Negative keywords are words or phrases you add to Google Ads so your ads do not show when a search contains them. If you sell new running shoes, a negative keyword such as "used" keeps your ads off searches for used shoes, so the budget goes to queries that can turn into a sale.
This guide answers what are negative keywords in Google Ads in practical terms and is part of the Google Ads hub. It covers how the three negative match types behave, where to add negatives, a weekly routine to find them, a rule for deciding what to block and the mistakes that block converting traffic. The facts reflect Google's help center as of October 2026.
What are negative keywords in Google Ads, and what do they block?
Negative keywords in Google Ads are terms you add to an ad group, campaign, shared list or account so that ads do not show on searches containing them. They filter search terms, the queries people type, not people or websites, and Google states that negatives "won't match to close variants or other expansions" such as plurals.
A search term is the exact query someone typed into Google, while a keyword is the term you bid on. On its negative keywords page, Google says "Negative keywords let you exclude search terms from your campaigns" and shows the close variant rule: a broad match negative "flowers" blocks "red flowers" but not "red flower."
Two more rules from that page, as of October 2026, shape how negatives behave:
- Long searches. An ad can still show when a search is longer than 16 words and the negative term comes after the 16th word.
- Display and Video. For Display campaigns, negatives exclude the topic of a page rather than a query, so ads stay off strongly related pages even when the exact words are missing.
This is how negative keywords can help advertisers better target their spend: they narrow the searches a broad keyword set is allowed to enter.
How do negative broad, phrase and exact match behave?
Negative broad match blocks a search containing all the negative terms in any order, negative phrase match needs the terms in the same order, and negative exact match blocks only the identical search. None of the three negative match types expands to plurals or synonyms the way positive keywords do, although Google says they do account for casing and misspellings.
The table uses Google's own example from its pages on negative phrase match and negative exact match, with the negative keyword running shoes. "Blocked" means the ad cannot show for that search.
| Search | Negative broad: running shoes | Negative phrase: "running shoes" | Negative exact: [running shoes] |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue tennis shoes | Can show | Can show | Can show |
| running shoe | Can show | Can show | Can show |
| blue running shoes | Blocked | Blocked | Can show |
| shoes running | Blocked | Can show | Can show |
| running shoes | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
Phrase match negative keywords use quotation marks and exact match negative keywords use square brackets, the same symbols as positive keywords. Note the second row: the singular "running shoe" slips past every negative match type. Negative broad match is the widest net, so a two-word broad negative is safer than a single broad word that appears in many valuable searches.
Where can you add negative keywords: ad group, campaign, list or account?
Google Ads accepts negative keywords at four levels: the ad group, the campaign, a shared negative keyword list that several campaigns use, and an account-level list for Search and Shopping inventory. Pick the narrowest level that covers the problem, so a term that only fits one ad group does not block the rest of the account.
A negative keyword list is a shared set of negatives that you maintain once and apply to many campaigns, per Google's page on negative keyword lists. Account-level negative keywords are one list under Admin, Account settings, "Negative keywords," that applies automatically.
| Level | What it covers | Limit | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad group | One ad group | None stated | Routing a term elsewhere |
| Campaign | All its ad groups | None stated | Terms wrong for this offer |
| Negative keyword list | Campaigns it is applied to | 5,000 per list, 20 lists | Themes such as jobs or used |
| Account level | Search, Shopping, Performance Max, App, Smart and Local campaigns | 1,000 per account | Terms that never fit |
Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that runs one campaign across Google's channels, including Search and Shopping. As of October 2026, Display and Video campaigns treat every negative as broad match and consider at most 1,000, per Google's guide to adding negatives. Google Ads Editor speeds up bulk edits.
How do you find negative keywords in a weekly search terms review?
Find negative keywords by reviewing the search terms report weekly, sorting by cost and adding terms that cannot convert at the right level and match type. The search terms report lists the real searches that triggered your ads, which makes it the direct evidence of wasted budget in a Search campaign.
Google omits some low volume terms for privacy, so the report never shows every query. Judging terms on conversions also needs correct tracking and a clear attribution model.
- Open the report for the last 7 days. Add cost, conversions and match type, then sort by cost.
