How to Find and Add Negative Keywords from the Search Terms Report

By the Mayab Media Team · Level: Intermediate · Time: 40 minutes

Your keywords look fine, but the clicks come from searches you never wanted. Someone looking for "free plumbing course" lands on your emergency plumber page. A job seeker clicks your ad for "accountant jobs" when you sell accounting services. Each of those clicks costs money and brings nothing back.

This happens because broad and phrase match keywords cover many searches you didn't type yourself. Google matches on meaning, not only on words, which is useful for reach but means you need a regular cleanup.

Negative keywords are that cleanup, because they tell Google which searches should never trigger your ads. The search terms report shows you what people actually typed, so you know what to block. This guide walks you through reading the report, choosing the right negative match type, building shared lists, and covering Performance Max campaigns too.

Quick answer

1. Open Campaigns > Insights and reports > Search terms and set a date range of at least 30 days.
2. Sort by cost and scan for irrelevant searches: jobs, free, DIY, wrong locations, competitors you don't want, wrong products.
3. Check the box next to a bad term and choose Add as negative keyword. Pick ad group, campaign or a list.
4. Use the right match type. Negatives don't match close variants, so add plurals and synonyms yourself.
5. Put recurring negatives (jobs, free, training) in a shared negative keyword list and apply it to all Search and Performance Max campaigns.
6. Repeat weekly for new campaigns, then every two to four weeks.

Before you start

Here's what you need to have ready before you open the report.

• Access: Standard or Admin access to the Google Ads account.
• Some data: At least a few weeks of clicks. With very little data, you're guessing.
• Your service list: Know what you sell, where you serve, and what you don't do. This makes decisions fast.
• A spreadsheet: Optional, but helpful for tracking which negatives you added and why.
• Time: About 40 minutes for the first pass, then 15 minutes per review.

Be careful with one thing above all: a negative that's too broad can block good traffic. Before you add a single-word negative like "cheap" or "near", think about every search it would block.

Step 1: Open the search terms report

In Google Ads, click Campaigns in the left menu, then open Insights and reports and choose Search terms. Labels can vary slightly as Google updates the interface.

Pick a date range in the top right. Thirty to ninety days works well, because short ranges hide low-volume terms that still add up.

You can look at the whole account, or click into one campaign or ad group first to narrow the view. The report lists each search term with its Match type, the Added/Excluded status, and the usual metrics like clicks, cost and conversions.

Google only shows terms that enough people searched, and some low-volume terms are hidden for privacy. So the report never shows 100% of your spend, and that's normal.

Figure 1. Sort by cost so the most expensive irrelevant searches rise to the top. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. A job search with cost and no conversions is a typical negative keyword candidate. The numbers are only an example.

Step 2: Decide what's irrelevant

Sort by Cost, highest first, then go down the list and ask one question for each term: would I want this person as a customer?

Common patterns worth blocking:

Pattern	Examples	Why
Jobs and careers	jobs, hiring, salary, internship	People looking for work, not services.
Free and DIY	free, how to, DIY, tutorial, template	They want to do it themselves.
Education	course, training, certification, degree	Students, not buyers.
Wrong product or service	used, rental, parts, wholesale	You don't offer it.
Wrong location	city or country names you don't serve	They can't buy from you.
Research only	definition, meaning, what is, examples	Too early to convert.

Don't block a term just because it has no conversions yet, since a term with three clicks and no conversions isn't proof of anything. Look at whether the intent is wrong, not just whether the numbers look poor.

Watch for terms that convert, too. When a search term converts well and isn't already a keyword, add it as a keyword instead. That gives you more control over its bid and ad text.

Step 3: Add negatives directly from the report

Check the box next to each search term you want to block. A blue bar appears at the top of the table, where you click Add as negative keyword.

A panel opens where you choose where the negative goes:

• Ad group: blocks the term only in that ad group. Use it to route traffic between ad groups.
• Campaign: blocks the term in the whole campaign. This is the default for most cleanup.
• Negative keyword list: adds the term to a shared list that applies to several campaigns.

Edit the keyword before you save, because the report fills in the full search term, like plumber jobs hiring. Usually you want something shorter, like jobs, so you block every job-related search at once.

Then set the match type with symbols:

• jobs is broad match negative.
• "plumbing course" is phrase match negative.
• [plumber salary] is exact match negative.

Click Save, and the term now shows Excluded in the report.

Figure 2. Shorten the full search term to the word that makes it irrelevant. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. Campaign level is the usual choice. Use a list when the same negative applies to many campaigns.
2. Trim the full search term down to the part that's actually irrelevant.

Step 4: Choose the right negative match type

Negative match types work differently from regular keywords, and Google's help says negatives do not match close variants. That means plurals, misspellings beyond casing, and synonyms are not blocked automatically.

Here's how each one behaves, using the negative "running shoes" as the example from Google's documentation:

Negative type	Blocks	Doesn't block
Broad running shoes	blue running shoes, shoes running	running shoe
Phrase "running shoes"	blue running shoes	shoes running
Exact [running shoes]	running shoes	blue running shoes

Some practical rules:

• Use broad negatives for single words that are always wrong for you, like jobs or free.
• Use phrase negatives for multi-word ideas where word order matters, like "how to".
• Use exact negatives sparingly, to block one specific search without touching variations.
• Add variants yourself. If you block course, also add courses. If you block job, also add jobs.

