--- title: "The Day-One Negative Keyword Swipe File: Six Lists to Check Before You Spend" description: "Copy six starter negative keyword lists for Google Ads, with the one adjustment each needs before it touches a live campaign." image: "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abb47795f47ebdae31352ec_04116355-27a1-47f1-bb56-7efb0f17224d.png" --- September 29, 2026 • min read # The Day-One Negative Keyword Swipe File: Six Lists to Check Before You Spend ![Young man with curly hair wearing a black shirt outdoors against green foliage background.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6821efca072e48f6f495a47e/68562d390107b3921a6e3d68_1743932904108.jpg) **Alexander Perleman**, Head Of Product @ groas Ex-Goldman Sachs and Stanford Computer Science alex@groas.ai [LinkedIn](https://groas.com/post/the-negative-keyword-swipe-file-200-term#) ![Cover image for: The Day-One Negative Keyword Swipe File: Six Lists to Check Before You Spend](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abb47795f47ebdae31352ec_04116355-27a1-47f1-bb56-7efb0f17224d.png) A new account can spend its first month buying clicks from people searching for jobs, free downloads, templates and customer support. I keep six starter negative lists for that predictable waste; here they are, ready to copy before the first ad runs. #### Before you paste: two rules that prevent expensive mistakes **Use this checklist before applying any list.** A negative keyword can protect a campaign or quietly block the search you most want to buy. 1. **Negatives do not catch close variants for you.** Positive keywords can match plurals, misspellings and related searches; negatives work differently. [Google’s negative keyword documentation](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453972) says negative keywords do not match close variants. Add `download` and you can still show for `downloads`. That is why the lists include singulars, plurals and some closely related forms. Do not trim them just to make the library look tidy. 2. **Start with clean root terms, not entire rejected queries.** If the unwanted search is `cheap residential plumbing repair quotes austin`, an exact negative for that whole string leaves other `cheap` searches untouched. A single-word broad negative such as `cheap` blocks searches containing that word. That is useful only if *no* valuable query in the campaign needs it. [PPC practitioners warn against over-engineering negatives from search terms reports](https://www.reddit.com/r/PPC/comments/1fk5u2n/how_much_time_should_you_really_spend_on_negative/); I would rather check one root carefully than collect twenty near-identical exact matches. **One adjustment that matters:** Treat the blocks below as starter lists, not an instruction to apply all six everywhere. Review them against the offer first, then attach shared lists to the campaigns where they belong. [Shared negative keyword lists have limits](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1704368), and [account-level negatives have a separate limit](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7138558). More importantly, an account-level mistake reaches further than a campaign-level one. #### List 1: File, piracy and reference searches **When to use it:** Start here for a commercial campaign that does not sell downloads, documentation, media, code or research. These queries may contain your product name, but the rest of the search tells you the person wants a file or an explanation, not a sale. ```text adult audio cd cd-rom code codes craigslist crack cracked definition definitions diagram diagrams diy doc download downloads dvd ebay example examples file files github guidelines hack hacks history of instructions keygen manual manuals meaning meanings mp3 mp4 open source patch pdf pirated quora reddit sample samples serial key symbols torrent torrents tutorial tutorials video videos warez wiki wikipedia youtube ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Check the ordinary words before you attach this widely. `Code`, `manual`, `sample` and `video` can describe something you sell or use to win a customer. A broad negative on `code` is not a clever piracy filter if the product is software. Remove any term that overlaps the offer; keep the unmistakable junk. I also leave `login` and `portal` out of this general list. Those belong in the acquisition-only list at the end, where they cannot accidentally block an upsell campaign aimed at existing customers. ![Unwanted search queries caught in a filter while buyer queries pass through.