Data exclusions are a tool in Google Ads that reduces the effect of conversion tracking problems on Smart Bidding. You find them in the Tools menu: Adjustments, then the Exclusions tab. You are telling the automated strategy: the conversion data for these days is wrong, do not learn from it.
Automated strategies learn from conversions, so a broken tag hits them first. How those strategies work is covered in the guide to Google Ads bid strategies.
What it means
According to the Google Ads Help page, common problems that make reported conversions or conversion value wrong are tagging issues, website outages and data import issues. The Help page gives this example: a tag was accidentally removed from your site, so Google Ads did not track conversions. You exclude the affected data so the sudden drop does not distort bidding.
Three things to know first. Exclusions apply to clicks: when a click is excluded, the conversion tied to it is excluded too. They do not change conversion reporting: excluded conversions stay in your reports, and only the data Smart Bidding uses changes. And they work only with conversion-based and conversion-value-based Smart Bidding strategies in Search, Display, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.
How to read / set it
| Situation | Exclude? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The tag was removed or placed in the wrong spot | Yes | A tracking outage is what the tool is built for |
| The website was down | Yes | The Help page lists website outages as a common issue |
| Offline conversion upload failed | Yes | The Help page names this case directly |
| Known maintenance on the site | Yes, in advance | An exclusion for future dates usually takes effect within a day |
| Outages keep repeating or run long | Not as a permanent fix | Frequent or prolonged use can hurt bidding; fix the cause |
| You want to tidy numbers in a report | Not for that | Exclusions do not change reports |
On audits a tag outage often goes unnoticed for a week, and the automated strategy learns from zeros the whole time. An exclusion is quick first aid, not a repair: first find out why the tag shows as inactive. The “no recent conversions” status has its own guide.
What to do
- Pin down the outage dates: when the tag disappeared or the site stopped working, and when it was fixed.
- Add a margin for conversion delay. Exclusions apply to clicks, so include days with clicks that could have produced conversions during the outage. The Help page example: an upload problem ran October 15 to 18, conversion delay is 5 days, so exclude October 10 to 18. The goal is to exclude at least 90% of the clicks affected.
- Open Tools, then Adjustments, then the Exclusions tab, and select the plus button.
- Next to “Settings” enter a name and description, then the start and end date and time. Times follow the account’s time zone.
- Next to “Scope” choose campaigns and devices, or the whole account. If only mobile tracking broke, pick only mobile devices. Select Save, then Create data exclusion.
- After applying it, adjust your CPA or ROAS targets and budgets. Bids and spend can drop temporarily. If a week or more of clicks were affected, fluctuations can last 1 to 2 conversion cycles.
For past dates, performance starts to stabilize after a few days. Apply the exclusion as soon as you spot the problem. More guidance sits on the Help page about using data exclusions for conversion data outages.
What not to do
- Remove the exclusion after applying it, even once you have fixed the data: it can cause more issues.
- Use exclusions often or for long stretches. That can hurt Smart Bidding performance.
- Backfill data after an outage. The Help page advises against it; if you need it for reports, wait at least 5 days after the exclusion was applied and keep the exclusion in place.
- Exclude only the outage days and forget the delay between click and lead: some clicks with bad data stay in the learning.
When this does not apply
- Hotel and Travel campaigns: data exclusions are not supported there.
- Strategies that are not conversion-based Smart Bidding: the tool works only with conversion-based and conversion-value-based strategies.
- A dip that is not a data outage. The Help page recommends exclusions for conversion data outages, so a drop from seasonality or demand does not qualify.
- Expecting a guarantee. The Help page warns that an exclusion does not guarantee your campaigns will not see performance fluctuations.
The step-by-step version of reading and setting this up in your own account is in my book on Google Ads for business owners.
My e-book “19 Google Ads Secrets”: how to get the most out of Google Ads without draining your budget, drawn from real campaigns and tests.
See the book →Questions and answers
Do data exclusions change my reports?
No. They affect only the data Smart Bidding uses. You still see the excluded conversions in your reporting.
Can I exclude the whole account?
Yes. At account level, conversions in Search, Display, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns are excluded. You can also apply an exclusion at the manager account level.
When will performance settle?
For past dates, after a few days. If a week or more of clicks were affected, fluctuations can last 1 to 2 conversion cycles.