Negative Keyword List Generator
Negative Keyword List Generator
Build a negative keyword list from 1,000+ curated terms by category and industry, check conflicts with your keywords and export in any match type.
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- No API key needed
What is the Negative Keyword List Generator?
Stop paying for clicks that never convert. Pick the categories that do not fit your business — job seekers, DIY researchers, freebie hunters, second-hand buyers, existing-customer support searches — add an industry pack, and the generator assembles a clean negative keyword list in the match type you choose.
Before you export, paste your active keywords into the conflict checker. It warns you if any negative would block a keyword you actually want to show for, which is one of the most common and costly negative keyword mistakes.
Key features of the Negative Keyword List Generator
Curated library
Over 1,000 negative keywords grouped into clear, explained categories.
Industry packs
Ready lists for home services, legal, medical and dental, real estate, ecommerce, SaaS, automotive, restaurants, education and more.
Conflict checker
Finds negatives that would block your own keywords.
Your own terms
Add competitors, locations you do not serve and products you do not sell.
Negative match types
Export as negative broad, “phrase” or [exact].
Shared list export
Download a CSV for a shared negative keyword list or campaign-level negatives.
How to use the Negative Keyword List Generator
Choose categories
Tick each category of searches you never want to pay for.
Add an industry pack
Select your industry for specialised exclusions.
Add custom negatives
Add competitor names, out-of-area locations and products you do not offer.
Check for conflicts
Paste your keywords to make sure no negative blocks them.
Export
Copy or download in your chosen negative match type.
How much budget do negative keywords save?
In audits of service-business accounts it is common to find 15–30% of spend going to searches that could never convert: people looking for jobs, training courses, free templates, parts, or instructions. Negative keywords stop your ads from entering those auctions, so the same budget buys more qualified clicks.
Account, campaign and ad group negatives
Put universal exclusions (jobs, porn, free downloads) in an account-level or shared negative list applied to every campaign. Use campaign-level negatives for things like locations or product lines that only matter to one campaign, and ad group negatives to steer searches between ad groups so the most relevant ad shows.
Use with care: words that can convert
Some words are only negative for certain businesses. “Cheap” may be wasted spend for a premium brand but your best keyword if you compete on price. “Reviews” and “reddit” often come from researchers who will buy later. The library marks these as review-before-adding so you can decide.
Pro tips from our PPC and SEO team
- Add plural and singular forms — negatives do not match close variants.
- Review the search terms report weekly for the first month.
- Use negative phrase match for most terms; it is the safest balance.
- Never add a negative that appears inside your core keywords.
- Keep a shared list so new campaigns are protected automatically.
Negative Keyword List Generator: frequently asked questions
What are negative keywords in Google Ads?
Negative keywords tell Google not to show your ad when a search contains a certain word or phrase. They filter out irrelevant traffic so your budget is spent on people likely to become customers.
How many negative keywords should I have?
There is no ideal number. Most healthy accounts have a few hundred negatives from a starter list, plus terms added each week from the search terms report.
Which match type should negative keywords use?
Negative phrase match is the best default: it blocks any search containing the phrase in that order. Use negative exact for very specific queries and negative broad when the words in any order should be blocked.
Can negative keywords block good traffic?
Yes, if a negative appears in a keyword you bid on. Use the built-in conflict checker before uploading a new list.
Is there a limit on negative keywords?
Google allows up to 5,000 keywords per shared negative list and 20 shared lists per account, which is more than enough for nearly every advertiser.
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