Amazon advertising has become much more competitive in 2025 and 2026. Amazonโs annual advertising revenue exceeded $68 billion in 2025, underscoring the extent to which brands are investing in Amazon Ads and retail media.
As more sellers compete for the same placements, wasted clicks become much more expensive. Even a well-optimized campaign can lose money if ads appear for the wrong search terms.
This is where Amazon PPC negative keywords become important.
They help improve campaign efficiency, control ACoS, clean up search term data, and make Amazon PPC campaigns more profitable over time.
In this guide, you will learn:
- what Amazon negative keywords are
- how negative exact and phrase match work
- how to search negative keywords for Amazon FBA
- how to add negative keywords in Amazon
- how to use negative keywords on Amazon effectively
- advanced Amazon PPC optimization strategies
- common mistakes to avoid
What Are Amazon Negative Keywords?
Amazon negative keywords are search terms you block from triggering your ads. They help stop your ads from appearing for searches that are not relevant to your product.
In simple words, negative keywords tell Amazon which searches you do not want your ads to show for. This helps reduce wasted clicks and improves the quality of traffic coming to your product listing.
Letโs say you sell premium organic coffee beans. If your ads appear for searches related to โinstant coffeeโ or โcheap coffee powder,โ those clicks may not convert because shoppers are looking for a different type of product.
Adding those search terms as negative keywords helps prevent your ads from appearing for searches unlikely to convert into sales.
Negative keywords only affect paid ads. They do not remove your product from Amazon organic search results.
This is important because Amazon PPC charges you for clicks. If the shopper clicking your ad is looking for something different, that click wastes your budget.
A good Amazon negative keywords strategy helps filter bad traffic before it costs you money.
Why Amazon Negative Keywords Matter for PPC Performance
Amazon negative keywords help improve PPC efficiency. They reduce wasted spend and help campaigns focus on better search traffic.
Without negative keywords, Amazon may show your ads for searches that are unlikely to convert. That usually leads to low conversion rates and higher ACoS.
For example, a premium water bottle brand may get clicks from shoppers searching for โcheap plastic water bottle.โ Those clicks are unlikely to convert.
Negative keywords help remove those searches.
Here is how they improve PPC performance:
Amazon PPC negative keywords also help improve:
- conversion efficiency
- bid optimization
- campaign segmentation
- Sponsored Products performance
- Sponsored Brands efficiency
- Sponsored Display targeting
Cleaner data makes it easier to scale campaigns profitably.
For many brands, using negative keywords is one of the simplest ways to reduce wasted ad spend.
Negative Exact vs Negative Phrase Match on Amazon
Amazon supports two main negative keyword match types. These are negative exact match and negative phrase match.
Both help block unwanted traffic, but they work in different ways.
Understanding the difference is important because the wrong match type can block too much or too little traffic.
What Is Negative Exact Match?
Negative exact match blocks a specific search term or a close variation of it. It is more precise and safer for most campaigns.
For example, if you add โcheap leather walletโ as a negative exact keyword, your ad may stop showing for that exact search.
But your ad may still show for searches like:
- premium leather wallet
- slim leather wallet
- men's leather wallet
Negative exact match works best when one specific search term is wasting money.
What Is Negative Phrase Match?
Negative phrase match blocks searches that contain the full phrase or a close variation. It is broader than a negative exact match.
For example, if you add โfor kidsโ as a negative phrase keyword, your ad may stop showing for searches like:
- water bottle for kids
- backpack for kids
- yoga mat for kids
Negative phrase match is useful when a phrase is completely irrelevant to your product.
When to Use Negative Exact vs Negative Phrase
Negative exact is usually safer because it blocks one specific search term. Negative phrase blocks a wider group of searches.
Use this simple rule:
- Use negative exact when one search term is wasting spend.
- Use negative phrase when an entire phrase is irrelevant.
Be careful with negative phrase keywords. Blocking broad words too aggressively can hurt traffic.
For example, do not add โcoffeeโ as a negative phrase keyword if you sell coffee products. That could block useful searches.
