Flag expensive off-topic Google Ads searches
Get the source data and prepare the review

Official native navigation documented; editorial AI analysis and human-review chain not personally tested

WHAT WAS CHECKED
Public official product documentation only. No product login, account write, real client data, installation, or live workflow test. Prompts and schemas are proposed editorial adaptations; vendor documentation verifies component features, not these end-to-end recipes. Native exports retain their real headers; kit schemas require the explicit mapping steps below.

BEFORE YOU START
- Existing access to the correct Google Ads customer account. Read-only access supports viewing campaigns and running performance reports; a human needs Standard or Admin access to edit campaigns .
- Scope this recipe to Search campaigns. Have a firm-approved service/geography list, spending threshold, review period, account currency/timezone, and an inventory of current exclusions. Do not assume applicability to other campaign types.
- Firm-approved Excel Copilot or Acrobat AI access only for the named optional AI step; read-only native source acquisition is separate.

DATA ACQUISITION LIMITS
- Some low-activity queries are omitted for privacy; a report is not every search. The search-term Match type describes the query-to-keyword relationship and can differ from the keyword's configured match type .
- Negative matching differs from positive matching. Synonyms and singular/plural forms need separate consideration; casing and misspellings are handled automatically. Over-broad exclusions can reduce relevant reach .
- Official negative-keyword pages use differing menu labels. The workflow is documentation-based, so confirm the live account labels before execution; no live UI verification is claimed.
- The exact kit headers are editorial. Preserve native exports and map them explicitly; campaign/ad-group identifiers must come from the account or a consistent local alias map, never be invented as native IDs.
- The four-column negatives.csv cannot fully encode account-level/shared-list coverage. Keep a separate scope/coverage note with list membership and account-wide exclusions; do not treat missing scope as no exclusions.

STEP 1: Download actual search terms
Tool: Google Ads
Open: Campaigns > Insights and reports > Search terms
Access needed: See recipe prerequisites; exact firm subscription and account permissions not tested.

Choose the correct customer account, Search campaigns and review dates. Use Columns to display actual search terms, campaign/ad group, clicks and cost; matched Keyword can be added under Attributes. Use the table Download control and choose Excel CSV or XLSX. Preserve the original file.

Expected output: Native report rows and headers for visible search terms, with the selected account/date/campaign scope.
Use it next: Open a restricted original workbook and record capture time, filters, account currency and timezone.
Check: Inspect filters and subtotal rows. Visible query cost is not a complete measure of waste; low-activity queries may be withheld.
Documentation limit: Linked official documentation supports the named feature/menu. The workflow-specific prompt, schema, mapping and reviewer rules are editorial adaptations.
Source documentation:
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2472708?hl=en
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2404176?hl=en

STEP 2: Capture exclusions and map the working tables
Tool: Google Ads and Excel
Open: Keywords > Negative keywords > Download; account negatives: Settings > Account settings > Negative Keywords
Access needed: See recipe prerequisites; exact firm subscription and account permissions not tested.

Download the visible negative lists. Current campaign guidance may instead label the route Campaigns > Audiences, keywords, and content > Search keywords > Negative search keywords. Inspect shared lists under Tools > Shared library > Exclusion lists > Negative keyword lists and record which campaigns use them. Map Search term to query, Cost to spend, Clicks to clicks; staff assign query_id and map campaign/ad-group values consistently. Add currency/period from the report context.

Expected output: Kit search-terms.csv with query_id,query,campaign_id,ad_group_id,clicks,spend,currency,period; negatives.csv with campaign_id,ad_group_id,negative_text,match_type; services.csv from approved services/regions; separate scope/coverage note.
Use it next: Build a minimized analysis workbook containing only approved report rows, mapped negatives, service rules and coverage note. Keep original account exports separately.
Check: No matching by similar campaign names. Verify all exclusions at account, campaign, ad-group and shared-list levels; mark any uninspected level incomplete. Document differing menu labels rather than guessing.
Documentation limit: Linked official documentation supports the named feature/menu. The workflow-specific prompt, schema, mapping and reviewer rules are editorial adaptations.
Source documentation:
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7102298?hl=en
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7102995?hl=en
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/tutorial-import-data-into-excel-and-create-a-data-model

STEP 3: Ask Excel to prepare exclusions for review
Tool: Excel Copilot
Open: Analysis workbook > Copilot icon at lower right > Chat only
Access needed: See recipe prerequisites; exact firm subscription and account permissions not tested.

