Controlling Performance Max Spend with Negative Keywords and Exclusions

Question 1

How do I add negative keywords to Performance Max when there is no setting in the campaign?

Accepted Answer

The article recommends compiling irrelevant terms from the backlog into a negative keyword list, then contacting a Google Ads rep or submitting a request through the Google Ads support chat to apply it as account-level negatives affecting Performance Max campaigns. The request should provide the exact keywords, the match types wanted — broad match negative, phrase match negative, or exact match negative — and which campaigns should be affected. According to groas, this rep-assisted route remains the most reliable way to apply broad negative lists across PMax campaigns.

Question 2

Can I add Performance Max negative keywords myself at the campaign level?

Accepted Answer

The article states Google has rolled out campaign-level negative keyword functionality for Performance Max in phases, listed under “Negative keywords” in “Additional settings” where available in the account. It recommends adding the same backlog terms there, prioritizing highest-spend irrelevant terms first, using exact match negatives for specific queries and phrase match negatives for broader themes like “free,” “jobs,” “salary,” or “DIY.” If the option is not visible, the account is limited to the rep-assisted route, and groas advises checking again each month.

Question 3

How do I stop Performance Max from burning budget on irrelevant Display, YouTube and app placements?

Accepted Answer

The article directs advertisers to go to Content, then Exclusions, and add placement exclusions at the account level to block specific websites, apps, YouTube channels, and app categories. It recommends starting with Games (all subcategories), Apps designed for children, Parked domains, and Error pages, plus any specific low-quality placements found in the “Where ads showed” report under Insights. That report should be sorted by cost to find placements with high spend and zero conversions for exclusion.

Question 4

How do I stop Performance Max from cannibalizing my branded Search campaign?

Accepted Answer

The article recommends going to the PMax campaign settings to find the Brand Exclusions option and adding the advertiser’s own brand name plus all common misspellings, abbreviations, and variations. This forces PMax to stop bidding on branded queries and leaves that traffic to a dedicated branded Search campaign, where CPCs are lower and control is higher. If PMax is deliberately used for brand coverage, the article advises excluding pure navigational brand terms while allowing branded product queries to flow through PMax.

Question 5

What limits in Performance Max can exclusions not fix?

Accepted Answer

The article states four hard constraints cannot be worked around: no network-level opt-outs so Display or YouTube cannot be turned off inside PMax, incomplete search term data with a meaningful percentage of spend going to queries that never appear in any report, audience signals that guide but do not constrain PMax, and no dayparting granularity inside PMax. The recommended management approach is structural: run PMax alongside standard Search for highest-value keywords and standard Shopping where granular control is needed. According to groas, pouring more budget into an uncontrolled PMax campaign amplifies waste until the exclusion and structural layer is fixed.