How Can I Exclude Campaigns From Keyword Management?

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Accessing the Feature
3. Step-by-Step Guide
4. Settings & Options
5. Limitations & Special Cases
6. Tips & Best Practices

Overview

You have the option to specifically exclude individual campaigns from Keyword Management by using name patterns. With a custom syntax, campaigns containing certain terms or patterns in their names are automatically ignored. This allows you to control in which campaigns keyword harvesting takes place, helping you avoid unwanted changes or keyword transfers.

Accessing the Feature

You can find the exclusion feature in the Segment Management section by clicking the Keyword Management Settings button in the navigation bar. Alternatively, you can access it during the initial setup under Setup by selecting the Keyword Management Settings step. If the button is greyed out or locked, your current plan may not include this feature. In this case, support can assist you.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Campaign Connection

In the top navigation, click on Keyword Management Settings. A dialog will open where you can adjust various settings.

Note: If your plan doesn’t allow access, the button will have a lock icon. Upgrading your plan provides access to this feature.

Step 2: Choose Connection Method

The following connection options are available:

• No Keyword Management: Disables keyword management for your entire account. All related automations and rule options will no longer be available.
• Auto-Select: With this option, campaigns are automatically linked together if they fit best. In the last step of this option, you can exclude campaigns based on campaign names. These campaigns will not be considered for automatic linking.
• Based on Campaign Syntax: Here, you can group campaigns based on their names and define your own logic for keyword management. If you want to exclude certain campaigns, simply leave them out. This approach requires a well-maintained campaign naming structure.

Step 3: Save and Finish

Confirm your settings by clicking Save at the bottom right. The exclusion rules will immediately apply to new keyword management processes, automatically excluding the appropriate campaigns. If you select No Keyword Management, this will fully deactivate keyword management and hide all related features.

Settings & Options

You can change or update your Keyword Management Settings at any time in the Segment Management section via the navigation.

Limitations & Special Cases

• Access to Keyword Management Settings may depend on your current subscription. If you're on the Essential plan, you may need to upgrade for this feature.
• Exclusion patterns require that all entered terms or patterns are present in the campaign name (AND logic).
• If you select No Keyword Management, the feature is disabled across your entire account and related automations are hidden.
• Changes to exclusion rules only affect future keyword management processes–keywords already moved or adopted will not be changed retroactively.

Tips & Best Practices

• Use distinctive name elements such as “Brand”, “ExactOnly”, or unique abbreviations to avoid confusion.
• Only use as many AND conditions as necessary to prevent unintentional exclusions.
• For temporarily excluded campaigns (for example, tests), use a clearly identifiable prefix in the campaign name. This makes it easy to add or remove exclusions as needed.