🚫 How to Add Exclusions and Negative Targeting Instructions
Use negative targeting instructions to tell PodPitch which subjects, audiences, industries, or opportunity types should not be recommended.
They belong with targeting, not inside Categories and not inside email-writing instructions.
Where exclusions belong
Open the OmniCampaign, select the relevant media channel, and add exclusions to the Matching Tip, Smart Filtering instructions, or campaign targeting brief shown for that channel.
Use:
- Profile bio for accurate, durable information about the person or brand
- Topics or Categories for subjects you actively want
- Matching Tip or Smart Filtering instructions for what a good match looks like and what should be avoided
- Writing instructions only for tone, message structure, facts, links, and how the pitch should be written
Do not paste “do not include” sentences into the Categories field. Categories are positive targeting signals.
Write exclusions as complete instructions
A disconnected list such as “sports, lifestyle, psychology” does not explain the boundary clearly.
Write a complete instruction that includes the desired context:
Prioritize B2B leadership, revenue, and founder podcasts. Avoid sports, consumer lifestyle, dating, and general psychology shows unless the episode is specifically about workplace performance.
Other examples:
Avoid podcasts that do not interview guests or only accept paid placements.
Do not match consumer real-estate shows. The campaign is for commercial property investors and developers.
Exclude general wellness content. Include healthcare leadership only when the audience is executives, clinic owners, or medical founders.
Keep the profile bio aligned
Smart Fit uses both the profile bio and the Matching Tip. If the bio strongly emphasizes a subject you want excluded, the system may still find media about that subject.
Edit the bio so the primary expertise and intended story angles are clear. Do not try to correct a misleading bio with an ever-growing exclusion list.
Keep campaign-specific boundaries with the campaign
Use campaign targeting instructions for exclusions that apply only to one strategy.
For example, a founder may be suitable for both entrepreneurship and mental-health interviews, but a particular campaign may focus only on B2B growth. Put that campaign boundary in its targeting guidance rather than removing valid expertise from the shared profile.
Negative instructions are not structured filters
A written exclusion helps Smart Fit judge relevance. It is not a replacement for a hard filter such as:
- Estimated listener or audience range
- Match by Total Audience Reach
- Country-level podcast location
- An exclusion or block control available in the campaign
Use the structured control when one exists, then use written guidance for nuance.
Reinforce the instruction with ratings
When a poor match appears:
- Rate the match.
- Choose the reason that best explains the problem.
- Add a specific written explanation when useful.
For example, choose Wrong audience and explain: “The show is for individual consumers; this campaign targets B2B revenue leaders.”
Ratings and their reasons feed future matching. A submitted user rating takes priority over the machine's score.
Skipping or vetoing removes the target from the campaign. Use ratings with reasons when you also want to teach future matching.
Avoid these common mistakes
- Putting exclusions in Categories
- Adding targeting rules to email-writing instructions
- Using only one-word negatives
- Excluding a broad subject without explaining the acceptable exception
- Expecting written instructions to create a city, state, or episode-count filter
- Combining so many exclusions that no reasonable inventory remains
Save and review
After saving the new guidance, review the next group of matches before enabling automated outreach. If a saved hard filter is being ignored, contact support with the campaign name and examples.
Updated on: 25/08/2026
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