Free tool · Google Ads

Keyword match type tool.

Wrap, mix and clean keyword lists, and grab a starter negative list for your sector, ready for Google Ads Editor.

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.

Match types in 2026

boiler repair → broad match
"boiler repair" → phrase match
[boiler repair] → exact match
+boiler +repair → retired (now behaves as phrase)

Google folded broad match modifier into phrase match in 2021, but plenty of keyword lists, templates and even tools still carry the plus signs. Paste one in and the tool strips them and gives you clean phrase and exact versions.

How we structure keywords

For a local service business we usually run exact and phrase match in one campaign for control, with broad match in a separate campaign on target CPA bidding once the account has 30 or more conversions a month. Negatives are shared across all of them through a negative keyword list, starting with the sector list above and growing from the search terms report every week.

FAQ

Keyword match type tool: questions answered.

What are Google Ads match types?

Broad match (no punctuation) shows for related searches. Phrase match ("quotes") shows for searches that include the meaning of your keyword. Exact match [brackets] shows for searches with the same meaning or intent. Each is tighter than the last.

What happened to broad match modifier?

Google merged broad match modifier (the +plus +sign format) into phrase match. From February 2021 phrase match took on BMM behaviour, and by July 2021 BMM keywords could no longer be created. Old lists with plus signs are treated as phrase match now, so the tool strips the signs.

Which match type should I use?

Most accounts do best with phrase and exact match for control, plus broad match only on campaigns with smart bidding and plenty of conversion data. Broad match without good tracking is how budgets get wasted.

What are negative keywords?

Searches you never want to show for. Add "jobs" as a negative and your plumber ad stops appearing for "plumber jobs". The starter lists here cover the searches that waste money in each sector.

How do I import the CSV into Google Ads Editor?

Download the CSV, open Google Ads Editor, go to Account, Import, From file, and map the Keyword and Criterion Type columns. Negatives import the same way under the negative keywords section.

What does the mixer do?

Combines every word in column A with every word in B and C. Put services in A ("boiler repair"), locations in B ("manchester", "salford") and modifiers in C ("emergency", "near me") and you get every combination in seconds.

Do negative keywords have match types?

Yes, but they behave differently from positive keywords: negatives don't expand to close variants, so add plurals and misspellings yourself. The starter lists use phrase match negatives, which block any search containing the phrase.

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