TL;DR
- Google omits search terms without enough query activity from the report for data privacy, so visible rows can total less than campaign spend.
- The match type column shows how closely the search matched your keyword: a broad keyword matched by an identical search displays as exact.
- Search terms insights group queries into subthemes or 'other queries' and draw on the last 56 days of data.
- For AI Max, Google advises waiting at least two weeks before adding negatives, and the Source column and AI Max match type show why terms matched.
The Google Ads search terms report lists the actual searches that triggered your ads, next to the keyword that matched each one, the match type, and the performance of that search. You find it in your account under Campaigns, then Insights and reports, then Search terms. It does not list everything: searches with too little volume are left out to protect privacy. Reading it well means knowing what it shows, what it hides, and what each column can and cannot prove.
What the search terms report shows
Google defines a search term as the word or words a person types into Google or a Search Network site, and a keyword as what you add to your campaign to target searches. The two are often different. A keyword is your instruction; a search term is what really happened. The report puts them side by side with the usual metrics such as impressions, clicks, click-through rate, cost per click and conversions. The Keyword column does not show by default: select the columns icon, open Attributes, tick Keyword and apply.
The report offers four controls that matter for analysis. Columns lets you add or remove fields. Download exports the table. Segment splits the data by time, conversions, device or network. Expand enlarges the table for reading. The segment option is the one many accounts underuse: segmenting by device or network can show that a search term converts on one and wastes money on the other, which a single combined row hides.
What the report hides
Google states that some search terms without enough query activity are omitted from the report to keep to its data privacy standards. In plain terms, the table is not a full log of every query that produced a click. Two consequences follow.
- The cost and clicks in the rows you can see may add up to less than the campaign total. The gap is the spend on searches that were too rare to show. Google's AI Max reporting page refers to an "Other search terms" row, and notes that a filter on the AI Max match type does not consider it.
- Low-volume, long-tail queries are the ones you are least able to review by hand, so wasted spend inside the hidden portion cannot be fixed by reading the report. You control it with keyword choices, match types and negative keywords applied at a broader theme level.
Google's search terms insights handle the same privacy issue differently. They group queries into relevant subthemes where applicable, or aggregate them as "other queries", without exposing the queries themselves. The insights labels draw on the last 56 days of data, so a category can include terms that no longer serve or that you have already excluded. Treat the insights as a theme view and the report as a query view.
| View | What you see | What is held back |
|---|---|---|
| Search terms report | Individual queries with match type and metrics | Terms without enough query activity, for privacy |
| Search terms insights | Groups of queries as subthemes | Individual queries, shown as "other queries" where grouped |
| AI Max match type filter | Terms matched through AI Max | "Other search terms" are not considered by the filter |
How to read the match type column
The match type column tells you how closely the search term relates to the keyword that triggered the ad. It does not repeat the match type you set on the keyword. Google gives an example: if your broad match keyword is purple flowers and someone searches for purple flowers, the search term's match type is exact, because that is how closely it matched.
That detail changes how you read a mixed account. A row labelled exact can sit under a broad match keyword. If you filter the report for exact and conclude that your exact match keywords are performing well, you may be looking at broad keywords whose searches happened to match exactly. To judge a keyword's match type setting, compare the keyword's own setting with the distribution of search term match types beneath it.
Google says the report can show close variants, which can include singular and plural forms, acronyms, stem words such as floor and flooring, abbreviations, accents and other variants. So a search term that differs from your keyword in plural form or spelling is not a sign of a loose match. It is expected. The rows that deserve attention are those where the meaning has shifted, such as a product word attached to a different intent.
Turning rows into actions
Google's report page points to two actions in the report itself: adding irrelevant search terms as negative keywords, and editing the match type of existing keywords. Adding a strong term to your keyword list is the natural third step. These three actions cover almost all of the useful work.
- Add to your keyword list when a term converted or is clearly relevant and you want direct control over its bid, ad copy and landing page. Pick the match type deliberately instead of accepting the default.
- Add as negative keyword when a term is irrelevant, so that the ad stops showing to unqualified searchers. Choose the negative match type and level (ad group, campaign or negative keyword list) with care, since negatives added from the Search report default to exact match and a negative on a broad word can block good traffic.
- Edit an existing keyword's match type when the report shows a keyword attracting searches that are too far from its meaning.
