Which is safer to add first: negative exact or negative phrase?

Negative exact is safer because it only suppresses one specific query. Add negative exact first and monitor performance. If the same category of irrelevant searches keeps appearing, then consider a negative phrase to handle the pattern.

Will negative phrase block searches with the words in a different order?

No. Negative phrase requires the words to appear consecutively in the same order. If the order differs, the block does not fire.

Do negatives apply across all campaigns?

No. Negatives apply only to the campaign or ad group where you add them. If you have multiple campaigns targeting similar traffic, you need to add the same negatives to each campaign separately.

What is the difference between negative exact and negative phrase?

Negative exact and negative phrase are both tools for blocking unwanted search traffic in Amazon PPC, but they differ in how broadly they apply. Negative exact blocks a single specific query; negative phrase blocks any search that contains your keyword as a consecutive sequence, giving it a much wider reach. Negative exact is the more precise of the two. If your negative exact keyword is 'silicone baking mat non-stick', Amazon will only suppress your ad when a shopper types exactly those words. A search for 'large silicone baking mat non-stick' or 'silicone baking mats non-stick' would not be blocked. Negative phrase casts a wider net. If your negative phrase keyword is 'baking mat non-stick', your ad will be suppressed for any search that contains those words consecutively, including 'silicone baking mat non-stick', 'large silicone baking mat non-stick set', and 'professional baking mat non-stick'. Negative exact is low-risk. Because it only blocks one specific query, it is unlikely to accidentally suppress converting traffic unless you add a term that genuinely does convert in some contexts. Negative phrase carries more risk because it blocks an entire category of searches. If you add 'non-stick' as a negative phrase while selling silicone baking mats, you could inadvertently block many highly relevant searches that happen to contain those words. Use negative exact when your search term report surfaces a specific query that is clearly off-target and you want to eliminate only that query. This is the right tool during the early weeks of a campaign when you are still learning which searches convert. Use negative phrase once you have identified a pattern: a use case you do not serve, a category of shoppers with a different intent, or a competitor brand showing up repeatedly. Adding a negative phrase handles the whole category in one entry. Yes, and it is common to do so. You might add a competitor's brand name as a negative phrase to block all searches mentioning it, while also adding specific off-target queries as negative exact terms for surgical precision. The two match types work independently and do not interfere with each other. Organise your negative keywords with notes or labels in a spreadsheet so you can audit them periodically. Negatives added months ago may no longer be necessary if your product range or strategy has changed.

Negative exact blocks your ad only for searches that match your keyword word-for-word; negative phrase blocks any search containing that phrase in sequence.