How to Search Negative Keywords for Amazon FBA
The best way to identify Amazon negative keywords is to review campaign data. Do not guess which keywords to block.
Your Amazon Search Term Report shows the actual searches shoppers used before clicking your ads. This report is one of the most important Amazon PPC optimization tools.
Many sellers ask how to find negative keywords that Amazon campaigns are wasting budget on. The easiest method is reviewing Search Term Reports every week.
Search Term Report Workflow
The Amazon Search Term Report is the foundation of negative keyword optimization. It shows the actual search queries shoppers used before clicking your ads, making it one of the most valuable reports in Amazon PPC.
A simple review process can help uncover keywords that are spending money without generating sales.
Follow this workflow:
- Open Amazon Campaign Manager and download the Search Term Report.
- Sort search terms by spend, clicks, and impressions.
- Look for keywords with high clicks but no orders.
- Identify search terms with high spend and low ROAS.
- Review keywords with strong CTR but poor conversion rates.
- Check whether the traffic is relevant before adding a negative keyword.
- Add irrelevant terms as negative exact or negative phrase keywords.
- Monitor results and repeat the process weekly.
As a general rule, search terms generating many clicks or significant spend with little or no sales should be reviewed first. These are often the biggest sources of wasted ad spend.
Start With Your Search Term Report
The Search Term Report shows:
- impressions
- clicks
- spend
- sales
- orders
- CTR
- conversion rate
- ACoS
- ROAS
Use this data to identify search terms wasting budget.
Basic workflow:
- Open Amazon Campaign Manager.
- Download the Search Term Report.
- Filter by clicks, spend, sales, and ACoS.
- Look for irrelevant or poor-performing searches.
- Decide whether to add negative exact or negative phrase keywords.
Look for High Clicks and No Sales
Some search terms receive a large number of impressions and clicks but generate few or no sales. These are often the strongest candidates for negative keywords.
Pay particular attention to search terms that show:
- high impressions but low CTR
- high CTR but poor conversion rate
- high spend with no orders
- high ACoS and low ROAS
These metrics usually indicate that the search term is attracting traffic that is not aligned with your product or shopper intent.
Look for High Spend and Poor ROAS
Some keywords cost too much relative to the sales they generate. Those keywords may need optimization.
But high ACoS alone does not always mean the keyword is bad.
The problem may be:
- weak listing conversion
- high bids
- low reviews
- poor product images
- expensive pricing
Review the full situation before blocking a keyword.
Find Irrelevant Shopper Intent
Some searches attract the wrong shoppers. These clicks rarely convert.
For example:
These searches usually waste the budget because shoppers want something different.
Review Auto Campaigns Separately
Auto campaigns are useful for discovering new search terms. But they can also spend quickly.
Review auto campaign search terms every week.
Then:
- move converting keywords into manual campaigns
- block irrelevant terms
- add winning terms as negative exact in auto campaigns
This helps prevent campaigns from competing with each other.
Use Amazon Auto-Suggest and Search Query Data
Search Term Reports are the most reliable source of negative keyword ideas, but they are not the only source.
Amazon's autocomplete suggestions can also reveal search patterns that may not match your product.
For example, a premium product may trigger suggestions containing words such as:
- cheap
- replacement
- used
- refill
- free
If those searches are not relevant to your offer, they may be candidates for negative keywords.
Brands enrolled in Brand Registry can also review Search Query Performance and Brand Analytics data. These reports can reveal shopper searches that generate traffic but fail to produce meaningful conversions.
Using Search Term Reports alongside auto-suggest data gives a more complete view of shopper intent and can help identify negative keywords earlier.
How to Add Negative Keywords in Seller Central
Adding negative keywords in Amazon is simple. The important part is adding them at the correct level.
You can add negative keywords at:
- campaign level
- ad group level
Add Negative Keywords at Campaign Level
Campaign-level negatives apply across the full campaign. Use them when the keyword is irrelevant to every product inside the campaign.
For example, a premium product campaign may use โcheapโ as a negative keyword at the campaign level.
