Which brand safety controls does Display & Video 360 offer, and where does each one apply?
Part of Google Ads placements
The short answer
Display & Video 360 offers inventory modes, content theme and type exclusions, digital content labels, sensitive categories, keyword exclusions, channel and URL exclusions, authorized seller checks and third-party verification. Google places all but three at the advertiser level, inherited by every line item; verification, keywords and URL exclusions also work per line item.
Key takeaways
- Google separates brand safety, content no advertiser wants, from brand suitability, content each advertiser opts in or out of.
- Advertiser level settings apply to all current and future line items and cannot be edited lower down.
- Keyword exclusions expand to plurals, synonyms and close variants, and Google says they are not intended as brand safety targeting.
- Digital content labels stopped applying to YouTube ads in September 2024, except content suitable for families.
- A deal exemption bypasses every advertiser level setting for that deal, not Google's automatic protections.
What brand safety controls does Display & Video 360 offer?
Brand Safety: Automatically filter out inappropriate or harmful content that no advertiser, regardless of their vertical or preference, ever wants to run on.
The same page defines brand suitability as letting advertisers opt in or out of traffic that some find acceptable and others don't. Everything a trading desk configures sits on the suitability side of that line. Google's 2025 update notice (opens in a new tab) renamed several controls, so older screenshots may name the same setting differently.
| Control | What it does | Status in Google's documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory modes | Maximum, Moderate or Limited inventory, from widest reach to most restrictive | Renamed from content categories in the 2025 update |
| Content theme exclusions | Excludes themes such as News (sensitive), Politics, Religion, Games (mature) and Health (sensitive) | Current; Google's pages differ on where they apply (see the YouTube section) |
| Content type exclusions | Excludes embedded YouTube videos and live-stream videos | Current; renamed from other content types |
| Digital content labels | Excludes inventory by maturity label, DL-G to DL-MA, plus Not yet labeled | Legacy; Google says later updates will sunset them, with no date given |
| Sensitive categories | Excludes classified site content such as tragedy, violence, gambling and profanity | Legacy; same planned sunset |
| Keyword exclusions | Excludes inventory whose page text, app description or video metadata matches | Current, at advertiser, insertion order and line item level |
| Channels, URLs and YouTube URLs | Excludes listed sites, apps, channels and YouTube placements | Current, at advertiser and line item level |
| Authorized sellers | Excludes inventory from sellers not declared in ads.txt or app-ads.txt | On by default for web, mobile and TV |
| Third-party verification | Pre-bid filtering with a connected verification service | Set on an insertion order's default targeting or a line item; not supported for audio |
Where are brand safety settings applied in DV360?
Google's brand suitability page (opens in a new tab) says advertiser settings apply to all current and future campaigns, insertion orders and line items, and cannot be edited lower down. The 2025 notice says all controls except third-party verification, keyword exclusions and channel or URL exclusions live at the advertiser level only.
| Level | Controls available | What it overrides |
|---|---|---|
| Partner | Blocked channels and the seller ID blocklist | Applies to every advertiser under the partner |
| Advertiser | Inventory modes, themes, types, labels, sensitive categories, keywords, channels and YouTube URLs, deal exemption | Cannot be edited below; inherited by all line items |
| Insertion order | Third-party verification in default targeting, keywords and keyword lists | Insertion order keywords overwrite campaign level keywords |
| Line item | Third-party verification, keywords, up to 4 negative keyword lists, Apps & URLs exclusions | Line item targeting can't be overwritten by YouTube ad group targeting |
| YouTube ad group | Individual keyword exclusions and placements | Cannot widen what the line item excludes |
How do DV360 keyword exclusions work?
Google's keyword targeting page (opens in a new tab) says Display & Video 360 uses Google search technology to check webpage text, app store descriptions and video metadata. Negative keywords cover exact matches but also expand for a broader match, including plurals, canonical forms and synonyms; Google's example is that excluding "women's pants" blocks content about women's jeans. If the context of a site, app or video cannot be determined, it is excluded from line items with keyword exclusions. Google also states that negative keyword targeting isn't intended to be a form of brand safety targeting.
| Item | Documented rule |
|---|---|
| Advertiser level keywords | Up to 1,000 negative keywords, applied to all new and existing line items and ad groups |
| Negative keyword lists | Up to 20 per advertiser, 5,000 keywords per list, up to 4 lists per line item |
| YouTube ad groups | Lists work at line item level only; up to 5,000 individual words per ad group instead |
| Time to take effect | One or more days on an active line item, and one or more days for keywords about new subjects such as recent news |
| Not covered | In-app content, digital out-of-home line items, YouTube in-feed and Shorts ads |
| Programmatic Guaranteed default line items | Google's pages disagree: one says advertiser keyword targeting affects them, another that it is not inherited by them |
How do sensitive category exclusions work in DV360?
Google's sensitive categories page (opens in a new tab) lists categories for display, video and audio line items, including sexual, derogatory, gambling, violence, profanity, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, politics, religion, tragedy, transportation accidents, shocking and sensitive social issues. It names its own limits: ads can still serve near unsafe content when Display & Video 360 receives inaccurate URLs, the language is unsupported, or content changes between bid and serve, and recent news may take several days to be blockable.
