PPC-HubLow-quality apps list for Google Ads
Updated: August 13, 2026
Mobile apps with inflated installs, bot activity, ad click fraud, children's and pro-Russian content — to exclude from App campaigns and the Display network.
Preview rows below use the app name and package-ID pairing used in Google Ads exclusion lists. The full mobile-app inventory is in the Google Sheet via the button above.
This list is indicative and does not guarantee full coverage. We recommend periodically reviewing it and supplementing it with your own observations.
Frequently asked questions
How do I exclude mobile apps from Google Ads campaigns?
Add the app identifier or an available app category to placement exclusions at campaign or account level — the exact menu path depends on campaign type.
How do App campaigns differ from Display in placement control?
App campaigns distribute ads automatically across channels and optimize toward installs or in-app events, so they provide less direct control over individual placements. Display campaigns generally make it easier to inspect and exclude specific apps and categories. Both require reliable conversion signals and regular report reviews.
What are the signs of a low-quality app placement?
Volume without downstream value is the headline: many installs or clicks but few registrations, purchases, or other post-install events you care about. Layer on short sessions, rewarded taps, banners over controls, hidden redirects, and traffic spikes that do not move CPA or ROAS. Child-directed, pro-Russian, or off-brand content can be a brand-safety block regardless of metrics. Never exclude from one column alone — compare install source, in-app events, retention, and revenue before you add an ID to a shared list.
Can app categories be excluded automatically?
Google Ads supports category exclusions where the campaign type allows them.
How often should I review the app exclusion list?
Treat new App or mobile Display campaigns like any high-velocity inventory source: weekly report reviews until spend and install quality stabilize, then stretch to two to four weeks for mature accounts. Revisit the list after budget shifts, bid strategy changes, or new conversion events — those edits reshuffle which apps the algorithm favors. Schedule a quarterly pass on older exclusions because app store listings, owners, and ad monetization models change without notice.
How to control ad placements in mobile apps
Why do App and Display campaigns sometimes report strong click volume but weak in-app events? Often the answer is placement quality inside mobile apps — interfaces where a mis-tap counts as engagement, banners sit over navigation buttons, or every action triggers another ad. Unlike websites on the Display Network and YouTube channels, apps can incentivize taps and distort both analytics and brand safety if nobody reviews the inventory.
How App campaigns work in Google Ads
App campaigns pick audiences, creative, bids, and inventory automatically from your objective, so you rarely control individual placements the way you would in Display. Quality work starts with accurate conversion events, a realistic attribution window, and signals that separate valuable users from accidental installs. Use app and category exclusions, content-suitability controls, and account-level lists where the campaign type allows — but avoid blocking all mobile inventory without data, because that can starve the algorithm of good sources.
Signs of a low-quality app
A low-quality app often produces unusually high install volume without registrations, purchases, or other meaningful post-install events, along with very short sessions and repetitive click behavior. Other warning signs include excessive ads, hidden banners, automatic redirects, rewards for views or taps, and sudden traffic spikes without corresponding value. Review content aimed at children where advertising may be inappropriate or restricted, as well as pro-Russian apps and content that conflicts with brand requirements. One metric does not prove fraud, so compare the install source, post-install events, retention, and actual user value. Flag patterns across several apps from the same publisher or category before you exclude an entire segment — sometimes one bad title sits inside an otherwise acceptable inventory mix.
How to review app placement reports
Find app or inventory reports under placements in Google Ads — labels differ by campaign type. Compare spend, installs, post-install conversions, and CPA per package ID across a window long enough to ignore noise, but act immediately on obvious brand-safety violations.
How to use this resource
Each row here demonstrates the app name and package-ID layout used in Google Ads exclusion lists; the full dataset is in the Google Sheet above. Validate geography, audience, policies, and campaign goals per entry before import, then extend the list with IDs surfaced in your own reports. Re-open past exclusions when ownership or monetization changes. For query-level filtering in Search, use the basic negative keyword list for Google Ads — it does not replace app-level controls.