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To add a brand inclusion to an existing Google Ads Search campaign, open Campaigns, select the campaign, choose Settings, open AI Max, and scroll to Brands. Under inclusions, select a saved brand list and save the campaign. If AI Max is disabled, opt in from the same panel first.

A brand inclusion is a targeting restriction: Google says the campaign will serve only for queries associated with the brands you select. It can remove non-brand traffic, so confirm that this narrower reach matches the campaign objective before publishing.

What a brand inclusion does in AI Max

Brand inclusion tells Google Ads which brands may be associated with eligible Search queries. It is not a reporting label, audience segment, or bid modifier. Once applied, the campaign is restricted to queries associated with the selected brands.

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“Your campaign will only serve for queries associated with the brands you select.”

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That restriction can remove traffic that previously came from non-brand searches. Google warns that reach may decrease and performance may decline after an inclusion is applied. There is no additional charge for using a brand list, but the opportunity cost is reduced eligible traffic. Google does not publish a universal performance lift, loss, or ideal number of brands, so judge the setting against your own query mix and conversion goal.

AI Max is an optimization layer inside a Search campaign, not a separate campaign type. Enabling it can turn on search-term matching that uses broad-match and keywordless technology. AI Max also exposes asset-optimization controls such as text customization and Final URL expansion, which are enabled by default in the documented setup unless you change them. Brand inclusion narrows the queries that this optimization layer can pursue; it does not replace your campaign’s bidding strategy, budget, ads, or landing-page settings.

Before you configure the setting

Confirm that the campaign should be brand-restricted

Use an inclusion when the campaign is intentionally limited to a defined set of brands—for example, a retailer campaign that should capture searches for selected manufacturers, or a comparison campaign that only serves queries mentioning approved brands. Do not add one merely because the word “brand” appears in a reporting requirement. A campaign that depends on generic discovery traffic can lose that opportunity when the inclusion is saved.

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Check AI Max availability and feature requirements

The exact controls shown in Google Ads depend on account eligibility, rollout, language, and interface version. Google’s setup guidance says some AI Max capabilities, including search-term matching, Final URL expansion, and text customization, work effectively with conversion-based Smart Bidding strategies. The reviewed guidance does not define a complete eligibility checklist for brand inclusions themselves, so use the controls exposed in the live account and verify the campaign’s bidding configuration before making a change.

Decide whether the list belongs at campaign or ad-group level

A campaign-level inclusion applies across the campaign unless an ad group has its own inclusion. An ad-group inclusion overrides the campaign inclusion for that ad group. Use campaign scope when several ad groups should share the same approved brands; use ad-group scope when individual ad groups need different lists.

Create the brand list first

Brand lists are reusable, account-level resources. You create a list once and then apply it to campaigns or ad groups.

  1. In Google Ads, open Tools.

  2. Open Shared library, then choose Brand lists.

  3. Select the option to create a brand list.

  4. Give the list a clear name that describes its purpose, scope, or market. Names such as “Approved manufacturers – US Search” are easier to audit than an unexplained internal code.

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  5. Add each approved brand. Review the suggested match and choose the entry that represents the intended organization, product, or service.

  6. Save the list.

Google describes a qualifying brand as an organization or trademarked good or service with distinct branding, logos, or a website. The library may use a logo, trademark, domain, prominent product name, or qualifying business name to identify an entry. If the brand you need is not available, check the spelling, URL, and business identity you submitted and use the closest valid library entry rather than adding an unrelated name.

Build lists for matching, not just for naming convenience

Google says brand lists can match variants across languages using broad-match behavior. A shared-word variant such as “Google” and “Google LLC” can typically be covered by the simpler name. Different names without a common word—such as Google, YouTube, and Alphabet—may require separate entries. The URL displayed for a brand helps distinguish similar names; it does not change how traffic is filtered.

Before saving, check that the list includes every distinct brand that should qualify and excludes brands that should not. A short list is not automatically safer: omitting a legitimate variant can prevent relevant queries from qualifying, while adding an extra brand can expand eligibility beyond the intended policy.

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Add a brand inclusion to an existing Search campaign

  1. Open Campaigns in Google Ads.

  2. Select the Search campaign you want to change.

  3. Open Settings.

  4. In the section menu, select AI Max. If AI Max is off, opt in to the AI Max settings.

  5. Within the campaign’s AI Max settings, scroll to Brands.

  6. In the Inclusions control, select the brand list you created or an existing account-level list.

  7. Save the campaign.

  8. Reopen the AI Max settings and confirm that the intended list is displayed in the inclusion control.

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The documented interface moved brand controls into the AI Max settings panel beginning May 27, 2025. Older instructions or screenshots may show the control elsewhere. For a current campaign, use the AI Max > Brands route when it appears, and verify the live labels in your account before documenting the workflow for other users.

Set an inclusion for a new campaign

When creating a new Search campaign, the campaign-creation settings can include a brand-list selector. Choose the appropriate list during setup, then review the AI Max panel before publishing. If the list has not been created yet, leave campaign creation, create it under Tools > Shared library > Brand lists, and return to the draft.

Do not assume a new-campaign wizard has the same layout as an existing campaign. Google can roll out labels and controls by account, so verify that the inclusion appears in the final campaign settings after publication.

Apply a different list to one ad group

  1. Open the relevant Search campaign and go to Ad groups.

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  2. Open the ad group that needs a different brand restriction.

