Negative Keyword Cleaner & Wrapper
Clean, de-duplicate, and format negative keyword lists for Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising. Includes huge database of standard exclusion lists.
About
Inefficient negative keyword lists bleed advertising budgets. When you pay for clicks that have zero conversion intent, your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) degrades efficiently. This tool processes raw text into valid import formats for platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.
Manual list curation is prone to syntax errors and invisible duplicates. A single syntax error can prevent a list from uploading, leaving campaigns vulnerable to irrelevant traffic. For instance, failing to strip non-standard punctuation like | or ! often triggers platform validation flags.
This application parses bulk input, removes standard delimiters (commas, tab spaces, newlines), eliminates duplicates, and applies standard match type wrappers. The built-in database includes standard exclusions for broad categories like "Employment" or "Education" to accelerate setup.
Formulas
Correct list sanitation follows a boolean logic structure. The cleaning algorithm defines a valid negative keyword k within a set S where duplicates are eliminated:
Additionally, ad platforms enforce specific character constraints. Characters such as @, !, or , in a phrase match often trigger errors. We calculate potential savings Psave based on filtered waste traffic:
Reference Data
| Match Type | Syntax | Trigger Behavior | Strategic Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad Match | keyword | Includes misspellings, synonyms, related searches. | Default behavior (rarely used for strict negatives). High risk of blocking relevant traffic if too generic. |
| Phrase Match | "keyword" | Searches containing the exact phrase in order, with words before or after. | Use to block specific concepts like "cheap" or "second hand" while allowing modified variants. |
| Exact Match | [keyword] | Exact term or close variant only. | Precise surgical blocks. Prevents specific query strings without affecting broader topics. |
| Broad Match Modifier (Legacy) | +keyword | Deprecated in most platforms. | Do not use for new campaigns. Treated as Phrase match in many contexts now. |