How to Exclude Referral URLs in Google Ads

Please note that layout and specific steps are changed often, and these instructions may no longer be accurate. Reach out to Arc Intermedia with any questions and we will walk you through it.

If you’re seeing traffic from irrelevant URLs in your campaign reporting or want to prevent ads from triggering on certain websites in Display or Performance Max, Google Ads provides tools to help manage placements.

1. Exclude Referral URLs on Display & PMax Campaigns

In Display and Performance Max campaigns, referral URLs typically represent websites or apps where your ads are served. To block those:

• Go to your campaign > Content > Placements
• Under “Where ads showed,” review placements
• Select unwanted placements and click Exclude

You can exclude at the ad group or campaign level.

2. Use Placement Exclusions Lists

Create and maintain an exclusion list to automatically block certain URLs across multiple campaigns. This is especially useful for maintaining brand safety or avoiding low-quality traffic sources.

• Navigate to Tools & Settings > Shared Library > Placement Exclusion Lists

3. For Search Campaigns

Search campaigns don’t use referral URLs in the same way — they trigger based on keyword intent. However, if your concern is related to Analytics referral spam, that’s best handled within Google Analytics, not Ads.

Let Arc Intermedia Help

Looking to clean up your campaign traffic and protect your brand from unwanted placements? Arc Intermedia offers PPC auditing and optimization services to keep your campaigns on track. Let’s talk. Contact us online, or call us at 484-960-7337.