Negative Keywords for E-commerce: Strategy + Starter List

Negative keywords tell Google which searches should never trigger your ads. For an e-commerce store, they are the fastest way to stop paying for clicks from people who want something free, a job, a repair manual or a product you do not sell. A good negative keyword strategy combines a starter list, a weekly search terms review and shared lists applied across your Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.

This guide covers how negative match types actually behave, a repeatable workflow, how negatives work in Shopping and Performance Max today, and a starter list you can adapt.

Why negative keywords matter more for e-commerce

E-commerce campaigns tend to match a huge range of searches. Shopping and Performance Max campaigns do not use keywords at all. Google decides which searches are relevant based on your product feed, landing pages and its own signals. Search campaigns using broad match behave similarly.

That reach is useful, but it means you will show up for searches like:

• "free crochet blanket pattern" when you sell finished blankets
• "how to fix a leaking espresso machine" when you sell espresso machines
• "standing desk jobs" or "standing desk manual pdf"

Each of those clicks costs money and almost never converts. Negative keywords are how you take that control back.

How negative keyword match types work

Negative keywords have three match types. They behave differently from regular keywords, and the biggest difference trips up a lot of advertisers: negative keywords do not match close variants. A negative for "repair" will not block "repairs" or "repairing." You need to add the variations yourself.

Negative broad match

Format: free pattern

Blocks any search that contains all the words, in any order. The query "pattern for free blanket" is blocked. The query "free blanket" is not, because "pattern" is missing.

This is the default. Single-word negative broad keywords like free or jobs are the workhorses of most negative lists.

Negative phrase match

Format: "bed frame"

Blocks searches that contain the exact phrase, in that order, with other words before or after. "Cheap bed frame queen" is blocked. "Frame for a bed" is not.

Use it when word order changes the meaning.

Negative exact match

Format: [running shoes]

Blocks only that exact search, with no extra words. "Running shoes" is blocked. "Red running shoes" is not.

Use it when you want to stop a specific broad query but keep its longer, more specific versions. This is common in Shopping, where you might block the generic [sofa] in one campaign while allowing "green velvet sofa."

Quick comparison

Notice the first row. A broad negative on free blocks "free shipping" searches too, which may be people ready to buy. That is why single-word negatives need a quick sanity check before you add them.

The search terms report workflow

Your search terms report shows the actual queries that triggered your ads. It is where most of your negatives will come from.

Where to find it

In Google Ads, go to Campaigns, then Insights and reports, then Search terms. You can view it for the whole account or for a single campaign or ad group.

A weekly routine

1. Set the date range to the last 7 days for active accounts, or the last 30 days for smaller ones.
2. Sort by cost, highest first. The expensive irrelevant queries matter most.
3. Add columns for conversions, conversion value and cost per conversion so you can judge each query.
4. Scan for intent problems. Look for informational, job-related, free, DIY, wrong-product and wrong-location searches.
5. Look for patterns, not just single queries. If ten different queries contain "replacement parts," one negative for "replacement parts" handles all of them.
6. Add negatives at the right level. Words that are irrelevant everywhere go into a shared list. Queries that are only wrong for one campaign go at the campaign or ad group level.
7. Check before you block. If a query has converted, think twice. A query that looks odd but sells is not a negative.
8. Log what you added. A simple spreadsheet with date, keyword, match type and reason helps when someone asks why sales dropped on a term.

What to look for

Avoid over-blocking

The opposite mistake is just as common. Store owners add cheap, sale or best because the words feel low quality, then wonder why traffic dried up. Those can be buying searches. Only block words that are clearly irrelevant, or that your own data shows do not convert.

Also remember that adding a negative does not remove historic data. It only stops future matching.

Negative keyword lists

Negative keyword lists let you build a set of negatives once and apply it to many campaigns. They are found under Tools, then Shared library, then Exclusion lists (the exact menu label has moved over the years, so look for "negative keyword lists" if it differs).

A structure that works for most stores:

• Universal irrelevant: free, jobs, DIY, manuals and other words that never convert for you. Apply to every campaign.
• Wrong products: product types, materials or uses you do not sell. Apply to every campaign.
• Brand terms: your own brand name. Apply to non-brand campaigns so branded searches go to your brand campaign.
• Competitor brands: apply where you do not want to bid on competitors.
• Locations: cities or countries you do not ship to, if they show up in queries.

Keep lists separate by purpose. It makes them easier to audit and to remove from a single campaign when needed.

Account-level negative keywords

Google Ads also supports account-level negative keywords, found in account settings. These apply across eligible campaign types in the account, including Search, Shopping and Performance Max. They are a good place for terms you never want to appear for, such as adult terms, offensive words or "free" if it truly never converts.

Account-level negatives have a smaller cap than regular lists, so save them for the most important universal terms.

How negatives work in Google Shopping

Standard Shopping campaigns do not have keywords, but they fully support negative keywords at the campaign and ad group level, plus shared negative keyword lists. All three match types work.

In Shopping, negatives do two jobs.

1. Blocking irrelevant traffic

This works exactly like Search. Add negatives for free, DIY, wrong products and so on.

