If you like running on the Google Display Network but are loathe to have your ads running inside apps, there is good news.   Google has a feature that allows advertisers to prevent their ads from being shown in apps, or from being shown in specific apps, a feature that has been available for some time, although is still considered to be “in beta“.

Advertisers who allow their ads to be displayed in apps get nervous when they hear about games like Flappy Bird earning $50,000 per day, wondering just how much of those ads were clicked on by accident from overzealous screen tapping.

And while there is definite value in app advertising, especially for local businesses whose ads might be displayed in local related apps, or businesses that convert mobile traffic regularly, the fear of campaign costs being lost through accidental clicking is stopping many advertisers from advertising on display at all.

Here is how you can prevent your ads from being displayed in all apps, or just in specific apps you find aren’t converting for you.

Prevent Ads in All Apps

To prevent your ads from being shown in all apps, go to the Display Network tab, find the “Exclusions” at the bottom, click on the “Placements” tab, click “Add exclusions” for either ad group level or campaign level and paste “adsenseformobileapps.com”.

If you don’t mind your ad appearing in apps, but want to restrict it from being displayed in specific apps (such as apps that have a high likelihood of accidental ad misclicks), you can do this for both iOS apps and Android apps.

Preventing Ads In Specific iOS Apps

For iOS, you need to get the App Store (iTunes) ID number, then exclude idnumber.adsenseformobileapps.com.

For example, if you want to exclude the iOS version of Instagram, we have highlighted the ID number of the URL https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2 so you would exclude “389801252.adsenseformobileapps.com”

Preventing Ads In Specific Android Apps

For Android, you will need to get the package name from the Google Play URL of the app, then exclude packagename.adsenseformobileapps.com

For example, if you wanted to exclude the Android Instagram App, we have highlighted the package name part of the URL https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android&hl=en so you would exclude “com.instagram.android.adsenseformobileapps.com”

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

If you are a local business, be wary of preventing your ads from being displayed in all apps.  There are many social and local related apps where it is a benefit for you to have your ads shown, as it can drive more business to your traffic.  That said, the person who is playing Flappy Birds in bed at 2am might not be the best target for your local business ad, but having it displayed in a local app that is popular in your community would be a good idea.

Check your ROI for specific apps, keep the ones that are converting and block the ones that don’t.  Or if your ROI for all apps is pretty terrible, then definitely disable your ads from being displayed in all of them.