An account-level negative keyword list is a single list in your Google Ads account settings that automatically blocks those terms across all search and shopping inventory in Search, Performance Max, Shopping, App, Smart and Local campaigns. As of November 2026 it holds up to 1,000 negative keywords, in broad, phrase or exact match.
The account-level list is the widest place you can add negative keywords in Google Ads. You create it once in your account settings, and Google applies it to all eligible search and shopping inventory in every relevant campaign, without you attaching it anywhere.
That includes Performance Max. Google says account-level negatives automatically apply to all Search and Shopping inventory, including in Performance Max campaigns.
How is it different from a negative keyword list?
| Account-level negatives | Negative keyword lists | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you manage it | Admin, Account settings, Negative keywords | A shared list you create once and apply to chosen campaigns |
| What it applies to | Search and shopping inventory in Search, Performance Max, Shopping, App, Smart and Local campaigns, automatically | Only the campaigns you apply the list to |
| Limit (as of November 2026) | 1,000 negative keywords per account | Up to 5,000 negative keywords per list, up to 20 lists per account |
| Match types | Broad, phrase or exact | Broad, phrase or exact |
Account-level negatives don't cover Display or YouTube placements. For those, Google offers excluded content keywords in the account's suitability settings, which apply to campaigns running on YouTube or the Display Network.
How do you add account-level negative keywords?
- Click the Admin icon, then Account settings.
- Expand the Negative keywords section.
- Click the plus button and enter one word or phrase per line.
- Click Save.
- To change a keyword's match type, use the drop-down in the Match type column.
Editing, removing and filtering happen in the same section.
What should go on the account-level list?
Remember that negative keywords don't match close variants. Google's own example: a negative broad match flowers blocks the search "red flowers" but not "red flower". Add singular and plural forms and obvious synonyms yourself.
My rule of thumb: keep the account-level list for terms that are wrong for every campaign you will ever run, such as job-seeker searches ("jobs", "careers") if you aren't hiring, or topics that don't fit your brand. Keep campaign-specific exclusions in shared lists or at campaign level. Because this list also hits Performance Max and Shopping, one careless entry can switch off good traffic across the whole account.
The best source of candidates is your search terms report. For strategy, read my guide to negative keywords, and for formatting rules, see which symbols you can use in negative keywords. If you mainly care about Performance Max, see negative keywords in Performance Max.
Sources
- Google Ads Help: About account-level negative keywords - https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/11396330
- Google Ads Help: About negative keyword lists - https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453983
- Google Ads Help: Negative keywords in Performance Max campaigns - https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15726455
- Google Ads Help: About negative keywords - https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453972