Google AdsPPCHow-To

How to Use Google Ads Account-Level Placement Exclusions to Protect CPM

UUnknown

2026-02-25

9 min read

Learn how to use Google Ads account-level placement exclusions to block poor inventory and defend eCPM across campaigns in 2026.

Stop wasting impressions: use account-level exclusions to defend CPM

If your eCPM slides every month because a handful of low-quality sites and apps drain budgets, this guide is for you. In 2026 Google added account-level placement exclusions that let marketers and site owners block poor inventory once, centrally — across Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube and Display. That change removes a major operational bottleneck and creates a practical way to protect CPM and eCPM at scale.

Why account-level exclusions are a 2026 priority

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw two connected trends: increased reliance on automated formats (Performance Max and Demand Gen) and advertiser demand for stronger guardrails as automation multiplied reach. Google’s January 2026 rollout of account-level placement exclusions answered that need: apply a single blocklist across eligible campaigns instead of repeating exclusions campaign-by-campaign.

Source: Google Ads rolls out account-level placement exclusions — Search Engine Land, Jan 15, 2026

What this means: a centralized exclusion list lets you manage brand safety, reduce wasted impressions and defend eCPM without breaking automated buying strategies.

Quick primer: account-level vs. campaign-level exclusions

Campaign-level exclusions are specific to a campaign or ad group. Useful for targeted control but operationally heavy at scale.
Account-level exclusions apply across eligible campaigns by default. They give consistent protection to Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube and Display campaigns.
Shared negative lists still matter for multi-account management, but account-level controls reduce replication and mistakes.

How account-level placement exclusions protect CPM and eCPM (the logic)

Your effective CPM (eCPM) is the programmatic cost per thousand impressions your campaigns actually pay: eCPM = (cost / impressions) × 1,000. Low-quality placements produce impressions that cost money but rarely convert, have poor viewability, or are flagged for invalid traffic. By blocking those placements at the account level you:

Remove low-value impressions that depress eCPM
Improve average viewability and engagement metrics
Improve downstream metrics (CTR, conversions) which can reduce CPM over time via better auction signals

Step-by-step: implement account-level placement exclusions (practical checklist)

Step 0 — Prepare your data

Before you exclude anything, collect evidence. Exclusions based on opinion will cost scale. Use placement performance reports and third-party verification data.

Export placement performance for the last 30–90 days across Display, YouTube, and Discovery/Performance Max placement reports.
Pull metrics: impressions, cost, conversions, viewability, CTR, and invalid traffic (IVT) flags from your verification partner (e.g., DoubleVerify, IAS) or Google’s invalid traffic reports.
Calculate eCPM per placement: eCPM = (cost / impressions) × 1,000.

Step 1 — Identify thresholds and create rules

Define objective thresholds that trigger exclusion. Example starting thresholds (customize to your business):

eCPM below $0.50 on display/video placements (for low bids), or relative to your account mean eCPM (e.g., 50% below mean).
Viewability (Active View) below 35% on video or display placements.
High IVT signals from verification vendors (above 1–2% of impressions) or flagged as suspicious.
Channels/publishers with very low CTR and zero conversions over 90 days.

These numbers are starting points. Run tests and tighten or relax thresholds depending on results.

Step 2 — Build your exclusion list

Create a structured exclusion list that includes:

Publisher domains and subdomains
App package names (for mobile app inventory)
YouTube channel IDs or specific video URLs
Category-level blocks (incentivized traffic, interstitial-only networks)

Keep categories separate (e.g., “Low Viewability Domains,” “Incentivized App Packages,” “YouTube: Low Engagement Channels”) so you can test the impact of removing each category.

Step 3 — Create the account-level placement exclusion in Google Ads

In the Google Ads interface (Account view) create a new account-level placement exclusion list and paste the items you gathered. The exact menu labels may evolve — look for Account-level placement exclusions or a centralized Exclusions/Placement control in Tools & Settings. Add domains, app package names, and channel IDs in separate, named lists so they’re auditable and reversible.

Notes:

Account-level exclusions automatically apply to eligible campaign types: Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube and Display as of Jan 2026.
Some formats (e.g., Search, Shopping) won’t be affected because they don’t use display placements.

Step 4 — Apply and observe

After saving the account-level exclusion list, allow 7–14 days for the system to settle. Automation can take time to reallocate spend. Monitor:

Changes in impressions and reach
Average CPM and eCPM
Viewability and CTR
Conversion rates and CPA

Step 5 — Measure impact using experiments

Use a controlled approach rather than turning on a large exclusion list account-wide immediately. Two common approaches:

Campaign split test: Apply exclusions to a subset of campaigns and keep comparable campaigns as control for 2–4 weeks.
Temporal test: Apply exclusions during a defined window and compare pre/post performance while accounting for seasonality.

Key metrics to track: eCPM, CPM, viewability, CTR, conversions, and CPA. If exclusions reduce impressions but increase conversion rate and lower CPA, you likely improved quality even if reach decreased.

