If you’ve ever pulled a placement report and thought, “Wait a minute… why are my ads showing in random mobile apps? I excluded those!”, you’re not alone. This is one of the most frustrating quirks of Google Ads, especially if you care about brand safety and wasted spend.

Here’s why it happens, and what you can actually do about it.

Why Your Exclusions Aren’t Sticking

  1. Dynamic Expansion in PMax and Display
    Performance Max and certain Display campaign types treat app inventory as “fair game,” even when you’ve excluded app categories. Google considers in-app placements part of the Display Network, so exclusions aren’t always respected.
  2. Placement Exclusions vs. Inventory Types
    Excluding “Mobile App Categories” (mobileappcategory::69500) doesn’t catch every app. Google continuously adds new app IDs, and many in-app ads are technically served via webviews, which look like browser traffic but behave like apps.
  3. Campaign Type Limitations
    Placement exclusions work differently across campaign types:
    • Standard Display / Video: Exclusions mostly work.
    • Performance Max: App exclusions are limited — placement and category exclusions often get overridden by automation.
    • Smart campaigns: Offer little to no control at all.

What You Can Do About It

1. Use Account-Level Placement Exclusions

Instead of applying exclusions campaign by campaign, create an account-level exclusion list under:

Tools → Shared Library → Placement Exclusion Lists.

Add: All app categories (mobileappcategory::69500 and its subcategories).

This won’t stop everything, but it knocks out a huge chunk of irrelevant app placements.

2. Review the “Where Ads Showed” Report

Regularly pull a placement report and look for bundle IDs like com.randomgame.app. These are specific apps siphoning your budget. Drop them into your exclusion list as you go. It’s tedious, but it adds up.

Install Nils Rooijmans PMax Placement Exclusion Suggestions script to automate low performing placements.

3. Check Account Settings for Content Exclusions

Under Account Settings → Content Exclusions, turn off:

  • Embedded YouTube videos
  • Games (fighting)
  • Games (mature)

These toggles won’t solve everything, but they further reduce low-quality inventory.

4. Restructure Campaigns If Necessary

If app traffic is killing performance:

  • Run Standard Shopping + Search for more control, rather than PMax.
  • Break out Display campaigns separately so you can enforce strict placement rules.
  • Use PMax only for the inventory you actually want (Shopping + YouTube) and strip out Display budgets.

The Reality Check

Even with every exclusion in place, you won’t get 100% control especially with PMax. Google’s automation keeps Display inventory wide open by design. The best you can do is:

  • Reduce app placements significantly.
  • Stay vigilant with placement reports.
  • Decide whether PMax is giving you more than it’s costing you.

Final Thoughts

If you care about wasted spend and brand safety, don’t assume your exclusions are iron-clad. Mobile app traffic finds its way in by loophole, by “expansion,” or by automation.

With that in mind a good time to be extra vigilant about this is when scaling an account, or if budget has been increased significantly.

But with account-level exclusions, consistent placement reviews, and smart campaign structuring, you can cut down the noise and focus your spend where it actually drives results.