Free Google Ads Negative Keyword List Builder
Build a starter Google Ads negative keyword list in minutes. Pick your business type and the search intents you don't want, then copy or download it.
If you run Google Ads for a small business, some of your clicks probably come from people who were never going to buy. Someone looking for a job at a company like yours. Someone who wants to do the work themselves. Someone hunting for a free version, a course, or a definition. Each of those clicks costs money and teaches the campaign very little.
Negative keywords are how you tell Google Ads which searches you don't want to show up for. The trouble is that most owners never get around to building a list, because it feels like guesswork and it's hard to know where to start.
This free Google Ads Negative Keyword List Builder from LiveFixPro gives you a starting point. Pick your business type, tick the kinds of searches you don't want, add your own words, and the tool builds a clean, deduplicated list you can copy or download. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere
What the builder does
The tool works in four simple steps.
Choose your business type. Home services, local retail, professional services, ecommerce, B2B or SaaS, or restaurant and food. Each one adds a few starter words that commonly attract the wrong searches for that kind of business.
Tick the intents you don't want. The themes include jobs and careers, DIY and how-to, free and cheap, education and training, research-only searches, used and secondhand, and reviews and complaints. Each theme adds its own starter words.
Add your own words, and protect the ones you need. Use the first box for anything else you want to exclude. Use the second box for words you must never exclude. If you sell refurbished equipment, for example, put "refurbished" in the protect box and it will be removed from the list.
Pick a match type and export. Choose broad, phrase or exact formatting, then copy the list or download it as a text file ready to paste into your account.
Why a starter list helps
A negative keyword list doesn't make an account perfect. What it does is cut out the most obvious mismatches early, so your budget goes toward searches that at least look like buyers. It also makes your search terms report easier to read, because there's less noise to sort through.
Starting from a structured list is faster than starting from a blank page. The themes in the builder are the ones that commonly show up in small business accounts: people looking for work, people looking to learn, and people looking for something free.
Review every word before you add it
This is the most important part. The builder gives starter suggestions only. A wrong negative keyword can quietly block searches you actually want. A plumber who offers a free estimate might not want to exclude "free". A training company obviously shouldn't exclude "course".
So read the list line by line and ask one question for each word: would a real customer ever use this word while looking for what I sell? If the answer is yes, move it to the protect box. The tool doesn't know your offers, your margins or your market, so the final call is always yours. No results are promised.
Match types in plain words
Broad blocks searches that contain all the words in the negative, in any order.
"Phrase" blocks searches that contain those words in that exact order.
[Exact] blocks only that exact search.
For most starter lists, phrase or broad is a sensible place to begin. Exact is useful when you want to block one specific search without touching anything close to it.
Make it a weekly habit
Negative keywords aren't a one-time job. New searches show up all the time. A simple routine keeps things tidy:
Once a week, open your search terms report.
Spot searches that clearly don't match what you sell.
Add them to your list, run them through the builder's protect check, and update your account.
Compare this week's search terms with last week's, so you can see whether the noise is shrinking.
Ten or fifteen minutes a week is usually enough to keep the list current.
Want a second set of eyes?
If you'd like someone to look at your account with you, a LiveFixPro Google Ads audit is scoped on a free consult. We'll walk through your search terms, your negatives and your campaign structure, and you decide what to do next. Book a free consult.
FAQ
What is a negative keyword in Google Ads?
It's a word or phrase you add to your account so your ads don't show for searches that contain it. It helps keep your budget on searches that match what you sell.
Does this tool connect to my Google Ads account?
No. It runs entirely in your browser and doesn't connect to any account or send any data. You copy or download the list and add it yourself.
Can I use the list exactly as it comes out?
Treat it as a starting point. Review every word against your own offers first, because a wrong negative can block searches you want.
Which match type should I choose?
Phrase or broad works for most starter lists. Use exact when you want to block one specific search and nothing near it.
How often should I update my negative keywords?
A weekly check of your search terms report works well for most small accounts. Compare each week with the week before to see whether irrelevant searches are going down.
Build your starter list now
Use the builder above, review the list carefully, and book a free consult if you'd like help with the rest of your account.
Google Ads is a trademark of Google LLC. LiveFixPro is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google