Campaign-level negatives are useful when:
- all products share the same audience
- the keyword is irrelevant everywhere
- you want broad filtering
Be careful because campaign-level negatives can block a lot of traffic.
Add Negative Keywords at Ad Group Level
Ad group-level negatives are more specific. Use them when the keyword is only irrelevant for one product group.
For example, โred water bottleโ may be irrelevant for a blue bottle ad group but useful for another product variation.
Ad group-level negatives give more control and reduce the risk of overblocking.
Step-by-Step Process
Use this process to add Amazon negative keywords:
- Open Amazon Campaign Manager.
- Select the campaign or ad group.
- Go to the Negative Keywords section.
- Choose negative exact or negative phrases.
- Add one keyword per line.
- Save changes.
- Monitor campaign performance over the next 7โ14 days.
After adding negatives, carefully review impressions, clicks, spend, and sales.
Campaign-Level vs Ad Group-Level Negative Keywords
Campaign-level and ad group-level negatives work differently. Choosing the correct level helps keep campaigns organized.
Campaign-level negatives block search terms across the full campaign. Ad group-level negatives only block them within a single ad group.
Use campaign-level negatives carefully. One bad negative keyword can affect multiple products.
Ad group-level negatives are safer when campaigns contain many product variations.
How to Use Amazon Negative Keywords Effectively
Using Amazon negative keywords properly is just as important as finding them. A poor setup can block profitable traffic and reduce campaign performance.
The best strategy is to use negative keywords gradually and review data consistently.
Here are some best practices:
- start with negative exact match first
- review Search Term Reports weekly
- avoid blocking broad category words
- separate branded and generic campaigns
- use negatives to prevent campaign overlap
- review auto campaigns regularly
- check performance after every major change
Amazon PPC negative keywords work best when combined with:
- bid optimization
- campaign segmentation
- conversion rate improvements
- better listing quality
- search query filtering
Negative keywords should support a broader PPC scaling strategy, not work on their own.
Advanced Amazon Negative Keyword Strategies
Basic negative keywords reduce wasted spend. Advanced negative keyword strategies help scale Amazon PPC more efficiently.
This is where many sellers gain a competitive advantage.
Use Search Term Isolation
Search term isolation helps move winning search terms into the correct campaign.
Basic workflow:
- Use auto campaigns to discover keywords.
- Find converting search terms.
- Move those terms into manual exact campaigns.
- Add those terms as negative exact in auto campaigns.
This prevents campaigns from competing against each other.
It also gives manual campaigns more control over bids and budgets.
Separate Branded and Generic Campaigns
Branded searches behave differently from generic searches. Competitor keywords also perform differently.
Keeping them separated improves reporting and optimization.
A clean structure usually includes:
- branded campaigns
- generic keyword campaigns
- competitor campaigns
- auto discovery campaigns
- Sponsored Products campaigns
- Sponsored Brands campaigns
Negative keywords help stop overlap between these campaigns.
Prevent Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization happens when multiple campaigns compete for the same search term.
For example, the same keyword may appear in:
- auto campaign
- broad campaign
- phrase campaign
- exact campaign
This creates messy reporting and weak budget control.
Negative exact keywords help route search terms into the correct campaign.
This provides cleaner PPC data and better control over optimization.
Use Negative ASIN Targeting
Negative ASIN targeting blocks specific product pages instead of search terms.
This is useful when ads appear on competitor listings that are unlikely to convert.
For example, a premium product may not perform well on very cheap competitor listings.
Negative ASIN targeting helps protect ad spend from poor placements.
Build a Weekly PPC Workflow
Negative keyword optimization should follow a regular process.
Use this simple workflow:
This helps keep PPC optimization consistent.
Use Automation Carefully
Automation tools can help manage large PPC accounts. They are useful for identifying wasted spend faster.
But automation should always follow rules.
Good automation systems can:
- flag bad search terms
- identify low ROAS keywords
- detect irrelevant traffic
- suggest negative keywords
However, automation should not blindly block keywords.
