How to Use Google Ads Account-Level Placement Exclusions: A Step-by-Step Guide

Cut wasted ad spend fast: why account-level placement exclusions matter in 2026

If you manage multiple Google Ads campaigns or run client accounts, you already know the pain: scattered placement blocks across Display, YouTube, Demand Gen and Performance Max, missed brand-safety hits, and manual updates that never catch every rogue site or app. In early 2026 Google introduced account-level placement exclusions — a centralized guardrail that finally lets you block unwanted inventory from one place. This guide walks you through exactly where to find the setting, how to build practical exclusion lists, how to apply them safely, and a checklist to avoid the common mistakes that waste time and performance.

Quick context: what changed (and why it matters)

On January 15, 2026 Google announced the rollout of account-level placement exclusions. The change means exclusions can now be applied at the account level and enforced across eligible campaign types including Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube and Display. That solves a long-standing fragmentation problem where blocks had to be duplicated at the campaign or ad group level.

"Google Ads has introduced account-level placement exclusions, allowing advertisers to block unwanted inventory from a single, centralized setting." — Search Engine Land, Jan 15, 2026

Why this matters in 2026: automation-heavy formats like Performance Max continue to expand, meaning more spend is controlled by Google’s machine learning. Marketers need stronger, centralized guardrails to keep automation productive — and account-level exclusions are one of the most effective.

Where to find the new account-level exclusion settings (step-by-step)

Google is progressively rolling this functionality into the Google Ads UI, so you may see slight variations depending on your account. Below are the reliable paths to look for today, and an API option for automation.

UI path — the most common route

1. Sign in to Google Ads and pick the account you want to manage.
2. Click Tools & settings (the wrench icon) in the top-right.
3. Look for Brand safety or Shared library / Exclusions in the dropdown. Google’s rollout may place the feature under either label depending on your interface version.
4. Open Account-level exclusions or Placement exclusions. Here you can create, name, and populate an exclusion list and see which campaign types are eligible.
5. Save the list and confirm which campaign types you want excluded from (Display, YouTube, Performance Max, Demand Gen, etc.).

Alternate UI path (if you don’t see the above)

Some accounts show exclusions directly under Settings > All settings > Exclusions. If you manage multiple accounts via a Manager (MCC) account, check the manager-level shared resources or reach out to your Google rep — many managers can create and distribute shared exclusion lists to client accounts.

API and automation: how to manage lists programmatically

For scale, use the Google Ads API to push and update exclusion lists. In 2026 most ad ops teams use a combination of the UI and API to keep lists in sync with external safety signals. Typical workflow:

• Pull placement reports via the API.
• Feed suspicious placements into your moderation logic or third-party brand-safety provider.
• Use the API to create or update account-level exclusion lists programmatically and attach them to the account.

How to build practical exclusion lists — a step-by-step process

Creating an effective exclusion list isn’t just about dumping every low-performing domain into Google Ads. Use data-driven rules and operational discipline. Follow this process.

Step 1 — Export placement performance across campaigns

• Run placement reports for the last 30–90 days across Display, YouTube and Discovery/Demand Gen.
• Sort by spend, conversions, conversion rate, and post-click engagement metrics (bounce rate, pages/session if available).
• Flag placements with significant spend but low or zero conversions and unusually high bounce rates.

Step 2 — Use quality and brand-safety signals

• Cross-reference flagged placements against third-party brand safety providers (e.g., integrators you use in 2026) or your own negative inventory lists.
• Include publisher reputation, traffic source (e.g., pop networks, incentivized traffic), and content adjacency (sensitive topics) in your evaluation.

Step 3 — Normalize placement identifiers for Google Ads

Google accepts different placement formats. Prepare your list in the formats Google Ads expects:

• Domain URLs: example.com or sub.example.com (one entry per line).
• App package names: Android apps use the package name (com.example.app).
• YouTube: channel URLs (https://www.youtube.com/channel/CHANNEL_ID) or video URLs. For channel-level exclusions, prefer channel IDs rather than channel names to avoid ambiguity.
• Ad inventory IDs: if you have a publisher-provided placement ID use that where applicable.

Step 4 — Create the exclusion list in Google Ads

1. Go to Account-level exclusions (see previous section).
2. Click Create exclusion list.
3. Name the list clearly (for example: "Q1-2026 - Brand Safety: Low Quality Display & Apps").
4. Paste one placement per line or upload a CSV. Confirm the accepted formats listed in the UI before upload.
5. Save and review the preview to ensure entries parsed correctly.

Step 5 — Apply the list and monitor impact

When you attach a list at the account level, Google will show which campaign types are eligible. After applying:

• Monitor spend and conversion rates for the next 7–30 days.
• Watch reach and impression volume to detect overblocking.
• Use placement reports to confirm the blocked placements are no longer serving.

Special notes: YouTube and Performance Max

These campaign types historically made placement control tricky. In 2026, account-level exclusions apply to them but with caveats.

• YouTube — You can block channels and specific videos. Use channel IDs for accuracy and double-check the UI’s accepted format. Remember that YouTube’s inventory includes many video contexts; channel-level blocks are broader than video-level blocks.
• Performance Max — Google’s automation can still route impressions to a broad set of inventory. Account-level exclusions act as a guardrail, but you may not see placement-level reporting in the same granularity. Treat Performance Max as requiring careful monitoring of account-level KPIs and incremental experiments.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them — use this checklist

Below is a practical checklist to run through before and after you apply an account-level exclusion list. Follow it to avoid costly mis-steps.