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abb477a5f47ebdae313539e_927c9af0-7e7d-4369-9dc9-b6b886f7a48d.png) #### List 2: Freebie and discount searches **When to use it:** Apply this to campaigns selling paid products, commercial software or premium services *when low-price hunting is not part of your offer*. A person looking for freeware or salvage stock is asking for a different transaction. ```text 0 cost 100% free 2nd hand bargain cheap cheapest clearance closeout complimentary costless coupon coupons dirt cheap discount discount code discount codes discounts free freebie freeware giveaway giveaways gratis liquidation no charge no cost no fee odd lots penny pre-owned pro bono promo code promo codes rebate rebates refurbished remainder salvage sample free second hand surplus thrift used voucher vouchers wholesale zero cost ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Do not broad-negative `free` if a free trial or free shipping helps sell the paid offer. A search containing that word will be blocked regardless of the rest of the query. Remove the root and use narrower phrase negatives such as `"totally free"`, `"100% free"` or `"free download"` where those phrases describe traffic you actually want to exclude. Check the discount terms just as carefully if you run promotions. The goal is to reject the wrong buyer, not your own ad copy. For the less obvious ways exclusions suppress demand, see [the negative keywords mistake costing you conversions](https://groas.com/post/negative-keywords-google-ads-mistake-costing-conversions). #### List 3: Job seekers and students **When to use it:** Use this for campaigns selling services, B2B software or trade work, rather than recruiting or education. Career research can look relevant in a search terms report right up until you notice that every click is about working *for* your industry, not buying from it. ```text applicant apprentice apprenticeship association benefits board career careers certificate certification class classes college course courses curriculum degree diploma duties education employee employer employment exam glassdoor handbook indeed intern internship internships interview interviews job job description job opening job openings jobs join our team linkedin jobs monster.com occupation opportunities part time pay rate per hour qualification qualifications recruiter recruiting recruitment resume resumes salaries salary school seminar seminars staff syllabus trainee training university vacancies vacancy wages ziprecruiter ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Keep `hire` and `hiring` out of the list. People really do search `hire an accountant` or `hire a divorce lawyer`; using either word as a broad negative can erase the buying path you meant to protect. Use employment-specific anchors such as `resume`, `salary`, `glassdoor` and `job opening` instead. Then check `training`, `certification` and `staff` against what you sell before applying the list. This is a job-seeker filter, not permission to block every query that mentions people. #### List 4: DIY and research intent dressed as demand **When to use it:** Attach this to a high-intent campaign for a finished product or service when the campaign is not meant to capture people learning to make their own version. A product name beside `template` can look promising until you read the full query. ```text blueprint blueprints build build your own case study case studies checklist checklists definition definitions diagram diagrams diy do it yourself essay essays guide guides handmade homemade how do i how to how to make infographic infographics make making outline project projects read research step by step story survey template templates theory what is white paper whitepaper ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Ask whether the apparent research term is also the product. If you sell project management templates or a form builder, `template` is not junk. If you sell a finished service, it may be exactly the word that separates a do-it-yourself search from a buyer. Treat broad roots such as `build`, `make` and `project` with particular suspicion: they can describe commercial work as easily as DIY work. Remove them when they overlap your offer. For more category-specific terms, use the larger [negative keywords reference](https://groas.com/post/negative-keywords-list-google-ads-2026-complete-guide-by-category), but make the same offer check there too. #### List 5: Competitor research you did not plan to buy **When to use it:** Use this in core non-brand campaigns if you are not deliberately paying for comparison traffic. A standard commercial ad is a poor answer to someone who wants to read about another company’s outage, reviews or pricing. ```text alternative to alternatives better than cancel cheap alternative competitor competitors complaints controversy downgrade is it good lawsuit legal issues login outage pricing problems rating ratings reddit review replacement review reviews scam shutting down similar to substitute sucks swindled switch from tear down teardown truth about unbiased review versus vs worth it ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Separate *comparison intent* from *brand spillover*. If you have a dedicated comparison campaign and a landing page that answers the comparison, do not apply this list there. If you do not, check each modifier before using it broadly: `pricing` and `reviews` may be valuable searches for your own product. Add competitor names to the appropriate negative list separately, including misspellings you identify. [Google’s brand exclusions can account for misspellings](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/12470678); standard negative keywords do not give you that shortcut. One correctly scoped exclusion beats a generic ad served to someone researching a competitor they never intended to leave. ![Search query rows marked for negative exclusions beside conversion rows.