Some high-ACoS keywords may still be useful for ranking, launches, or long-term growth.
Common Amazon Negative Keyword Mistakes
Negative keywords help campaigns perform better. But poor negative keyword management can hurt performance.
Here are the most common mistakes sellers make.
Adding Negative Keywords Too Early
Do not block keywords after only a few clicks. Wait until there is enough data to make a good decision.
Sometimes a keyword simply needs more time.
Blocking Keywords Just Because ACoS Is High
A high ACoS keyword is not always bad. The issue may be weak conversion, poor listing quality, or high bids.
Check the full situation before blocking the term.
Using Negative Phrase Match Too Aggressively
Negative phrase keywords block many searches. Using them incorrectly can cause profitable traffic to be lost.
Avoid blocking broad category words unless they are completely irrelevant.
Ignoring Auto Campaigns
Auto campaigns often attract broad, messy traffic. If you ignore them, wasted spending tends to increase over time.
Review auto campaign search terms every week.
Blocking Competitor Keywords Without Strategy
Competitor keywords can still work for conquesting campaigns. They are usually more expensive but can still drive sales.
Separate competitor campaigns from generic campaigns for cleaner reporting.
Forgetting Seasonal Search Changes
Search behavior changes during holidays, Prime Day, and seasonal events.
Review negative keyword lists regularly because shopper behavior changes throughout the year.
How Negative Keywords Improve ACoS, ROAS, and Organic Visibility
Poorly managed Amazon PPC campaigns can waste a significant portion of their advertising budget on irrelevant clicks. In some cases, advertisers discover that a large share of their spend is going toward search terms that generate traffic but very few sales.
By removing non-converting search terms, negative keywords help redirect ad spend toward shoppers who are more likely to buy. This often leads to stronger conversion rates, lower ACoS, improved ROAS, and better overall campaign efficiency.
For example, if a campaign spends 40% of its budget on search terms that get clicks but no sales, adding those terms as negative keywords can free up that budget for searches with stronger buying intent. This helps reduce wasted spend and gives better-performing keywords more room to generate sales.
Negative keywords can also improve click-through rates by reducing irrelevant impressions. They do not directly improve Amazon organic rankings, but cleaner PPC traffic, stronger conversion rates, and better engagement signals may support organic visibility over time.
When ads stop showing for irrelevant searches, budgets shift to shoppers more likely to buy.
This can improve:
- conversion rate
- CTR
- ACoS
- ROAS
- campaign efficiency
- TACoS
- retail media performance
Negative keywords do not directly improve organic rankings. But cleaner PPC traffic can support stronger performance signals over time.
This is why negative keywords are important for long-term Amazon PPC optimization.
Example of Amazon Negative Keyword Optimization
Here is a simple example of how negative keywords can improve Amazon PPC performance.
A home and kitchen brand was running Sponsored Products campaigns for premium stainless steel bottles. The campaigns were getting clicks, but ACoS stayed high because many searches were not relevant to the product.
After reviewing the Search Term Report, the team found search terms like โcheap plastic bottle,โ โkids water bottle,โ and โreplacement bottle lid.โ These searches were getting clicks but very few sales.
The team added these terms as negative keywords and moved stronger converting keywords into manual exact campaigns.
Here is what changed after optimization:
This example shows how Amazon PPC negative keywords can reduce wasted spend, improve ACoS, and help better-performing search terms get more budget.
Best Amazon Negative Keywords Tools
The right tools can make negative keyword optimization faster and easier. This becomes more important as campaigns grow.
Tools That Help Find Amazon Negative Keywords
While the Search Term Report remains the most important source of negative keyword data, several Amazon PPC tools can speed up the process.
Platforms such as Helium 10, Jungle Scout, Viral Launch, SellerMetrics, Pacvue, and AdBadger help sellers identify high-spend, low-converting search terms faster.
For example, tools like Helium 10 and AdBadger can highlight keywords generating significant spend without sales, making it easier to build and maintain negative keyword lists.
These tools do not replace manual analysis, but they can help larger brands manage PPC campaigns more efficiently.
