Are you running YouTube ads but struggling with irrelevant placements that drain your budget? If your ads are showing on kids' channels, gaming content, or foreign-language videos that don't align with your target audience, you need a YouTube Ads Placement Exclusion List.
By excluding irrelevant placements, you can ensure your ads appear only where they matter — maximizing ROI and improving campaign performance.
Why Use a YouTube Placement Exclusion List?
When running YouTube ads via Google Ads, placements play a crucial role in reaching the right audience. However, YouTube's vast inventory includes content that might not be relevant to your campaign goals.
Here's why you should consider using a placement exclusion list for Google Ads:
- Avoid wasted ad spend — Prevent your ads from showing on channels that don't convert.
- Improve engagement & conversions — Reach a more relevant audience by focusing on high-quality placements.
- Protect brand safety — Keep your ads off kids' content, gaming videos, and foreign-language channels that may not match your brand's messaging.
- Enhance campaign performance — Increase your click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate by ensuring better audience targeting.
Most Google Ads accounts have fewer than 30 negative placements. Top-performing accounts have 500+. The investment is one-time; the savings compound monthly.
What's Included in Our Placement Exclusion List?
We've compiled a comprehensive YouTube placement exclusion list with over 80,000 channels across three major categories:
YouTube Kids Channels Exclusion List
Avoid showing ads on content targeted toward children, which often leads to unqualified clicks and wasted budget. Children typically can't convert on B2B services, professional tools, or most adult-focused products — but Google's broad targeting can still place your ads there if you don't actively exclude.
YouTube Games Placement Exclusion List
Exclude gaming channels where viewers are not likely to engage with your product or service. Unless your offer is gaming-related, gaming placements typically have low intent and high cost-per-acquisition.
YouTube Ads Foreign Language Exclusion List
Remove placements in non-relevant languages to ensure your ads reach the right audience. Especially important for English-language campaigns being delivered globally — language-mismatched placements waste budget on viewers who can't understand your ad copy.
How to Use the Placement Exclusion List in Google Ads
Implementing the exclusion list in Google Ads is simple. Follow these steps:
- Download the exclusion list from the link below.
- Go to Google Ads and navigate to your campaign settings.
- Click on Content, then Placements.
- Select Excluded Placements and upload the exclusion list.
- Save your changes and monitor campaign performance over the next 7-14 days.
Get the Complete 80,000+ Exclusion List
A ready-to-import Google Sheets file with every channel categorized. No email signup required.
Download the Exclusion ListBy applying this placement exclusions Google Ads list, you can focus your ad spend on high-quality, relevant placements and drive better ROI. Don't let irrelevant channels eat up your budget — download the list today and start optimizing your YouTube ads.
Need Help with Your Google Ads Strategy?
If you're looking for expert assistance in managing and optimizing your Google Ads campaigns, our Google Ads agency can help. We specialize in maximizing ad performance, ensuring brand safety, and improving ROI through strategic ad placements.
Six years of US-agency experience, founder-led execution, $1M+ in managed ad spend — and a 14.6x ROAS case study to prove the approach works. Get in touch for a free audit and let's elevate your advertising efforts.