Which exclusions Tapper applies to each Google Ads campaign type
Google Ads accepts different exclusions on different campaign types, so what Tapper Block writes depends on the type. Tapper uses the four methods the Google Ads API offers:
- IP exclusions: a flagged visitor's IP address goes on the campaign's IP exclusions. Google allows at most 500 per campaign.
- Audience exclusion: flagged visitors go into two lists in your account, "Tapper - Invalid Traffic List" and "Tapper - Ad Click Limit Exceeded Traffic List", which are excluded from the campaign. It does not depend on IP address.
- Conversion value rule: multiplies by 0.5 the conversion value of visitors on Tapper's lists, so Google's bidding values them less.
- Placement exclusions: websites and apps Tapper scored as poor, added to the account's placement exclusion list.
Tapper applies these only while blocking is on, and the campaign-level ones only where the campaign's Protection switch is on.
What each campaign type gets
| Campaign type | IP exclusions | Audience exclusion | Value rule | Protection switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Yes | Yes, on the campaign | Yes | Yes |
| Display | Yes | Yes, on the campaign | Yes | Yes |
| Shopping | Yes | Yes, on the campaign | Yes | Yes |
| Demand Gen | Yes, as each click is flagged | Yes, on each ad group | No | Yes |
| Performance Max | No | Yes, on the campaign | No | Yes |
| Video | No | No | No | No |
| Hotel and every other type | No | No | No | No |
- Search, Display and Shopping are the only types that also receive the IPs you exclude by hand on Setup > Excluded IPs. Search and Shopping rows also offer Create shadow campaign in the ⋮ menu.
- Demand Gen gets the audience on its ad groups and IP exclusions one at a time as clicks are flagged. Your manual IPs are not sent.
- Performance Max does not accept campaign-level IP exclusions, so you will not find Tapper's IPs in its settings. That is expected. It is protected by the audience exclusion and the account-level placement exclusions. You can add a value rule yourself; see Value rules and shadow campaigns: optional extras for Performance Max, Search and Shopping. A Performance Max campaign may still carry a value rule Tapper added in the past, shown by the Value Rule Exclusion chip.
- Video, Hotel and other types get nothing at campaign level and have no switch. To keep flagged visitors away from a Video campaign, exclude Tapper's list yourself: see The Invalid Traffic Audience and its retention window.
Placement exclusions apply to the whole account, so they cover every campaign that can serve on those sites and apps, such as Display and Performance Max. See Placement exclusions on Display and Performance Max.
What you see in Tapper
On the Google Ads page of Setup > Ad accounts, the Campaigns tab shows the Protection switch for the five types that take exclusions, with chips for what Tapper applied:
| Chip | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Audience Exclusion | Tapper's lists are excluded on the campaign. |
| Value Rule Exclusion | Tapper's value rule is attached to the campaign. |
| Audience Segment Exclusion | Tapper's lists are excluded on the ad group. Shown in the Ad groups view, where Demand Gen protection appears. |
| Tapper goal | A Tapper goal is attached. This is not an exclusion. With more than one Tapper goal, the chip names it, for example "Tapper goal: Predicted conversion value". |
When Tapper writes nothing
In Monitor-only (every new rule set starts in it, and it stays on during the free trial), Tapper detects but writes no automatic exclusions; only your manual IPs are sent. See Monitor-only: why nothing is blocked yet and what changes when blocking starts. For a campaign switched off, see Choose which campaigns Tapper protects.
On Meta Ads and Microsoft Ads, Tapper excludes an audience from each ad set or campaign you protect; on TikTok Ads it records invalid traffic only. See How Block protects Meta ads and How Block protects TikTok ads.
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