# Find negatives that block converting terms

> Tier: recipe. Operating recipe: real tool sequence, core rules, known traps.

Negative keywords crossed against converting search terms: the self-inflicted blocks.

**Intent.** Where the negative lists fight the account's own winners.

## When to use

- After big negative imports.
- When volume fell without auction cause.

## When not to use

- No specific contraindication beyond the preconditions below.

## Sources

Required: Google Ads

## Preconditions

- The account is ticked in the dashboard, confirmed via list_accounts.

## Inputs

- `window`: Analysis window. Default: last 30 days.

## Procedure

1. Pull negatives via GAQL and converting terms. — tools: `google_ads_run_gaql`, `google_ads_get_search_terms`
2. Match and list conflicts with their blocked volumes.

## Decision rules

- **When** A negative matches terms that converted before its add date → **conclude** Self-block confirmed: quote the conversions lost since.

## Evidence requirements

- Every figure carries its account, metric and window.
- Anything below a readable sample size is reported as unjudged, not as zero.

## Human approval boundary

- The readout changes nothing. Any change it motivates goes through Safe Writes: preview, human confirmation, then apply.

## Failure modes

- Match-type semantics on negatives differ from positives: phrase negatives block more than intuition says.

## Output

- **Readout**: The figures, with windows and accounts named.
- **Flags**: What deserves a deeper skill or a human decision.

## Related

- Skill: [google-search-waste](https://www.getmcpads.com/skills/google-search-waste.md)