When reviewing placements in Google Ads, you may need to select several websites or apps with similar names. The GAds. Display placement cleanup module helps you do this directly in the table: enter keywords and exclusions, then click “Mark”.
The panel selects matching rows using their checkboxes and scrolls the table to process placements beyond the first screen. You can then review the selection and apply the appropriate action in Google Ads. The module does not evaluate placement performance or add placements to your advertising account’s exclusions.
Who the module is for
- PPC specialists who regularly analyze placements on the Google Display Network.
- Freelancers and agencies that want to reuse their placement selection rules across different projects.
- Business owners who manage their own advertising and want to select rows faster using familiar parts of placement names.
The tool is useful when you have already decided what to look for. For example, after reviewing performance, you might want to inspect a group of placements with a common name fragment. Instead of selecting each checkbox manually, fill in two fields and run the selection.
Getting started
- Install PPC Tools Extension and open the extension settings.
- Make sure “GAds. Display placement cleanup” is enabled on its module card.
- Open a placement table in Google Ads. To review actual ad delivery, use the “Where ads showed” report: “Campaigns” → “Insights and reports” → “When and where ads showed” → “Where ads showed”.
- Select the campaign or ad group, date range, and report filters you need. Wait for the table to load. If the tab was open before you enabled the extension, reload it.
- Find the “Bulk placement selection” panel. If it is collapsed, open it using the module button in the Google Ads toolbar, usually to the left of the table’s search button.
- Review any checkboxes that are already selected, then scroll the table to the top before starting.
For more information about the report and how to find it, see Google Ads Help.
The module works on supported placement pages at ads.google.com. A visible panel does not mean that every table or report layout is supported: selection requires recognizable rows with placement names and checkboxes.
Selecting placements: an example
Suppose that, after reviewing performance, you decide to inspect placements with game or puzzle in their names. You want to leave one particular website out of the bulk selection.
The names below are fictional and use the .example domain. They demonstrate how the filters work; they are not a list of placements that everyone should exclude.
1. Enter your keywords
Enter game and puzzle in the “Keywords” field, one per line.
The module looks for these fragments in the placement name displayed in the table. A match with any one line is enough. Matching is case-insensitive: game also matches Game.
2. Specify what to skip
Enter business-games.example in the “Exclude” field. A placement containing that fragment in its name will be skipped, even if it also matches the keyword game.
This field only excludes rows from the module’s selection. It does not prevent your ads from appearing on those placements.
| Example placement name | Result | Reason |
|---|---|---|
games.example | Selected | Contains game and matches no exclusion |
puzzle.example | Selected | Contains puzzle and matches no exclusion |
GameClub.example | Selected | Matching is case-insensitive |
business-games.example | Skipped | Matches an exclusion |
weather.example | Skipped | Matches no keyword |
3. Click “Mark”
The module saves the contents of both fields, starts selecting checkboxes, and scrolls down the available table. The panel shows progress while it runs, followed by “Done. Marked: …” when processing finishes.
The counter refers to the current run. It is not the total number of selected rows, including any you selected manually beforehand. After processing, the module attempts to return the table to the top.
Processing starts from the current scroll position. The module does not switch report pages or reveal rows hidden by report filters. Wait for it to finish, then review the result. “Done” does not confirm that every placement in the account has been processed.
4. Review and apply the action in Google Ads
Review the selected rows and clear any checkboxes you do not need. Check the entire current selection, including rows selected before you ran the module.
If you decide to exclude the placements, use the appropriate Google Ads action. Check whether the exclusions will apply to a campaign, ad group, or another available level, then confirm the changes in Google Ads. See Google’s placement exclusion guide for the available methods and formats.
Selecting rows and saving placement exclusions are separate actions. A word in a placement name helps you find it; use advertising results and a sufficient amount of data to decide whether it should be excluded.
How keywords and exclusions work
Each line in a field is a separate text fragment to find. Put independent alternatives on separate lines. For example, game puzzle on one line is searched as a single fragment, including the space, rather than as two independent conditions.
A placement name must contain at least one keyword and none of the fragments in “Exclude”. Exclusions take priority. If “Keywords” is empty, no new placements are selected. An empty first field does not mean “select everything except the exclusions”.
