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What a negative keyword list does

A negative keyword stops your ad from showing on searches that contain it. A shared list applies the same negatives to many campaigns at once, so a job-seeker or DIY search is blocked everywhere in one step.

With broad match and AI Max reaching more loosely related searches every year, negatives are the main way to say “not this” to the matching system.

How the lists are built

Each list is grouped by the kind of search it removes: jobs and careers, free and do-it-yourself, courses and education, and research or other intent. Every industry page also lists the words you should not exclude, because in that industry they belong to buyers.

  • plain word = negative broad: blocks searches containing all its words, in any order
  • "quoted" = negative phrase: blocks searches containing the words in this order
  • [bracketed] = negative exact: blocks only that exact search

Why Hebrew needs its own list

Negative keywords don’t match close variants, plurals or prefixes. In Hebrew, “חינם” doesn’t block “בחינם”, and “משרה” doesn’t block “משרות”. The Hebrew lists include the common prefixed and plural forms separately for that reason.

Hebrew searches also mix in English platform and brand terms, so the Hebrew lists keep those in Latin letters where people type them that way.

Before you apply a list

Read it against your own search terms report. A list is a starting point, not a verdict: a word that is waste for one business is a buyer for another. Add the list as a shared negative list, apply it to your Search campaigns, and at account level for Performance Max.

Will these lists block good searches?

They can, if a word in the list is part of how your buyers search. Each industry page lists the words to keep for that reason. Check the list against your search terms report before applying it.

How do I add the list in Google Ads?

Go to Tools → Shared library → Exclusion lists, create a negative keyword list, paste the terms (one per line, with the quotes and brackets), save, and apply it to campaigns. In Google Ads Editor you can paste the same text.

Do negative keywords work with Performance Max?

Yes. Account-level negative keywords and negative keyword lists applied to Performance Max campaigns filter their search traffic.

Why are there separate Hebrew and English lists?

Because people search differently in each language, and Hebrew prefixes and plurals each need their own entry. If you advertise in both, apply both lists.

How often should the lists be updated?

Review your search terms at least weekly and add new negatives as they appear. Taseli does that review every day and drafts negatives for your approval.

An AI campaigner. You just approve.

Taseli does the work. You make the call.

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  • Nothing changes without your approval