We’re working to simplify the available site category options for Display Network campaigns. In order to streamline the Google Ads interface and improve serving, we’re merging some site category options and removing others. These changes will unify the options across Display and Video campaigns and allow for smoother workflows so you can easily manage settings for your whole account.
Starting in early 2018, all Display Network campaigns will be moved to a simplified set of options (details below). We recommend that you manually update your options before then.
Introducing account-level content exclusions
We’re introducing account-level control of content exclusions in the new Google Ads experience.
Site category options are now called content exclusions in the new Google Ads experience -- and you can now set these exclusions in one place for your entire account. This means you can set content exclusions one time in your account settings, and they will apply to all new and existing campaigns in your account. Learn how to set account-level exclusions
What’s changing
The following site category options are no longer available for new Display Network campaigns:
| Content type / Type of placement | Sensitive content |
|---|---|
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If you’re using one or more of these options in an existing campaign, you can continue to do so through the end of the year. In early 2018, all campaigns will automatically be migrated to the new set of options and some options will be removed.
We strongly recommend that you manually select new options before the end of the year. If you uncheck one of the options listed above in your campaign, you will no longer be able to use it. Learn how to modify site category options
Details
Here are more details about what’s changing:
| Category | Option | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitive content | Crime, police, and emergency |
“Crime, police, and emergency” content will be classified under “Tragedy and conflict.” Recommendation: Use “Tragedy and conflict” instead. |
| Sensitive content | Military and international conflict |
“Military and international” content will be classified under “Tragedy and conflict.” Recommendation: Use “Tragedy and conflict” instead. |
| Sensitive content | Death and tragedy | Name is changing to “Tragedy and conflict.” |
| Sensitive content | Juvenile, gross, and bizarre | Name is changing to “Sensational and shocking.” |
| Sensitive content | Sensitive social Issues | This is a new option. It includes content related to discrimination and identity relations, scandals and investigations, reproductive rights, firearms and weapons, and more. |
| Digital content label | Content suitable for families | This is a new option. If you exclude “General audiences (DL-G)” you’ll exclude “Content suitable for families” as well. |
| Content type / Type of placement | Gambling |
Google AdSense policy restricts the placement of ads on gambling sites and gambling-related content. Since manual exclusion of gambling content is now unnecessary, this option is no longer needed and will be removed in early 2018. Learn more Note: If you had this option selected, it will now appear as disabled in your settings. Keep in mind, ads cannot be served to this content type. |
| Content type / Type of placement | Error pages |
Google AdSense policy restricts the placement of ads on error pages. Since manual exclusion of this content is now unnecessary, this option is no longer needed and will be removed in early 2018. Learn more Note: If you had this option selected, it will now appear as disabled in your settings. Keep in mind, ads cannot be served to this content type. |
| Content type / Type of placement | Forums, Social networks, Photo-sharing pages, Video sharing pages |
These options will no longer be available. The classification technology for these options was created before the growth and prevalence of user-generated and social content. Recommendation: Use “Digital content labels” (Mature audiences, Content not yet labeled) and “Sensitive content” exclusions instead to opt out of subject matter or types of content that don't fit your brand. |
Keep in mind
- In the new Google Ads experience, Site category options are called Content exclusions for Display Network campaigns.
- The content exclusion options for Video campaigns will remain the same.
What you need to know
In summary: We will be making the transition to the new list of options over the next few months. For existing campaigns, we recommend that you manually change the options in your Display Network campaigns by the end of 2017.
If you don’t update your campaigns by early 2018, your campaigns will be automatically migrated and some options will be removed.
