{"id":8116,"date":"2026-09-14T16:09:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T13:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ivitskiy.com\/blog\/?p=8116"},"modified":"2026-09-14T16:09:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T13:09:33","slug":"performance-max-brand-exclusions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ivitskiy.com\/blog\/en\/performance-max-brand-exclusions\/","title":{"rendered":"Performance Max Brand Exclusions: Setup and Checks"},"content":{"rendered":"
In short:<\/strong> Brand exclusions help separate demand for your business name from the rest of your Performance Max activity. Check the Shopping setting and compare reported conversions with actual new customers before judging the change.<\/div>\n\n\n

To stop Performance Max showing ads for your business name in Search, Shopping, and YouTube search, apply a brand list under Brand exclusions in the campaign settings. A separate checkbox lets you keep Shopping ads running for searches that mention excluded brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my work with service businesses whose names were already familiar to customers, I have seen reported conversions fall after excluding the brand while new customer numbers stayed steady. Those campaigns had been collecting cheap conversions from people looking for the company by name who would have arrived without an ad. The report had overstated the campaign’s contribution to acquiring customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why use brand exclusions instead of negative keywords?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A brand exclusion covers the brand name, common misspellings, and related subsidiary brands. Google describes it as a more comprehensive solution than negative keywords for this purpose. You select the brand instead of trying to anticipate every typing mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A clear use case is managing branded traffic in a separate campaign and keeping those clicks out of Performance Max. That is the scenario in Google’s recommendation on brand exclusions<\/a>. For the wider campaign context, see the Performance Max guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Brand<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Which names belong in your brand list?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brand lists are created at account level and applied to individual campaigns. Start by writing down the names customers use for your business. For this task, collect your own brand names rather than a list of the services you sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google recognizes brands across languages and writing systems without requiring every spelling. Distinct names without shared words need separate entries, though. Google covers Google LLC, but Google, YouTube, and Alphabet should all be included. Do not assume that selecting a parent brand reliably covers every related name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your brand is missing from Google’s library, you can request its addition. The URL beside a brand distinguishes businesses with similar names; it does not control traffic filtering. Regional website addresses do not need separate submissions for the same brand. These details appear in Google’s brand settings guidance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to enable Performance Max brand exclusions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For an existing campaign, follow these steps. Decide beforehand which list to apply and whether you want to retain branded Shopping traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n
  1. Open Campaigns and select the Settings tab.<\/li>\n\n\n
  2. Select the Performance Max campaign you want to change.<\/li>\n\n\n
  3. Open Additional settings, then Brand exclusions.<\/li>\n\n\n
  4. Select your brand list, or choose + New brand list to create one.<\/li>\n\n\n
  5. Review Allow Shopping ads on searches that mention excluded brands. Check it only if you intend to retain those Shopping ads.<\/li>\n\n\n
  6. Click Save.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    For a new campaign, open More settings within Campaign Settings, then Brand exclusions. Both routes are covered in Google’s setup instructions<\/a>. Make sure you are following the Performance Max instructions rather than the Search campaign section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What does the Shopping checkbox change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Without the separate permission, the exclusion also restricts Shopping. Checking the box allows Shopping ads to appear for excluded brands. Applying a brand list therefore does not mean you have removed branded Shopping traffic if that exception is enabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a service business owner, ask whether you actually want to retain those product ads. Do not enable the option simply because it is available. If you have no Shopping ads, the checkbox changes nothing. If keeping Shopping is intentional, record that decision alongside the change date so your later comparison reflects what you changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Was Performance Max relying on your brand?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Compare campaign conversions before and after the change with actual new enquiries and customers in your business records. Use comparable periods and note any other changes to advertising or the business. Avoid treating every movement during that time as an effect of the exclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In my experience, fewer reported conversions without fewer new customers occurred when Performance Max had been picking up existing demand for a familiar name. That gap prompted a reassessment of the campaign. A conversion decline alone does not establish the same explanation for your account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The strongest reason to be cautious is that brand exclusions restrict reach, and performance can decrease. Google explicitly warns about this. If actual new customer numbers also fall, the argument that you merely have a more honest report is insufficient. Check it against customer records after the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For a broader decision about the campaign, read Performance Max for lead generation<\/a>. The question here is narrower: how much confidence should you place in results that include people already searching for your business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When this does not apply<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You need to exclude your brand across every placement.<\/strong> This setting does not cover Display, YouTube video ads, Gmail, or Discover. YouTube search is covered; YouTube video advertising is outside its scope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You cannot distinguish new customers from repeat enquiries.<\/strong> A change in reported conversions will not establish whether customer acquisition held steady. Agree on what counts as a new customer and where you will record it before drawing that conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Questions and answers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Is there an additional charge?<\/h3>\n\n\n

    No. Applying brand lists has no additional cost. Restricting traffic can still affect performance, so assess the business outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Can a small business name qualify as a brand?<\/h3>\n\n\n

    Yes. Google’s definition can include the name of a small or medium business. If yours is absent from the library, you can request its addition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Do I need AI Max to use this?<\/h3>\n\n\n

    The move of brand settings into AI Max concerns Search campaigns. It does not affect Performance Max, so use the setup route above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For your next account check, compare Performance Max conversions after the brand exclusion with the number of new customers in your records. If the report dropped while new customers held steady, use that gap as a starting point for finding other places your Google Ads budget may be going to waste.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Exclude your brand from Performance Max, check the Shopping exception, and assess whether fewer reported conversions mean fewer new customers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":8118,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google-ads-campaign-types","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"\nPerformance Max Brand Exclusions: Setup and Checks - \u0411\u043b\u043e\u0433 \u0406\u0433\u043e\u0440\u044f \u0406\u0432\u0456\u0446\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043f\u0440\u043e Google \u0440\u0435\u043a\u043b\u0430\u043c\u0443<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Exclude your brand from Performance Max, check the Shopping exception, and assess whether fewer reported conversions mean fewer new customers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ivitskiy.com\/blog\/en\/performance-max-brand-exclusions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ru_RU\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Performance Max Brand Exclusions: Setup and Checks - 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