Microsoft Ads launches self-serve negative keyword lists

Self-serve negative keyword lists are now live in Microsoft Advertising, according to Ads Liaison Navah Hopkins — giving advertisers long-requested control without submitting support tickets.

What’s happening. Advertisers can now create and manage shared negative keyword lists directly in the UI. Lists support up to 5,000 negative keywords (one per line) and can be applied at either the campaign or account level. Match types function the same way in Performance Max as they do in traditional Search campaigns.

• Lists can also be edited, exported as CSV files, or removed from campaigns as needed.
• Microsoft notes that match type formatting requires brackets for exact match and quotation marks for phrase match — not hyphens.

Why we care. Negative keywords are critical for filtering irrelevant traffic and protecting budgets. Making lists self-serve streamlines workflow, reduces reliance on support tickets, and gives advertisers faster control over search query exclusions.

The bottom line. Microsoft is handing more operational control back to advertisers — and eliminating friction in one of the most essential levers for campaign efficiency.

Dig deeper. How to add keywords that won’t trigger my ads (negative keywords)

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