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abb477e5f47ebdae3135544_4c43315a-9a36-460a-ab49-996fbda3cb8b.png) #### PMax: use the lists, but do not mistake them for placement controls **When to use this check:** Do it before carrying these exclusions into Performance Max. [Campaign-level negative keywords are available in Performance Max](https://searchengineland.com/google-brings-negative-keyword-exclusions-to-performance-max-446706), so you no longer need to treat every exclusion as a support-ticket request. The important question is where an exclusion works, not merely whether you managed to enter it. ```text PMax exclusion check 1. Review each list against the offer. 2. Apply relevant negatives at the appropriate account or campaign level. 3. Check Search and Shopping queries after launch. 4. Review placements separately. ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Do not read “negative keyword added” as “every PMax surface is clean.” These negatives and [brand exclusions](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/12470678) address Search and Shopping queries; they are not a way to stop a banner or video ad appearing on an unwanted site or app. Use the separate placement and channel checks in our [Performance Max exclusions walkthrough](https://groas.com/post/how-to-set-up-negative-keywords-performance-max-campaigns-pmax-exclusions-guide). A query filter cannot do a placement filter’s job, however satisfying the exclusion list looks. #### After launch: the search-term routine I would rather not do at 1am **When to use it:** Run this check after the lists go live, then keep repeating it as new search patterns appear. Day-one negatives handle the predictable terms. They cannot tell you every way a live account will match its ads to the wrong search. ```text Search-term check 1. Review the search terms your campaigns can report. 2. Sort for costly terms without conversions. 3. Read the whole query before excluding it. 4. Add the smallest useful negative at the right scope. 5. Record why you added it, then watch what happens to volume. ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Do not let the sort order make the decision. “Costly with zero conversions” is a place to look, not proof that a query is worthless. I used to export reports, sort rows, hunt through broad-match variations and paste exclusions into shared lists long after I should have been asleep. [Other operators still describe the time spent sifting search terms](https://www.reddit.com/r/PPC/comments/1auov6x/the_amount_of_time_needed_to_spend_on_negative/). It is necessary hygiene, but charging for the hours spent doing it manually is not a performance strategy. That is the work [groas](https://groas.com/) is built to take off the calendar. Its Search Intent and Budgeting agents work continuously within account guardrails, while a named human strategist owns direction and performance. Exclusions go into an action log with the reasoning attached. I still want someone accountable for *why* an account is excluding a search; I do not want that person paid to rediscover `jobs` in a spreadsheet every Monday. #### List 6: Customer support and churn searches — my day-one priority **When to use it:** Apply this to acquisition campaigns for subscription software, ecommerce, utilities or repeat-service businesses. Existing customers searching for a login, refund or outage can click the acquisition ad sitting above the help page. That click may look like engagement in a report. It is still a poor use of an acquisition budget. ```text 1800 number 800 number account broken call center cancel cancellation cancelling chargeback contact number customer care customer service error error code glitch help desk helpline hotline log in login not working outage password reset phone number portal problem problems refund refunds repair representative reset returns service center status stolen support support ticket system status tech support troubleshoot troubleshooting unresponsive warranty ``` **The one adjustment that matters:** Separate acquisition from the campaigns that intentionally reach current customers, and remove terms that describe the service you sell. A plumbing business should not block `repair`; an IT service provider should not casually block `broken` or `troubleshoot`. A subscription business, meanwhile, has little reason to buy `password reset` clicks in a new-customer campaign. I rate this list above the more obvious `torrent` and `pdf` filters because support searches can look like branded interest until you read what the customer actually needs. Check this list first, apply it narrowly, then watch the search terms. Do not pay an acquisition click to show someone where the login button is. ## Related Posts [![Cover image for: Stop Asking When Google Ads Will Finish Learning. Stop Resetting the Conditions.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6abb4bda3748f4695a8d3309_5fc122e6-dd3d-4a83-87da-ca6f1fd63488.png) ##### Stop Asking When Google Ads Will Finish Learning. Stop Resetting the Conditions. Budget swings, tCPA cuts, and Friday asset dumps can keep Smart Bidding recalibrating. Before you blame the learning phase, check your change history. 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Target CPA controls acquisition cost; Target ROAS bids for conversion value. Here is the strongest case for each—and the default I would choose when the data cannot settle it. 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