2. Query sculpting

Shopping campaigns have a campaign priority setting: high, medium or low. When the same product is in more than one campaign, Google uses the highest-priority campaign that is eligible. You can combine that with negatives to route different searches to different bids:

1. High priority campaign, low bids: add negatives for your brand and specific product terms. This catches generic searches like "lamp" at a low bid.
2. Medium priority campaign, medium bids: negate brand terms only. This catches more specific searches like "brass desk lamp."
3. Low priority campaign, high bids: no sculpting negatives. This catches branded and very specific searches like "yourbrand brass desk lamp."

Generic searches get filtered into the cheap campaign. Specific, high-intent searches fall through to the campaign that bids more. It takes ongoing maintenance, so it suits larger catalogs and accounts with enough volume. Our Google Shopping ads guide covers campaign structure in more detail.

Also remember that what your product matches for depends heavily on your feed. A clear, accurate title often prevents irrelevant matches better than a long negative list. See our guide to product feed optimization.

How negatives work in Performance Max today

For years, Performance Max offered almost no negative keyword control. That has changed. As of late 2026, you have several options:

• Campaign-level negative keywords. Google added campaign-level negatives to Performance Max and raised the limit to 10,000 per campaign in 2025. You can add them in the campaign settings in the Google Ads interface.
• Negative keyword lists. Shared lists can be applied to Performance Max campaigns in most accounts. If you do not see the option, check for a Google Ads update or apply the terms at the campaign level.
• Account-level negative keywords. These apply to Performance Max as well.
• Brand exclusions. A separate setting that excludes searches for selected brands, including your own. Useful when you want branded traffic to stay in a dedicated Search campaign.
• Search terms reporting. Performance Max now provides search term data in its reporting, though it is still less complete than a standard Search campaign's report.

Two caveats:

• Performance Max negatives apply to Search and Shopping inventory. They do not control placements on YouTube, Display or Discover, which are handled by content and placement exclusions.
• Performance Max relies heavily on automation. Very aggressive negative lists can limit its reach and learning. Block what is clearly irrelevant and let the campaign do the rest.

For more on how these campaigns behave, read our guide to Performance Max for e-commerce.

Starter negative keyword list for e-commerce

Use this as a starting point, not a copy-and-paste solution. Review every term against your products before adding it. If you sell sewing patterns, pattern is your best keyword, not a negative.

Free and DIY

• free
• freebie
• diy
• "do it yourself"
• homemade
• pattern
• patterns
• template
• printable
• tutorial
• "how to make"

Information and research

• "what is"
• "what are"
• meaning
• definition
• history
• wikipedia
• "how does"
• reddit
• quora

Jobs and business

• job
• jobs
• career
• careers
• hiring
• salary
• internship
• resume
• "work from home"

Repair, parts and manuals

• repair
• repairs
• fix
• manual
• manuals
• pdf
• instructions
• troubleshooting
• "replacement parts"
• warranty

Media and images

• images
• pictures
• photo
• clipart
• drawing
• coloring
• wallpaper
• svg
• video

Secondhand and alternatives

Only add these if they truly do not fit your store:

• used
• secondhand
• "second hand"
• refurbished
• rental
• rent
• craigslist
• "facebook marketplace"
• swap

Wholesale and B2B

Only add if you do not sell wholesale:

• wholesale
• bulk
• manufacturer
• supplier
• distributor
• "private label"

Location intent

Only add if you are online only:

• "near me"
• "store hours"
• "open now"
• directions

Terms to be careful with

These often look like negatives but can be valuable buying signals. Test them with data before blocking:

• cheap
• discount
• coupon
• sale
• best
• review
• vs
• amazon

Maintaining your negatives over time

Negative keyword management is ongoing, not a one-time task.

• Weekly: review search terms for active campaigns.
• Monthly: review shared lists for conflicts. A negative can accidentally block one of your active keywords. Google Ads flags some conflicts in its recommendations, but it does not catch everything.
• When your catalog changes: remove negatives for product types you now sell. A store that adds a "used" or "refurbished" section needs to remove those words from its lists.
• After a sudden drop in traffic: check recent negatives first.

Want this handled for you?

Search terms reviews are easy to skip and expensive to neglect. Mercantads manages negatives as part of every Google Search Ads and Performance Max account we run, with weekly reviews and documented lists. Contact us if you want a second set of eyes on your search terms.

Frequently asked questions

What are negative keywords for ecommerce?

They are words and phrases you tell Google Ads not to show your ads for, such as "free," "jobs" or "repair manual." They stop your store from paying for clicks from people who are not looking to buy what you sell.

Do negative keywords match plurals and misspellings?

No. Unlike regular keywords, negative keywords do not match close variants, so you need to add plurals, misspellings and other variations yourself.

Can I add negative keywords to Performance Max?

Yes. Performance Max supports campaign-level negative keywords, account-level negatives and brand exclusions, and shared negative keyword lists in most accounts. These negatives apply to Search and Shopping inventory, not to YouTube or Display placements.

How often should I review my search terms report?

Weekly for accounts with steady spend, and every two to four weeks for smaller accounts. Sort by cost so you deal with the most expensive irrelevant searches first.

Should I add "cheap" as a negative keyword?

Usually not without data. Many shoppers who search for "cheap" or "discount" are ready to buy, so check whether those queries have converted before blocking them.