The most important tool is still the Search Term Report. That report gives the real shopper search data needed for optimization decisions.
Automation tools help speed up analysis, but expert review is still important.
Amazon Negative Keyword Checklist
Use this checklist during weekly PPC reviews.
- Download Search Term Reports.
- Review high-spend no-sale terms.
- Review irrelevant search traffic.
- Add negative exact keywords for poor-performing searches.
- Use phrase negatives carefully.
- Review auto campaigns separately.
- Move winning terms into manual campaigns.
- Add winning keywords as negative exact in auto campaigns.
- Check for campaign overlap.
- Review negative keyword lists monthly.
A simple workflow like this helps keep campaigns organized and efficient.
Download the Amazon Negative Keyword Checklist
Want a simple workflow your team can use during weekly PPC reviews?
Download the Amazon Negative Keyword Checklist to identify wasted spend, review Search Term Reports faster, and improve Amazon PPC campaign efficiency every week.
Conclusion
Amazon negative keywords are one of the simplest ways to improve PPC efficiency. They help reduce wasted spend, improve search relevance, and make campaign optimization easier.
A strong negative keyword strategy helps reduce wasted ad spend while improving overall Amazon PPC efficiency. It also helps brands allocate budgets to higher-converting search traffic rather than irrelevant clicks.
The key is using negative keywords carefully and consistently. Good negative keyword management comes from regularly reviewing data, understanding search intent, and building a structured PPC workflow.
For growing brands, negative keywords should be part of a larger Amazon PPC strategy focused on profitability, cleaner campaign data, and long-term growth.
Book a 1:1 growth call with SalesDuo.
FAQs About Amazon Negative Keywords
What are negative keywords on Amazon?
Amazon negative keywords are search terms that stop your ads from appearing for irrelevant shopper searches. They help reduce wasted PPC spend and improve campaign efficiency by filtering out low-intent traffic. When used properly, Amazon negative keywords help focus your budget on shoppers who are more likely to convert.
How do negative keywords work on Amazon?
Negative keywords tell Amazon which search terms should not trigger your ads. When a shopper searches for a blocked keyword or phrase, your Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands ads are less likely to appear. This helps reduce irrelevant clicks, improve traffic quality, and make Amazon PPC campaigns more efficient.
Negative exact vs phrase: what is the difference?
Negative exact blocks one specific search term or a close variation, while negative phrase blocks searches containing the full phrase. Negative exact is more precise and safer for most campaigns. Negative phrases are broader and should be used carefully because they can block multiple related search terms at once.
How often should you update Amazon negative keywords?
Most Amazon sellers should review negative keywords at least once a week. High-spend campaigns or larger PPC accounts may need more frequent reviews. Regular updates help reduce wasted ad spend, improve ACoS control, and keep campaigns aligned with changing shopper search behavior.
Can negative keywords improve ACoS?
Yes, Amazon negative keywords can help improve ACoS by reducing wasted clicks from irrelevant searches. When ads appear for more relevant search terms, conversion rates usually improve, and ad spend becomes more efficient. Negative keywords work best when combined with strong listings, smart bidding, and a clean campaign structure.
Do Amazon negative keywords affect organic rankings?
Negative keywords do not directly impact Amazon organic rankings because they only affect paid advertising campaigns. However, they can improve traffic quality, conversion rates, and overall campaign efficiency. Stronger performance signals from cleaner traffic may indirectly support long-term organic visibility.
How do you find wasted keywords on Amazon?
The best way to find wasted keywords is by reviewing your Amazon Search Term Report. Look for search terms with high clicks, high spend, low conversion rates, or poor ROAS. Irrelevant search intent is usually a strong sign that a keyword should be added as a negative keyword.
About the Author
Badal Tharayil is a master of customer success, turning first impressions into lasting partnerships. Known for proactive communication and flawless onboarding, heโs the bridge between client satisfaction and operational excellence. Outside work, Badal loves exploring cinema, expressing himself on the dance floor, and staying energized through fitness pursuits.