Matching uses text fragments, not whole words or exact domains. For example, game matches both games and gameclub. The exclusion business-games.example also skips a longer name containing that fragment.
The module compares the placement name displayed in the table. It does not open websites or search their content or the hidden destination URLs of links.
Quotation marks, square brackets, and asterisks do not set a match type or define a special pattern. They are treated as ordinary text characters. “Keywords” is only used to find placement names in the table; it does not change campaign targeting.
Main features
Bulk selection with scrolling
The module selects matching rows and scrolls the table as more rows appear. This lets it process placements beyond those visible on the first screen.
Rows that are already selected are skipped. Running the module again does not clear checkboxes or rebuild the entire selection using the new rules. If you add an exclusion after the first run, an existing checkbox selection for that placement remains. Clear unwanted selections in Google Ads before running it again.
Processing depends on the table layout and how it loads. The module does not retrieve a complete placement list through the Google Ads API or guarantee processing of rows that are unavailable in the current report view.
Automatic filter saving
Keywords and exclusions are saved automatically after you type, when you leave a field, and before selection or export. There is no separate “Save” button.
Saving removes empty lines, leading and trailing spaces, and identical entries. Your lists remain available after reloading the page or closing the tab.
Export and import
“Export” saves both fields to gads_placement_filters.txt. Use it as a backup or transfer it to another browser profile with “Import”.
Import replaces both current lists with the file’s contents. This differs from the Yandex Direct placement cleanup module, which merges filters. Export your current set first if you want to keep it.
Use a file exported by this module. JSON with the fields keywords and exclude is also supported. A plain list without the export structure is best pasted directly into the appropriate field, one entry per line.
Clearing filters
“Clear” asks for confirmation, then empties both “Keywords” and “Exclude”.
It does not clear checkboxes in the table or remove placement exclusions saved in Google Ads. Use Google Ads to manage row selections and ad delivery settings.
Panel position, size, and language
Drag the panel by its header, resize it, or collapse it to make room for the report. Its position, size, and collapsed state are saved.
To reopen it, click the module button in the Google Ads toolbar. It is usually to the left of the table search. If that location is unavailable, the button uses a fallback position near the upper-right area of the interface.
The module is available in English and Russian and follows the language selected in PPC Tools Extension. In English, the panel is called “Bulk placement selection” and the selection button is “Mark”.
Data storage and limitations
Filters and panel layout preferences are stored locally in the extension data for your current browser profile. Working lists do not transfer automatically between browsers or devices. Use export and import to move them.
The module has one shared set of keywords and exclusions. It does not switch sets automatically when you change advertising accounts or campaigns. You can keep separate export files for different projects and import the one you need before starting.
The module does not analyze costs, conversions, or cost per lead, identify underperforming placements automatically, or apply exclusions. Matching names helps you carry out a selection you have already decided on.
The Google Ads report itself is not a complete record of every ad placement: placements with very few impressions or interactions may be omitted. The module works with the available table and does not add missing data.
For search campaigns, see the separate Google Ads search query cleanup guide. If you also use the Yandex Advertising Network, see the Yandex Direct placement cleanup guide, available in Russian.
FAQ
Why hasn’t the panel appeared?
Make sure the extension and “GAds. Display placement cleanup” are enabled, then reload the tab. You need a supported Google Ads placement page; the panel does not appear in other sections. If it is collapsed, look for the module button in the table toolbar or near the upper-right area of the interface.
What does “Table container not found” mean?
The module could not recognize the working table on the current page. Wait for it to load and check that you have opened a supported placement report. If the issue remains after reloading, the current Google Ads layout may differ from the one supported by the module.
Does the “Exclude” field stop my ads from showing?
No. It specifies names to skip during bulk selection. To prevent ads from showing on placements, review the selection and save the exclusions in Google Ads.
Why didn’t a new exclusion clear an existing checkbox?
The module skips rows that are already selected and does not clear their checkboxes. Filter changes affect further selection. Use Google Ads to adjust any existing selection.
Will import add filters to my current lists?
No. Import replaces both lists in this module. If you still need the current filters, save them to a separate file with “Export” first.
Will my filters remain when I switch accounts?
Yes. The same shared set remains in that browser profile. It is not tied to a particular account or campaign, so check both fields before working on another project.