A broad negative of a single common word can block a lot. Before you add near or best, think about whether some of those searches convert.

Step 5: Build shared negative keyword lists

Some negatives apply to every campaign: jobs, free, training and competitor names you never want. Put them in a shared list so you only maintain them in one place.

Go to Tools > Shared library > Exclusion lists. Older accounts may call it Negative keyword lists. Click + to create a new list and name it clearly, like "Global – jobs and education". Paste your negatives one per line, with match type symbols, and save.

Then apply it: open the list, choose Apply to campaigns, and select the campaigns. Or go to a campaign's Keywords > Negative keywords, then add the list from there.

Google's limits are worth knowing:

• Up to 20 negative keyword lists per account.
• Up to 5,000 negatives per list.
• Account-level negatives: up to 1,000. Find them under Admin > Account settings > Negative keywords. They apply to all eligible Search and Shopping inventory, including Performance Max.

Account-level negatives are good for terms you'll never want anywhere, like adult or unsafe terms. Lists are better for themes you may want to apply selectively.

Figure 3. Shared lists let you update one place and change every campaign that uses it. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. Group negatives by theme so you can apply them only where they fit.
2. Apply to campaigns links a list to Search and Performance Max campaigns.

Step 6: Cover Performance Max

Performance Max used to offer almost no keyword control, but that changed during 2025.

• Campaign-level negative keywords: Search Engine Land reported in March 2025 that the limit rose from 100 to 10,000 per Performance Max campaign. They apply to Search and Shopping inventory.
• Shared negative keyword lists: Google announced in August 2025 that you can apply shared lists to Performance Max campaigns.
• Search terms report: Google also made search terms reporting available for all Performance Max campaigns in 2025.

To add them, open the Performance Max campaign, go to its Settings, and look for the negative keywords section. You can also apply a list from the shared library as in Step 5. The exact location of the setting can vary by account.

For PMax, open Insights and reports > Search terms with the campaign selected. You'll see which searches PMax matched to, and you can use the same process as for Search campaigns.

Also check Brand exclusions in PMax settings. If you run a separate brand Search campaign, excluding your brand from PMax keeps them from competing.

Figure 4. Apply the same shared lists to Performance Max and add campaign-specific negatives. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. The same shared lists you use in Search campaigns can apply here.
2. Brand exclusions keep PMax from spending on your own brand name.

Still not working? Common causes

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Blocked search still shows up	Negative doesn't match a close variant	Add the plural, singular or synonym as separate negatives.
Traffic dropped sharply after adding negatives	A broad single-word negative is too wide	Review recent negatives. Switch broad to phrase or exact.
Negative "conflicts" with a keyword	A negative blocks one of your own keywords	Check the Negative keyword conflicts warning or recommendation and remove the overlap.
PMax still spends on irrelevant searches	List not applied to PMax, or term is a variant	Apply the list in PMax settings. Add the variants.
Can't see many terms in the report	Privacy thresholds hide low-volume terms	Use a longer date range. Expect some spend to stay unlisted.
Ad group negative didn't stop the term	Another ad group or campaign still matches	Add the negative at campaign level or to a shared list.
Display campaign still shows on related pages	Display treats negatives as topic exclusions	Use content and placement exclusions as well.
Competitor terms still trigger ads	Brand names not added as negatives	Add competitor names you don't want to a list.

Negatives after the 16th word

Google notes that your ad may still show when the negative word appears after the 16th word of a very long search. This is rare, and you don't need to do anything about it.

Don't block your own conversions

Before you add a negative, filter the search terms report for that word and check whether any search containing it has converted. A word that looks wrong in one term can be right in another.

How to confirm it's fixed

1. Same day: In the search terms report, the terms you blocked show Excluded in the Added/Excluded column.
2. After 7 days: Filter the report for the blocked word. New matching searches should not appear, except for variants you didn't cover.
3. After 2–4 weeks: Compare cost and conversion rate for the campaign. Wasted spend on irrelevant searches should drop. Total conversions should stay the same or rise.
4. Ongoing: Keep a short log of what you blocked and why. When performance dips, you can check whether a recent negative caused it.

FAQ

How often should I check the search terms report?

Weekly for new campaigns or after big changes. Every two to four weeks for stable accounts. Accounts with broad match and large budgets benefit from weekly reviews.

Should I add every irrelevant term as an exact negative?

No, because that's slow and misses variations. Find the word that makes the search irrelevant and add it as a broad or phrase negative.

Do negative keywords work in Performance Max?

Yes. Campaign-level negatives, shared lists and account-level negatives all apply to PMax Search and Shopping inventory, according to Google's 2025 updates.

What's the difference between negatives and brand exclusions?

Negatives block specific words. Brand exclusions block searches about a whole brand, including variations and misspellings, from Google's brand list.

Can negatives hurt performance?

Yes, if they're too broad, they can block searches that would have converted. Review new negatives against your converting terms and check traffic a week later.

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Sources

• support.google.com: /google-ads/answer/2453972?hl=en
• support.google.com: /google-ads/answer/2472708?hl=en
• support.google.com: /google-ads/answer/2453983?hl=en
• support.google.com: /google-ads/answer/16451273
• searchengineland.com: /google-ads-expands-negative-keyword-limits-pmax-453154