> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hireotto.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manage Google Ads Negative Keywords with AI

> Find wasted search terms and add campaign, ad group, or shared negative keyword lists in Google Ads using HireOtto and AI prompts.

***

Negative keywords are one of the highest-leverage optimisations in Google Ads — they stop your budget from being wasted on irrelevant queries. HireOtto supports all three levels of negative keyword management: campaign-level, ad group-level, and shared lists. This guide covers each approach and how to use them together effectively.

## Negative keyword workflow

A practical workflow looks like this:

1. Pull the search terms report
2. Sort by cost, clicks, or conversions
3. Identify irrelevant queries or high-spend zero-conversion terms
4. Decide whether each term belongs at campaign, ad group, or shared-list level
5. Add the negatives
6. Re-check performance after a few days

Start with the [Reporting guide](/guides/reporting) if you need to pull search terms first.

## Three ways to add negatives

**Campaign-level** — blocks a term across every ad group in the campaign. Best for broad exclusions that apply to the whole campaign (e.g. "free", "jobs", "DIY").

**Ad group-level** — blocks a term only within a specific ad group. Best for preventing cross-contamination between ad groups (e.g. blocking "product B" keywords in the "product A" ad group).

**Shared negative keyword lists** — a reusable list you create once and assign to multiple campaigns. Best for exclusions you'll want across many campaigns (e.g. a brand safety list, a competitor exclusion list, or a standard jobs/free-trial exclusion set).

***

## Finding negatives to add

The search terms report is the primary source. Pull it for any account or campaign you want to clean up:

```text theme={null}
Get the search terms report for account [CUSTOMER_ID] for the last 30 days, sorted by cost, output mode summary_and_csv.
```

Look for: terms with spend but zero or low conversions, irrelevant queries, competitor brand names you don't want to pay for, and queries that don't match your offer.

***

## Adding negatives at the campaign level

For broad exclusions across an entire campaign:

```text theme={null}
Add "[NEGATIVE_KW1]", "[NEGATIVE_KW2]", "[NEGATIVE_KW3]" as exact match negatives to campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID].
```

Mixed match types:

```text theme={null}
Add these negatives to campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID]: "[KW1]" as broad match, "[KW2]" as phrase match, "[KW3]" as exact match.
```

**Match type guidance:**

* **Exact** — only blocks that precise query. Most surgical, lowest risk of over-blocking.
* **Phrase** — blocks any query containing that phrase in order.
* **Broad** — blocks any query containing all the words in any order. Use carefully — it can block more than you intend.

When in doubt, start with exact match negatives. You can always expand later.

***

## Adding negatives at the ad group level

For cross-contamination prevention between ad groups:

```text theme={null}
Add "[NEGATIVE_KW]" as exact match negative to ad group [ADGROUP_ID] in campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID].
```

***

## Shared negative keyword lists

### Creating a new list

Create a list with initial keywords in one step:

```text theme={null}
Create a negative keyword list called "[LIST_NAME]" with these keywords as exact match: [KW1], [KW2], [KW3].
```

Mixed match types:

```text theme={null}
Create a negative keyword list called "[LIST_NAME]": "[KW1]" broad, "[KW2]" phrase, "[KW3]" exact.
```

### Assigning a list to campaigns

After creating a list (or to assign an existing one), get the list ID first:

```text theme={null}
List all negative keyword lists in account [CUSTOMER_ID].
```

Then assign it:

```text theme={null}
Assign negative keyword list [LIST_ID] to campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID].
```

You can assign the same list to multiple campaigns:

```text theme={null}
Assign negative keyword list [LIST_ID] to campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID_1].
```

```text theme={null}
Assign negative keyword list [LIST_ID] to campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID_2].
```

### Adding more keywords to an existing list

```text theme={null}
Add these keywords to negative list [LIST_ID]: "[KW1]", "[KW2]", "[KW3]" — exact match.
```

### Reviewing an existing list

```text theme={null}
List all negative keyword lists in account [CUSTOMER_ID] and include the keywords in each list.
```

Shared negative lists are especially useful during [Google Ads account audits](/guides/google-ads-account-audit-with-ai), because they reveal whether an account has reusable exclusions or scattered one-off negatives.

***

## Typical negative keyword workflow

**New account or campaign:**

1. Pull search terms for context (if the account has history)
2. Create a shared brand-safety / common-exclusions list
3. Assign it to all campaigns
4. Add any campaign-specific negatives at campaign level

**Ongoing optimisation (weekly or monthly):**

1. Pull search terms report sorted by cost
2. Identify wasted spend — zero-conversion terms with significant spend
3. Add confirmed wasted terms as campaign-level exact match negatives
4. Add any terms that indicate ad group cross-contamination at ad group level
5. For terms you'll want to exclude permanently across all campaigns, add to your shared list

**Full weekly negative review sequence:**

```text theme={null}
Get the search terms report for account [CUSTOMER_ID] for the last 7 days, sorted by cost, output mode summary_and_csv.
```

```text theme={null}
Add these negatives to campaign [CAMPAIGN_ID]: "[WASTED_TERM_1]", "[WASTED_TERM_2]" — exact match.
```

```text theme={null}
Add "[BROAD_EXCLUSION]" to negative keyword list [LIST_ID] — phrase match.
```

***

## Related workflows

* [Analyze Google Ads performance reports with AI](/guides/reporting)
* [Google Ads Daily Optimization with AI](/guides/google-ads-daily-optimization-with-ai)
* [Google Ads Account Audit with AI](/guides/google-ads-account-audit-with-ai)