Before adding a negative, check three things: whether the term has enough clicks to judge, whether another term with the same words has converted, and whether the word is part of a legitimate product or brand name. A single click with no conversion is thin evidence, and it is one of the most common ways to over-prune an account. Segment by conversions first, then decide. For a full treatment of negatives themselves, such as lists and match types, see Relevant Audience's separate guide on negative keywords; this article stays on how to read the report.
Search terms in Performance Max
Google's help article says that in Performance Max, while conversion data is key, the search terms report helps identify the search terms that resulted in conversions, giving a deeper view of campaign performance. The same page notes that store visits and store sales conversions are not compatible with the search terms report, so a campaign optimized for store goals will show less here than an online-conversion campaign.
In the interface, Google's Performance Max search terms page says to open the Search terms report from the Campaigns menu and choose the dropdown view "Search terms and landing pages for Performance Max", which shows search terms with their landing pages and ad formats. Data for this report is available starting from March 2023. For people who pull data through the API, Google's Performance Max reporting guide lists campaign_search_term_view for search terms performance.
Search terms in AI Max for Search
For campaigns using AI Max, Google's reporting page describes several additions. You can add the Source column to the default view of the search terms report to see why a term matched. "AI Max" appears as a match type value that you can filter on. A dedicated view, currently named "Search terms and ad combinations" (formerly "Search terms and landing pages from AI Max"), shows search terms with the headlines and landing pages involved. In that view you can tick a row and choose Add as negative keyword or Add as negative URL.
Two cautions come from the same page. Filtering for the AI Max match type may show lower numbers, because the filter does not consider "Other search terms". And Google advises waiting at least two weeks after enabling AI Max in a new or existing Search campaign before making changes such as adding negative keywords, so the system has data to settle on. Reading the report during those two weeks is fine; acting on it too early is the risk.
Google's Dynamic Search Ads documentation adds a date worth tracking: it says that starting in February 2027, campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads will automatically be upgraded to AI Max. If you run DSA campaigns, the AI Max views and Source column will become relevant to you.
A review routine (a suggestion, not a Google rule)
Google does not publish a required review frequency, so cadence is a judgment call. A reasonable routine, based on reasoning about volume, looks like this:
- Weekly for new campaigns or after changes to keywords, match types or bidding, because wasted spend appears fastest then.
- Every two to four weeks for stable campaigns with steady budgets.
- Always with a date range long enough to include conversions, since conversion lag can make a recent term look worthless.
At each review, sort by cost, not by impressions. Look first at the highest-cost terms with zero conversions, then at converting terms that do not yet exist as keywords, then at match type mismatches. Record what you changed and the date, so the next review can compare results.
What this means for Thai advertisers
Search terms in Thai, English and mixed Thai-English can all appear in one campaign, so reviewing the report in the account's own language matters. Transliterated brand names, typos and informal spellings are normal in Thai search behavior. Reasoning from that, the report is where you find which spellings and word forms your customers actually use, and where you spot searches with a different intent, such as job-seeking or free-resource queries attached to a service keyword. That is a working assumption to test in your data, not a Google statement about Thailand.
If you want help applying this to a live account, Relevant Audience offers Google Ads management and a search advertising service. Stores running feed-based campaigns can also look at Google Shopping management, and measurement questions such as which conversions to trust belong with GA4 setup.
Google Ads search terms report FAQ
Why do the search terms in my report not add up to my total clicks?
Google omits search terms that do not have enough query activity, to keep to its data privacy standards. The difference is spend on searches too rare to display, and in AI Max reporting it can appear as "Other search terms".
Where is the search terms report in Google Ads?
Select Campaigns in the left navigation, then Insights and reports, then Search terms. From there you can adjust columns, download, segment and expand the table.
Why does a broad match keyword show exact match search terms?
The match type column shows how closely the search matched your keyword, not the keyword's own setting. A broad keyword such as purple flowers matched by the identical search shows as exact.
Can I see search terms for Performance Max?
Yes, Google's help says the search terms report helps identify the terms that resulted in conversions in Performance Max. Store visits and store sales conversions are not compatible with the report, and search terms insights group low-volume queries as other queries.
When should I add negatives after turning on AI Max?
Google advises waiting at least two weeks after enabling AI Max in a Search campaign before making changes such as adding negative keywords. You can review the Source column and AI Max match type in the meantime.
Next step
If your account has never had a structured search terms review, start with the last 30 to 90 days of data, sorted by cost. Relevant Audience can run that review, separate waste from useful long-tail demand, and set up a review rhythm that fits your budget.
