Import negative keywords into Google Ads Editor from a CSV
Make a CSV with the columns Campaign, Ad Group, Keyword, Criterion Type and Match Type. Put "Negative" in Criterion Type for ad group negatives, or "Campaign negative" and an empty Ad Group for campaign negatives. In Editor use Account, then Import, pick the file, review the proposed changes, then post them.
The columns
Google Ads Editor reads a CSV as long as the column names match its own (Google Ads Editor Help, CSV file columns). For negative keywords you need five:
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Campaign | the campaign name, exactly as in the account |
| Ad Group | the ad group name, or empty for a campaign negative |
| Keyword | the search you want to block |
| Criterion Type | Negative or Campaign negative |
| Match Type | Exact, Phrase or Broad |
Ad group or campaign negative
Google's column guide says to enter Negative for a negative item and Campaign negative for a campaign-level negative. An ad group negative blocks the search in one ad group only; a campaign negative blocks it everywhere in that campaign. Rule of thumb: if the search is wrong for your business, block it at campaign level. If it is right for the business but wrong for that ad group, block it in the ad group.
Import and check
- In Google Ads Editor, download the latest changes for the account first.
- Choose Account, then Import, and pick the CSV (Import a CSV file).
- Editor shows every proposed change before applying it. Read the list: a typo in a campaign name shows up here as an error, not as a live mistake.
- Post the changes.
Common mistakes
- Campaign names that differ by one space or a capital letter: Editor treats them as a different campaign.
- Blocking with phrase match a word that also appears in searches you want: a phrase negative blocks every search that contains it.
- Saving the file as Excel instead of CSV.
Ads MCP returns this file ready-made from your AI assistant (negative_keywords_file), with the spend of each term written in the header so you know why each row is there.
Ads MCP is a read-only Google Ads connector for ChatGPT, Claude and other AI assistants. It finds the searches that spend without converting and hands you a file to import. Free: 50 tool calls a month.
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