Digital content labels work beside the categories. Google's label page (opens in a new tab) says labels are updated monthly, a new site is normally labeled one month later, masked URLs cannot be labeled, and semi-transparent inventory takes the label of its least safe URL. That page lists a DL-Y label; Google's label targeting page (opens in a new tab) does not, and says line items with no label targeting bid on rated and unrated inventory.
Setting categories and labels without starving a line item
- Start from the brief's real risks. Pick the categories the client named, not every category on the list.
- Set them once at the advertiser. Every current and future line item inherits them.
- Decide on Not yet labeled. Excluding it blocks new and masked sites along with risky ones; record the choice and the reason.
- Run the line item reach forecast. Compare reach before and after the exclusions while there is still time to adjust.
- Read Brand Controls after launch. Advertiser settings do not appear inside each line item.
How do DV360 controls apply to YouTube?
YouTube follows different rules in Display & Video 360. Google's 2025 update notice (opens in a new tab) says that from September 2024 digital content labels no longer apply to ads on YouTube in any buying door, while they still apply to the Google Display Network, including apps, and to content suitable for families. From June 2025, new YouTube & partners line items inherit the advertiser's content category, while existing ones keep their own.
| Control | On YouTube | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory modes | Yes, from the advertiser for new line items since June 2025 | Older line items keep their own setting; duplicate them to inherit |
| Digital content labels | No, except content suitable for families | Labels still apply to the Display Network |
| Content theme exclusions | Yes | One page scopes them to YouTube, Demand Gen and Google video partners; the 2025 notice says they will also cover other programmatic inventory |
| Keyword exclusions | Partly | Not supported on in-feed or Shorts ads; Google says a strong match generally blocks a video, not every variant |
| YouTube URL exclusions | Yes, from the advertiser | Up to 65,000 YouTube URLs and 15 YouTube TV channels, not visible in line item details |
| YouTube sponsorships | Most advertiser exclusions bypassed | Limited is adjusted to Moderate; themes, types, keywords and YouTube URLs are bypassed |
The YouTube URL limits and the ad group rule come from Google's YouTube targeting page (opens in a new tab), and the theme scope from its content theme page (opens in a new tab), which disagreed with the 2025 notice when checked; confirm coverage in the account.
What does a DV360 brand safety setup look like on a real brief?
Fictional example
A Michigan funeral and cremation provider sets advertiser controls
A fictional family owned funeral and cremation provider in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan, asks its agency for English display and YouTube ads beside estate planning, caregiving, local community and obituary content. The client does not want to appear beside crime coverage, accident reporting or comedy built on death.
The desk sets Moderate inventory at the advertiser, excludes the News (sensitive) theme and the transportation accidents and shocking categories, and adds an advertiser keyword list of crime and accident terms. It deliberately leaves the tragedy category off, because obituary and memorial pages are part of the plan, and records that choice.
Two private auction deals with regional publishers already apply their own editorial rules, so the desk exempts them. Before launch it checks Brand Controls, confirms the guaranteed deal's default line item shows the keyword exclusions, and runs a reach forecast.
How does PlacementGraph judge suitability before a list reaches DV360?
What should a desk check before a DV360 line item goes live?
Brand safety checks in Display & Video 360
- The advertiser's inventory mode, themes and categories match the client's written tolerance.
- Not yet labeled inventory is included or excluded on purpose, with the reason recorded.
- Any deal exemption is listed by deal, with the client's agreement noted.
- YouTube line items created before June 2025 were checked against the advertiser's inventory mode.
- Advertiser YouTube URL exclusions were confirmed in Brand Controls, since line items do not show them.
- The reach forecast was run after the final exclusions.
For the site lists inside channels, see Display & Video 360 channels; deals and exemptions are covered in Display & Video 360 inventory sources, the Google Ads equivalent in Google Ads digital content labels, and both platforms in the placement targeting hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does exempting a deal from brand suitability remove all protection?
No. Google says a deal exemption only bypasses settings controlled at the advertiser level, not Google's automatic brand safety protections that block harmful content, and not other targeting such as keywords, categories, or app and URL exclusions.
Does Display & Video 360 block unauthorized sellers by default?
Yes. Google's authorized sellers page says Display & Video 360 excludes unauthorized sellers for web, mobile and TV inventory, checking every seller in the SupplyChain object against ads.txt or app-ads.txt. An empty SupplyChain object counts as unauthorized. Buying from publishers with no file is possible at your own risk.
Can brand controls be edited in bulk?
Yes. Google's Brand Controls page, under Resources, offers Line Item Settings (SDF) to download and upload structured data files for bulk edits. The same page shows invalid traffic filtered pre bid for the advertiser.
Why did my YouTube sponsorship serve beside content my advertiser excludes?
Google says YouTube sponsorships booked through Programmatic Guaranteed instant deals bypass most advertiser level exclusions, including themes, content types, keywords and YouTube URLs, and that Limited inventory is adjusted to Moderate. Review the sponsored content directly.
Sources
- Brand suitability (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Coming soon: Updates to Display & Video 360 brand suitability experience (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- View and edit brand controls for your advertiser (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Keyword targeting (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Sensitive categories in Display & Video 360 brand safety targeting (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Digital content labels in Display & Video 360 (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Digital content label targeting (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Targeting for YouTube & partners and Demand Gen line items (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Excluded content themes (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Authorized Digital Sellers (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- About channels (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- Manage your deals (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- About targeting in Display & Video 360 (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
Researched and written by PlacementGraph Research. Read how we research, source and update these pages. Corrections: diana@placementgraph.com.