad won’t show if the search query contains your exact keyword phrase in the same order. Additional words before or after the phrase won’t matter, as long as the phrase itself is included.

Example: If your negative keyword is cheap flights, your ad won’t show for cheap flights to New York or best cheap flights deals, but it could still appear for affordable flights or low-cost flights.

Exact Match Negative

Exact match negatives are the most restrictive. Your ad won’t show if the search query is the exact same as your negative keyword, without extra words before or after. This option gives you the highest precision but the narrowest scope.

Example: If your negative keyword is online courses, your ad won’t show for searches that are exactly online courses. But it could still show for free online courses or best online courses in marketing.

Where to Find Negative Keywords to Add

Now, the important question is: where do you actually find negative keywords? Luckily, from Google Ads’ built-in reports to third-party research tools, there are several reliable sources that can help you uncover the terms dragging your campaigns down. 

Google Ads Search Terms Report

This is the first place every advertiser should look. The Search Terms Report shows the actual queries people typed before clicking your ad. By reviewing it regularly, you can spot irrelevant searches that drain your budget. For example, if you’re advertising enterprise software but see clicks for free software or software jobs, those are clear negatives to add.

Keyword Research and SEO Tools

Beyond Google Ads itself, third-party tools can help uncover irrelevant searches before they even cost you money:

• SEMrush: Lets you explore search queries and competitor campaigns, spotting terms unrelated to your offering.
• Ahrefs: Great for discovering keyword variations that might attract the wrong audience.
• Ubersuggest: Helps find long-tail queries that could bring in irrelevant traffic.
• Keyword Planner (Google Ads): While designed for finding target keywords, it can also highlight terms you don’t want your ads to trigger.

Past Campaign Data

Your own campaigns are one of the richest sources of insight. When it comes to finding negative keywords, look at your historical performance data to spot queries that drove lots of clicks but few (or no) conversions. For instance, if you consistently get traffic from how-to guides or student discounts but those clicks never turn into paying customers, those should be added as negatives.

Competitor Brand Names

Unless you’re deliberately running competitor campaigns, you’ll want to exclude searches containing brand names that don’t convert for you. For example, if you sell accounting software but notice traffic for QuickBooks or Xero, adding those as negative keywords prevents wasted spend on users looking specifically for your competitor.

Low-Intent or Job-Seeking Queries

Not everyone searching for terms related to your industry is a potential customer. Some people are looking for jobs, free resources, or educational content. Queries like marketing careers, PPC tutorials, or digital advertising internships can eat into your budget without delivering real leads or sales. These are strong candidates for negative keywords.

By combining insights from Google Ads reports, campaign history, and keyword research tools, you’ll build a much stronger negative keyword strategy that filters out waste and focuses your spend on the people who matter.

Tips to Organize & Maintain Your Lists

Keeping your negative keywords lists organized is just as important as building them. Without structure, it’s easy to lose track of what exclusions you’ve already applied or accidentally overlap lists across campaigns. A little organization goes a long way in keeping your account efficient and easy to manage.

• Group by theme: Instead of lumping all negatives together, separate them into logical categories like “low-intent searches,” “job seekers,” or “competitor brands.” This makes it easier to update or apply only what’s relevant to each campaign.
• Use naming conventions: Give each list a clear, descriptive name so you know at a glance what it covers. For example, “E-commerce job seeker terms” is far more helpful than just “Negatives List 1.”
• Keep shared libraries clean: Regularly audit your shared negative keyword lists. Remove duplicates, consolidate lists that overlap, and archive anything outdated to avoid confusion down the line.

Negative Keywords List FAQ’s