Set up and apply negative keyword lists to campaigns

Negative keyword lists can help you manage negative keywords across campaigns more efficiently.

This is an instructional article that shows you how to create and apply negative keyword lists to campaigns.

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Create a negative keyword list
Apply negative keyword lists to campaigns

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When you create a list of negative keywords, you exclude your ads from serving for certain terms that are irrelevant to your brand. This list can help your ads reach your target audience, resulting in better conversions.

If you’re not familiar with how negative keywords work, the following resources provide more background:

Create a negative keyword list

Go to Keywords within the Campaigns menu .
Select the Negative keywords tab.
Select the plus button .
Choose Select a campaign, then select the campaign you want to add the negative keyword list to.
Enter or paste one negative keyword per line in the text field.
Select the box next to Save to new or existing list, and enter a name for your negative keyword list.
Select Save.

Apply negative keyword lists to campaigns

After creating your negative keyword lists, you can apply them to one or more campaigns.

Note: To apply negative keyword lists to App campaigns, contact your Google representative.

Apply negative keyword lists to multiple campaigns from the negative keyword library

Go to Exclusion lists within the Tools menu .
Select the Negative keywords lists tab.
Select the box next to the negative keyword lists that you want to apply to campaigns.
Select Apply to campaigns.
Select the campaigns that you'd like to apply the negative keyword lists to.
Select Apply to campaigns.

Apply negative keyword lists to a single campaign

Go to Keywords within the Campaigns menu .
Select the Negative keywords tab.
Select the plus button .
Select Use negative keyword list.
Select the box next to the negative keyword lists that you want to apply to this campaign.
Select Save.

Apply negative keyword lists to multiple campaigns from the Campaigns page

Go to Campaigns within the Campaigns menu .
Select the box next to the campaigns that you want to apply your negative keyword lists to.
Select Edit, then select Edit targeting.
To add negative keyword lists, select Add negative keyword lists.
1. Select the box next to the lists that you want to add to these campaigns.
2. Select Apply.
To remove negative keyword lists, select Remove negative keyword lists.
1. Select the box next to the lists that you want to remove from these campaigns.
2. Select Apply.

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