1. Don’t overblock — Excluding entire domains or broad YouTube channels without testing can cut scale. Start small and expand gradually.
2. Check eligible campaign types — Not every exclusion will apply to every campaign. Confirm that Display, YouTube, Demand Gen and Performance Max are listed as eligible.
3. Use channel IDs for YouTube — Using human-readable channel names can miss the mark. Use the numeric resource ID to ensure accuracy.
4. Validate formats — If your CSV imports incorrectly, entries may be ignored. Verify one batch import first.
5. Keep a change log — Track who added what, why, and when. This helps reverse overblocking and provides auditability for clients or internal stakeholders.
6. Don’t rely on exclusions alone — Combine exclusions with strong audience signals, negative keywords, and campaign-level bid and creative strategies.
7. Account for cross-device app IDs — For in-app traffic, exclude by package name or publisher ID, not just the domain.
8. Schedule reviews — Inventory and publisher behavior change. Review exclusion lists monthly or after any major campaign shift.

Advanced strategies: automation, integrations and dynamic lists

Account-level exclusions unlock new workflows that scale. Here are advanced approaches teams are using in 2026.

1. Dynamic exclusion lists fed from analytics

Set automated rules that flag placements with unusually low conversion rates relative to spend. Export flagged placements to a staging list, human-verify them, then push to the account-level exclusion list via API.

2. Integration with third-party verification

Many brand-safety vendors offer real-time feeds of risky inventory. Use their APIs to regularly refresh your exclusion list. Maintain manual approval workflows before a list update to avoid false positives.

3. Manager-level governance

If you run an MCC account, centralize master exclusion lists in the manager UI where available. Distribute trimmed or localized versions to child accounts—e.g., a global brand-safety list plus market-specific lists for local campaigns.

4. Test & learn with experiments

Run split tests comparing a cohort of campaigns with the exclusion list applied versus control campaigns. Measure CPA, ROAS and impression quality to quantify the impact of exclusions.

How to measure success and the right KPIs

Blocking placements is not an end goal — it should improve efficiency and protect brand reputation. Track these KPIs before and after applying account-level exclusions:

• Non-brand CPA or ROAS — primary efficiency measure.
• Spend on low-converting placements — should decline after exclusions.
• Click-through rates and conversion rates — improved or stable CTR + better conversion rate suggests cleaner inventory.
• Impression volume and reach — rapid drops may indicate overblocking.
• Brand-safety incidents — fewer flagged incidents or fewer partner complaints.

Real-world example (anonymized)

In late 2025 I ran a brand-safety audit for a mid-market retail client running Display and Performance Max. They had duplicated placement blocks across 18 campaigns. We consolidated into a single account-level exclusion list with 290 low-quality domains, several app package names, and a set of YouTube channel IDs.

Results in the first 30 days after applying the account-level list:

• Non-brand Display spend on excluded placements dropped to zero.
• Overall non-brand CPA improved by 14% while total conversions were stable.
• Time spent on list management fell by ~60%—the team no longer had to edit 18 campaign-level exclusion sets.

That case highlights the twin benefits of centralized exclusions: improved performance and real operational efficiency.

Governance and team processes — operational tips

• Assign a single owner for account-level exclusions and a deputy who can approve emergency blocks.
• Create naming conventions: include date, purpose and owner (e.g., "2026-01 Brand Safety - Retail Ops - A.T.").
• Document a rollback process and maintain a dated archive of previous lists for quick restores.
• Train campaign managers so they know when to request additions to the account-level list and when campaign-level exceptions are appropriate.

What to watch next — trends for placements and exclusions in 2026

Keep these 2026 trends in mind as you operationalize account-level exclusions:

• Increasing automation — As machine learning grabs more control (Performance Max expansion), exclusions act as the critical guardrails that keep automation aligned with brand guidelines.
• Privacy and data shifts — With evolving privacy signals, placement signals and measurement will change. Expect the formats and reporting in Google Ads to keep evolving; schedule regular reviews of your process.
• More granular inventory signals — Publishers and platforms will surface richer context signals. Use those signals to make smarter, surgical exclusions instead of blunt domain blocks.
• Third-party verification integration — In 2026 many verification vendors offer automated exclusion feeds; integrating these can cut manual work but requires strong QA.

Final checklist before you hit save

1. Export placement reports and identify true low-quality inventory (data-backed).
2. Normalize IDs (domains, app package names, YouTube channel IDs).
3. Name your list clearly and include owner + date.
4. Import a pilot set (50–200 entries) and monitor for 7–14 days.
5. Run a small A/B experiment if possible before broad rollout.
6. Document the change and add it to your monthly review cadence.

Wrap-up: account-level exclusions as a performance lever

Account-level placement exclusions are one of the most practical, immediate steps you can take in 2026 to centralize brand safety and reduce wasted spend. They don’t replace strong campaign strategy, audience signals, or creative testing — but they do remove a major source of noise and risk. Follow the step-by-step process in this guide: identify problem placements, normalize identifiers, create clear lists, pilot them, and embed governance into your ops. Do that and you’ll reclaim time, reduce manual errors, and protect both performance and brand reputation.

Call to action

Ready to implement account-level exclusions across your accounts? Start with a 30-day pilot: export your last 90 days of placement data, build a 100-entry pilot exclusion list, and measure CPA and impression share before and after. If you want help, I audit accounts and build tailored exclusion workflows for teams managing multiple clients. Reach out to set up an audit and get a customized exclusion checklist for your account.

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