Exclusion Lists: Avoiding the Worst of the Worst & Most Likely to Serve

Helping Advertisers Stay Suitable & Maintain Control

When it comes to advertising on YouTube, brand suitability is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s table stakes. That’s where exclusion lists come in. Used wisely, exclusions can help protect your brand, improve media performance, and ensure your campaigns are reaching the right audience in the right environment.

What are Exclusions?

Exclusions are lists of YouTube channels or videos that advertisers intentionally block their ads from appearing on. These may include content that’s not aligned with the brand’s values, tone, or audience, whether that’s controversial creators, overly sensational content, or just off-brand material. 

Advertisers mainly use exclusion lists to:

• Avoid brand safety issues (e.g., hate speech, violence, misinformation)
  
• Maintain brand suitability (e.g., tone mismatch, irrelevant creators)
  
• Improve ad efficiency by eliminating low-performing or wasteful inventory
  

In short, exclusion lists are a foundational tactic for managing risk while maximizing ROI.

Where and How Can Exclusion Lists Help?

Exclusion lists can be especially valuable when inclusion lists are unavailable, like in some AI-driven formats. For formats like Demand Gen, for example, exclusions give advertisers more control over where their ads run, and ensure a higher level of safety and suitability. Some key instances where exclusions may be helpful include:

• Sensitive verticals like pharma, finance, or kids’ products
  
• New product launches where brand perception is critical
  
• Cross-category campaigns where tone and context matter
  
• Creator-focused campaigns where not all content within a category is appropriate

Basically, exclusions give you an “added layer” of control over where your ads show up—and where they don’t.

Pixability vs. Google: What’s the Difference?

While Google does offer built-in exclusion tools, most advertisers find them limited in scope and control. That’s where Pixability’s curated exclusions go a step further:

Feature	Google’s Exclusion Tools	Pixability’s Exclusion Lists
Manual controls	Basic (by keyword, topic, channel)	Advanced, precision-level control
Scale	Broad	Category-specific, context-aware
Curation	Self-managed	Expert-curated using proprietary insights
Refresh frequency	Infrequent	Continuously updated
Brand suitability logic	One-size-fits-all	Tailored to brand tone, creative style, and goals
Creator-specific exclusions	Limited visibility	Full visibility across high-volume creators

Pixability’s lists are built with real-time YouTube data, incorporating tailored brand tone, campaign objectives, and cultural context rather than simply blocking categories. Our approach allows advertisers to make more intentional decisions about where their media dollars go.

Final Thought: It’s All About Control + Confidence

In a media landscape where attention is fragmented and content can be unpredictable, exclusion lists give advertisers the control they need to run with confidence. 

Pixability goes the extra mile in providing brands and agencies curated exclusion lists, offering smart, strategic exclusion strategies that not only protect the brand but actively enhance campaign performance.

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Want to learn how our proprietary exclusion lists can improve your next campaign?
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