Advanced tactics and automation (2026-ready)

1. Integrate ad verification data

Connect data from DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science, or other verification partners. Use their domain-level scoring to prioritize exclusions. Many verification vendors now offer APIs you can feed into exclusion automation.

2. Use Google Ads scripts or API for dynamic exclusion

For accounts with high volume, create scripts or use the Google Ads API to automatically add placements that meet exclusion triggers (low eCPM, poor viewability, high IVT). Build a safety-first workflow: add to a quarantine list first, observe 7 days, then move to permanent account list.

3. Align exclusions with bid strategy

Some automated bidding strategies can reroute spend to lower-quality inventory if not constrained. Pair account-level exclusions with your bidding rules: if your CPA target is strict, tighten exclusions to protect both CPA and eCPM; if you need scale, selectively relax low-priority categories.

4. Use hierarchical lists for MCC (manager) accounts

For agencies managing multiple accounts, maintain a central exclusion library and push account-level lists to clients. Keep client-specific lists separate to respect unique brand or legal requirements.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Over-excluding too quickly: removing large swaths of inventory can spike CPM and reduce scale. Start conservative and test.
Using subjective judgments: don’t block publishers only because they look low-quality. Use metrics-driven thresholds.
Forgetting automation effects: Performance Max may reallocate to other channels. Monitor cross-channel shifts and adjust budgets.
Not versioning lists: keep historical lists so you can rollback mistaken exclusions without losing context.

Practical templates you can copy

Use the following templates as starting points and adapt to your business:

Template A: Brand safety starter list (small-to-mid advertisers)

Category: Adult/Explicit content (block site domains known for adult content)
Category: Incentivized traffic networks (app package names and domains)
Category: Low Viewability Domains (bottom 5% by viewability in your account)
Category: High IVT publishers (from verification partner)

Template B: Performance-first list (ecommerce/lead gen)

Exclude placements with eCPM < 50% of account mean for 60+ days
Exclude placements with zero conversions and >10k impressions in 90 days
Exclude apps and networks that historically produce low conversion-to-click rates

Measuring success: KPIs and reporting

Short-term (2–6 weeks):

Reduction in impressions from excluded placements
Change in average CPM and eCPM
Viewability improvement

Mid-term (6–12 weeks):

Change in conversion rate and CPA
Return on ad spend (ROAS) or cost per acquisition trends
Share of spend reallocated to higher-quality placements

Report these with clear before/after baselines and include impression volumes so stakeholders understand tradeoffs between scale and quality.

Case example: hypothetical workflow for a mid-market retailer

Imagine an online apparel retailer noticing falling eCPM and wasted display spend in late 2025. Their team:

Exported 90 days of placement data and flagged placements with eCPM 60% below account average.
Validated flags via a verification partner to remove IVT-inflated placements.
Created a named account-level exclusion 'Q1-2026: Low eCPM Domains' and applied it to the account.
Ran a 4-week experiment comparing a control set of campaigns to protected campaigns.

Outcome (typical of many tests): the protected campaigns showed higher viewability and a better conversion rate. The team regained efficiency — fewer wasted impressions and more predictable CPMs — while maintaining acceptable reach by selectively unblocking marginal publishers after review.

Governance and stakeholder alignment

Account-level exclusions change reach. Communicate with media planners and brand teams:

Present the data-driven framework and initial thresholds
Agree on acceptable reach loss and escalation paths for disputed publishers
Set a cadence (30/60/90 days) to review the blocklist and update rules

Looking ahead: 2026 trends that shape placement management

Expect three things this year and beyond:

More central controls: Google and other platforms will keep adding account-level guardrails to balance automation and safety.
Tighter third-party integrations: verification vendors will offer near real-time signals that feed automated exclusions.
Dynamic exclusion ecosystems: agencies and advertisers will standardize on shared exclusion libraries and APIs for rapid updates.

Final checklist: first 30/60/90 days

Days 0–30

Export placement data and define thresholds
Create named account-level exclusion lists and apply to a pilot group
Monitor impressions, CPM, viewability

Days 31–60

Run an experiment vs. control campaigns
Refine thresholds and move stable exclusions to permanent lists
Start automating small rule-based additions

Days 61–90

Audit list performance, rollback if needed, version and document changes
Align cross-account lists for multi-client or multi-brand setups
Report results to stakeholders with eCPM and CPA impact

Parting advice

Account-level placement exclusions are a powerful lever to protect CPM and make automation work for you. Use data, test conservatively, and operationalize with scripts and verification integrations as you scale. The goal is not zero risk — it’s predictable, efficient media buying that sustains scale.

Ready to protect your CPM?

If you need a fast-start: export your top 1,000 placements and I’ll show you a template to identify the first 50 to quarantine. Or book an audit to get a prioritized exclusion list and experiment plan tailored to your account mix.

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