Negative Keyword Generator

Free, no signup. Rank potential negatives by spend, zero conversions, and weak topical overlap. Review every suggestion before importing it into Ads.

Built by Patrick Stox

Paste Ads search terms first; add GSC Queries after --- to define your organic theme. Separate data sets with a line containing ---. Files never leave your browser.

Local data

Saved targets, named lists, and recent check summaries remain only in this browser.

Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you paste is uploaded or stored. Anonymous run-level outcome counters may be used for aggregate research; URLs, domains, IPs, and identifiers are never included, and no statistic is released below 100 runs.

Feedback
Report a bug

Found something broken in Negative Keyword Generator? Let us know what happened — this goes straight to a private triage queue, not a public list.

What will be sent 
 No tool inputs, uploads, pasted source, complete results, query parameters, or URL fragments are attached automatically. You can edit or remove the selected passage above. Browser and anti-abuse metadata is processed for spam prevention. 
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
      
 
How to use it
 
  1. Paste an Ads search-terms export containing Search term, Cost, and Conversions.
  2. For safer theme filtering, add --- and paste a GSC Queries export for the relevant business area.
  3. Select Analyze. Review suggestions from highest wasted spend downward.
  4. Check attribution, match behavior, close variants, and strategic value before adding any negative.
 
Example output Illustrative data
 
These fictional rows assume an organic theme around technical SEO audits.
 
TermSuggested matchSpendReason
free logo makerexact$86Zero conversions and little trigram overlap
jobsphrase$24Zero conversions and little trigram overlap; broad blocking risk
 
What you get
 
Wasted spend is the Ads cost in the supplied row; it is not a forecast of future savings. Exact is suggested for terms containing multiple words, while phrase is suggested for single words. The generic reason means all three model conditions passed. No finding means at least one condition failed, not that the term is proven valuable.
 
How it works
 
The engine builds a set of three-character n-grams from supplied GSC queries. Each Ads search term is converted to the same representation, and the share of its n-grams found in the theme is calculated. Terms at or below 10% overlap qualify only when cost is positive and conversions are zero. Aggregate “other” rows are excluded, and suggestions are sorted by spend.
 
Features
  • Optional first-party organic theme instead of a generic stop-word list.
  • Spend-ranked findings with conservative match-type defaults.
  • Local processing and explicit Ads/GSC header validation.
 
Limitations
  • Character overlap is lexical, not semantic; synonyms and homonyms can mislead it.
  • The optional brand allowlist uses exact, contained, and typo-tolerant lexical matching; review exclusions for ambiguous brand/common-word terms.
  • Conversion lag, value, assisted impact, and offline attribution are not modeled.
  • Single-word phrase negatives can block many useful searches and require manual expansion checks.
 
Frequently asked questions
How does the negative keyword generator choose suggestions?
A search term must have positive cost, zero recorded conversions, and no more than 10 percent trigram overlap with the optional GSC query themeA free Google service that reports how a site performs in Google Search and surfaces problems with how Google crawls, indexes, and serves it. It's first-party data straight from Google — but you don't need it to appear in results..
What happens if I do not add GSC queries?
There is no theme vocabulary, so every non-aggregate Ads term with spend and zero conversions can qualify. Add GSC queries for a more selective review list.
Why are multi-word terms suggested as exact negatives?
The engine uses exact match for multi-word suggestions to reduce blocking risk. Single-word suggestions use phrase match and deserve especially careful review.
Can a zero-conversion term still be valuable?
Yes. Attribution lag, assisted conversions, low sample size, offline sales, or a strategic upper-funnel role can all make a suggestion unsafe to exclude.
Can I upload the suggestions directly to Google Ads?
Download the CSV for a review-ready negative list. The tool never changes your account or imports the list automatically.
 
 
Next stepGoogle Ads Hidden Search Terms Estimator — look up the exact spec and expected values.

Explore more
ToolAuction Insights Trend VisualizerToolBrand Bid DeciderToolHTTP Header CheckerArticleHTTPS for SEOArticleIndexingArticleTechnical SEO
 
 
 
Feature requests for Negative Keyword Generator
 

Upvote what you want most. New ideas can be submitted from the floating Feedback menu;
      requests appear here once approved, and the most-wanted rise to the top.

   
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Common issues & how to fix them
  
     
  •  Warnings Search term spent without converting Fix: Check attribution lag and business value; if the term is truly wasteful, add the reviewed negative and monitor spend. 
  •  Warnings Search term has weak theme overlap Fix: Confirm the supplied GSC theme is representative before excluding the off-theme term. 
  •  Needs review Suggested negative may block useful traffic Fix: Do not add the single-word phrase negative until you confirm it will not block valuable searches. 
  •  Information Multi-word term is suggested as an exact negative Fix: Review close variants, then add the multi-word term as an exact negative if its intent is irrelevant. 
  •  Needs review Single-word term is suggested as a phrase negative Fix: Expand the single word against useful queries before adding it as a phrase negative. 
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