This is typically the first clean-up pass you should run on an account before scaling or automating anything.
Use this module when:
You want to reduce wasted spend
You’re auditing an account
You see high spend but weak performance
You’re preparing the account for automation
Part A: Negate Search Terms Without Orders
Goal
Prevent ads from showing for search terms that have spent money but never generated an order.
Where you’ll be working
Ads Insights → Search Terms
Step-by-step
Go to Ads Insights → Search Terms
Set the date range to Last 90 Days
Apply the following filters:
Orders = 0
Spend ≥ $10
Review the list of search terms shown
These are terms customers searched for that triggered ads but didn’t convert.
Bulk-select the relevant search terms
Click Bulk Edit
Choose Add to ad group as negative exact (ADG)
This tells Amazon not to show your ads again for these exact search terms at the ad group level.
Part B: Negate Search Terms With Orders but Poor Efficiency
Goal
Control inefficient spend; not every converting term is a good one.
Changes from Part A
Date range: Last 30 Days
Filters:
ACoS ≥ 50%
Spend ≥ $10
Follow the same steps as above, just with the updated filters.
Part C: Pause or Lower Bids for Poor Keywords
Goal
Adjust keyword-level spend where performance is weak.
Where you’ll be working
Ads Insights → Performance → Keywords
Step-by-step
Go to Ads Insights → Performance
Select the Keywords tab
Set the date range to Last 30 Days
Apply filters:
Orders = 0
Spend ≥ $10
Bulk-select the keywords
You now have two options:
Pause keywords (if performance is clearly poor)
Lower bids (if you want to test at a lower cost)
To lower bids:
Bulk Edit → Current Bid
Choose Decrease by
Enter a $ amount or percentage
Click Apply changes
Once you’ve cleaned up obvious spend leaks, the next step is to identify what is working so you can scale with confidence.