  3. Find AI Max and then Brand inclusions.

  4. Select the required brand list.

  5. Save the ad group.

  6. Check the campaign-level setting and the ad-group setting together to confirm that the override is intentional.

The ad-group list supersedes the campaign list only for that ad group. Other ad groups without their own inclusion continue to use the campaign-level inclusion.

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Configuration Scope Override behavior When to use it
Campaign-level inclusion All ad groups without a separate inclusion Can be overridden by an ad-group inclusion Several ad groups share one approved brand set
Ad-group-level inclusion One ad group Supersedes the campaign inclusion for that ad group Different ad groups need different brand sets

The maintenance comparison is straightforward: one campaign list is generally simpler to audit, while multiple ad-group lists provide finer control but require more settings to review whenever a brand is added or removed.

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Inclusion versus exclusion

An inclusion and an exclusion solve opposite targeting problems. Inclusion limits eligible Search traffic to queries associated with selected brands. Exclusion blocks queries associated with selected brands. Google supports brand exclusions in Search and Performance Max, while the workflow described here is for Search inclusions in AI Max.

Setting Effect Typical objective
Brand inclusion Only selected brands may be associated with eligible queries Concentrate a campaign on an approved brand set
Brand exclusion Queries associated with selected brands are blocked Prevent certain brands from receiving traffic

If a campaign has both settings, exclusions take priority. A brand that appears in an inclusion list can still be blocked when it is also covered by an exclusion.

How matching and list completeness affect delivery

Variants and languages

Brand-list matching can cover variants across languages through broad-match behavior. That helps when users use localized or slightly different forms of a brand name, but it does not make every unrelated company name equivalent. Review whether the list contains separate entries for brands that do not share a common word.

Shared words and similar names

When two entries share a word, the simpler brand name may typically cover the longer legal form. The URL shown in the library helps you select the correct entity when names are similar. It is a disambiguation aid, not an alternate filter that changes the eligible query set.

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Missing entries

If a brand is absent from the list, queries associated only with that brand may not qualify for the campaign. Revisit the list when a business acquires a product, changes its public name, expands into another market, or begins advertising under a distinct trademark. Keep a record of why each entry is present so another account manager can maintain the list without broadening it accidentally.

Traffic, budget, and performance implications

Adding an inclusion can immediately reduce the pool of eligible queries, especially when the campaign previously served on generic or non-brand searches. Lower eligible volume can mean fewer impressions, clicks, and conversions even when bids, ads, and landing pages are unchanged.

AI Max may also be less effective when a campaign is budget-limited. A brand inclusion does not solve budget constraints; it changes which searches the system may pursue. Evaluate both conditions together:

  • If the campaign is meant to protect a fixed brand portfolio, confirm that the narrower reach is acceptable before prioritizing additional automation.

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  • If the campaign is intended to discover new demand, compare the expected loss of generic traffic with the control benefit of an inclusion.

  • If conversions fall after launch, inspect eligible query volume and brand-list coverage before assuming that ad creative or bidding caused the change.

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  • Do not promise a specific lift or loss. Google publishes no universal outcome or recommended list size for this setting.

There is no separate fee for applying a brand list. The practical cost is the traffic and conversion opportunity excluded by the restriction.

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Verification checklist after saving

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Troubleshooting common problems

The Brands control is missing

Confirm that you are editing a Search campaign and have opened the AI Max section inside campaign settings. The interface can vary by account rollout and locale, and Google has moved brand controls into the AI Max panel. If AI Max is unavailable or the account does not expose brand inclusions, do not rely on an older screenshot; check the current account eligibility and live labels.

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The list does not appear in the selector

Make sure it was saved under the same Google Ads account in Tools > Shared library > Brand lists. Refresh the campaign settings after creating the list, then confirm that the list contains at least one valid brand entry.

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Traffic drops after the change

First check whether the campaign previously received non-brand queries. A decline can be the expected result of the inclusion rather than a technical failure. Review the selected brands, language variants, ad-group overrides, and any exclusions before changing bids or budgets.

The wrong company is being matched

Return to the brand list and inspect the selected identity, logo, trademark, domain, and product name. Similar names may require a different library entry. The displayed URL helps distinguish entries, but it does not alter the filtering logic.

An ad group is not following the campaign list

Open that ad group’s AI Max settings and inspect Brand inclusions. An ad-group-level list overrides the campaign-level list by design. Remove or change the ad-group list if the campaign-wide inclusion should apply there.

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Queries are blocked even though the brand is included

Check whether the same brand is covered by an exclusion. Exclusions take priority when both settings are present. Also verify that the query is actually associated with the selected brand and that the required variant has been added to the list.

Operational practices for ongoing management

Name and document lists for auditability

Use names that identify the market, purpose, and approval status. Keep a change record outside the targeting control that notes who approved additions or removals and why. This is especially important when several campaigns reuse one account-level list.

Separate shared policy from local exceptions

Use a campaign-level list for the common policy, then create ad-group-level overrides only where a genuine business exception exists. This keeps the default behavior visible and limits the number of settings that must be reviewed during a brand update.

Review after major brand changes

Recheck lists when a company launches a distinct product name, changes its domain, enters a new language market, or separates a product from its parent organization. Names such as Google, YouTube, and Alphabet illustrate why separate entries can be necessary when brands do not share a common word.

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Validate before documenting the UI

Google Ads labels and rollout status can change. Before publishing internal instructions or screenshots, open the live account and confirm the path, especially the location of AI Max, Brands, and Inclusions.

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