Apply brand exclusions to Performance Max or Search campaigns

Brand exclusions keep your campaigns from serving for branded queries you want to avoid. For Performance Max, brand exclusions apply to Search and Shopping inventory.

This article explains how to create a new Performance Max or Search campaign with brand exclusions and how to add brand exclusions to existing campaigns. There are additional resources if you need to manage brands, apply brand exclusions, apply brand inclusions, and more. Learn more About brand settings for Search and Performance Max.

Instructions

Note: The instructions below are part of the new design for the Google Ads user experience. To use the previous design, click the "Appearance" icon, and select Use previous design. If you're using the previous version of Google Ads, review the Quick reference map or use the Search bar in the top navigation panel of Google Ads to find the page you’re searching for.

Create a new Performance Max campaign with brand exclusions

1. In your Google Ads account, from the left navigation menu, click the Create icon .
2. Click Campaigns.
3. Create a new Performance Max campaign.
4. From the left navigation menu, click the Campaigns icon .
5. Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
6. Click Campaigns.
7. Below the "Campaign" page heading, click Settings.
8. Select the Performance Max campaign you created.
9. Click Additional settings, then click Brand exclusions.
10. Enter the brand list you wish to use or click + New brand list and enter the brands you wish to exclude from this campaign.
11. Complete the remaining campaign creation steps.

Add brand exclusions to an existing Performance Max campaign

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon .
2. Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
3. Click Campaigns.
4. Below the "Campaign" page heading, click Settings tab.
5. Select the campaign you want to apply the brand list to.
6. On the "Settings" page, scroll down to click Additional settings.
7. Click Brand exclusions and select the brand list to apply to the campaign.
8. Click Save.

Create a new Search campaign with brand exclusions

1. In your Google Ads account, from the left navigation menu, click the Create icon .
2. Click Campaigns.
3. Create a new Search campaign.
4. From the left navigation menu, click the Campaigns icon .
5. Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
6. Click Campaigns.
7. Below the "Campaign" page heading, click Settings tab.
8. Select the Search campaign you created.
9. Click Additional settings, then click Brand exclusions.
10. Enter the brand list you wish to use or click + New brand list and enter the brands you wish to exclude from this campaign.
11. Complete the remaining campaign creation steps.

Add brand exclusions to an existing Search campaign

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon .
2. Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
3. Click Campaigns.
4. Below the "Campaign" page heading, click Settings tab.
5. Select the campaign you want to apply the brand list to.
6. On the "Settings" page, scroll down to click Additional settings.
7. Click Brand exclusions and select the brand list to apply to the campaign.
8. Click Save.

Note: Exclusions for Search will only be available to select users during the rollout period. Wide availability is expected later in 2024.

Related links

• Create a Performance Max campaign
• Create a Search campaign
• How to use brand suitability features in Performance Max
• Apply brand inclusions to Search campaigns