Name the approved source tables SearchTerms, Negatives and Services. Paste the complete exclusion-scope/coverage note into a visible Scope worksheet/table in this same minimized workbook, or directly into the prompt. Open Copilot Chat only and paste the prompt. If Copilot is unavailable, review the same worksheet manually.

PASTE THIS PROMPT
Use only SearchTerms, Negatives, Services and the complete exclusion-scope/coverage note in the Scope worksheet or pasted below. First check missing campaign/ad-group mappings, currency/period and uninspected exclusion scopes. Identify queries clearly outside approved services/geography; rank by observed spend. Return query_id,campaign_id,spend,proposed_negative,match_type,reason,false_exclusion_risk,evidence_rows,reviewer_status=pending. Include the exact proposed exclusion scope in reason and retain all coverage warnings. Put ambiguous queries in a separate queue. Do not invent unseen queries, infer case merits, exclude solely using personal characteristics, change the workbook or apply anything in Ads. If Scope is absent or incomplete, say so; do not assume unlisted exclusions are absent. [PASTE COMPLETE COVERAGE NOTE IF NOT IN SCOPE WORKSHEET]

Expected output: negative-review.csv: query_id,campaign_id,spend,proposed_negative,match_type,reason,false_exclusion_risk,evidence_rows,reviewer_status; separate ambiguous queue and coverage warnings.
Use it next: Copy reviewed suggestions to the review worksheet; this is not an automatic-import file.
Check: Match type in the source search-terms report is not necessarily the positive keyword setting and does not choose the right negative match. Check relevant-search blocking risk.
Documentation limit: Linked official documentation supports the named feature/menu. The workflow-specific prompt, schema, mapping and reviewer rules are editorial adaptations.
Source documentation:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/copilot/get-started-with-copilot-in-excel
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453972?hl=en

STEP 4: Review and apply only selected changes
Tool: Authorized marketer in Google Ads
Open: Original Search terms report > select approved terms > Add as negative keyword
Access needed: See recipe prerequisites; exact firm subscription and account permissions not tested.

Reviewer approves each query, negative text, match type and scope. In Ads, select approved terms and Add as negative keyword, choose the intended campaign/ad group or list, then save. Review the default negative exact match and any deliberate change before saving.

Expected output: Only explicitly approved negative keywords, with approval notes and saved scope.
Use it next: Reopen the negatives view to confirm each saved entry; keep rejected/uncertain suggestions separate.
Check: Negative matches have their own behavior; never turn a broad AI cluster into a blanket exclusion without review. This recipe authorizes no autonomous spend/targeting change.
Documentation limit: Linked official documentation supports the named feature/menu. The workflow-specific prompt, schema, mapping and reviewer rules are editorial adaptations.
Source documentation:
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7102466?hl=en
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453972?hl=en

ACCOUNT AND SOURCE CHECKS STILL NEEDED
- Account interface, access and live report contents were not personally tested.
- No native Google Ads/Business Profile AI chat is claimed by this recipe.

USING THE FILES IN THIS KIT
Use the exact files or source text named in the steps above. Native exports keep their own headers. The kit tables are editorial review worksheets; they are not a claim that a product exports those fields. Some routes use reviewed text directly or require additional original files. Never rename an unreviewed raw export to make it appear mapped. Keep expected-result files separate from inputs.

The source account, actual data, prompts and end-to-end workflow were not tested. Any final communication, filing, permission change, payment or publication needs its own authorized human action. This guide performs none.