- Flag terms with spend and no path to a sale. Judge intent: a job search never buys.
- Choose "Add as negative keyword". Pick the ad group, campaign or a list.
- Set the match type on purpose. Terms from a Search campaign become negative exact match "by default," per Google's search terms report guide. Use phrase when the term will return in other searches.
- Check for overlap and log it. Compare with your own keywords and note the date and reason.
The same report drives the search terms check in a Google Ads audit, and blocking waste lowers Google Ads cost without touching bids.
How do you decide whether a search term should be blocked?
Use the Block, Route or Wait rule: block a term that never fits the business with a shared or account-level negative, route a term that fits another ad group with an ad group negative, and wait on a fitting term until a full conversion cycle, the usual click to sale time, has passed. Only the first case is waste.
The Block, Route or Wait rule is a three-way sort that replaces a yes or no question, so a term that only needed a better ad is not blocked.
| Search term | Fits the business? | Fits this ad group? | Enough data to judge? | Decision | Where and how |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| running shoe store jobs | No | No | Not needed | Block | Account level, phrase "jobs" |
| trail running shoes (in the road shoes ad group) | Yes | No | Not needed | Route | Ad group negative, exact |
| best running shoes for flat feet | Yes | Yes | No, spend is under one conversion cycle | Wait | No negative, review next week |
| running shoe repair near me | No | No | Not needed | Block | Shared list, phrase "shoe repair" |
A term moves from Wait to Block only after a full conversion cycle without results. Never put a fitting term at account level, because that also removes it from Shopping and Performance Max.
When does a negative keyword list become too long?
A negative keyword list becomes too long when it blocks searches you want, not when it passes a set size. Google warns on its negative keywords page that "if you use too many negative keywords, your ads might reach fewer customers." The warning signs are overlap with your own keywords, single broad words and unexplained entries.
A list that grows every week is normal for a broad match account; it turns harmful when it cuts into converting themes.
Check a long list for these signals:
- The keyword diagnosis shows a block. Google's troubleshooting page lists the message "A negative keyword is preventing your ad from showing."
- One word does the work of a phrase. A broad or phrase negative like "cheap" also blocks "cheap running shoes for men," which may be a buyer.
- Lists sit unapplied. A shared list only works once it is attached to a campaign.
How do negative keywords work in Performance Max and AI Max?
Negative keywords in Performance Max apply to Search and Shopping inventory only, per campaign, through a shared list or at account level. AI Max for Search campaigns, a setting that adds search term matching and final URL expansion to Search campaigns, keeps your negatives: Google states that "negative keywords will be respected even with AI Max turned on."
Performance Max is a single campaign that serves ads across Google's channels from one set of goals and assets. Per Google's page on negative keywords in Performance Max, "Performance Max negative keywords are applicable to Search and Shopping inventory only." Google's Performance Max guidance on negative keywords also calls them "a highly restrictive control that can harm performance by preventing the AI from finding valuable traffic," and reserves them for brand safety and clearly irrelevant terms. For brand terms, Google points advertisers to brand exclusions instead.
The statement that negatives stay active comes from Google's AI Max FAQ. Campaign setup, reporting and the full set of controls are covered in the guide to the Performance Max campaign.
Common mistakes with negative keywords
The most common mistakes with negative keywords are blocking too broadly, relying on close variants that negatives do not match, and adding terms that conflict with your own keywords. Each one either keeps paying for waste or quietly stops ads from showing on searches that convert, and both look the same in a weekly report.
- Adding single words that also appear in buyer searches. A broad or phrase negative "free" also blocks "free shipping running shoes." Name the unwanted intent with a longer phrase, such as "free sample."
- Expecting plurals to be covered. Negatives do not match close variants, so add singular and plural forms yourself.
- Blocking your own keywords. Google's guide on adding negatives warns that overlap "will cause your ad not to show." Compare new negatives with your keyword list first.
- Putting relevant terms at account level. Account-level negatives also reach Shopping and Performance Max. Keep them for terms that never fit.
- Judging terms on one week of data. A term with no conversions yet may simply be early. Wait a full conversion cycle before blocking terms that fit the business.
