How do I exclude certain words from generated content?

If you need to prevent specific words or phrases from appearing in your AI-generated content, the right place to configure this is the Overall Instructions field in your template.

Note: Not the negative keywords list. Negative keywords filter out terms from your keyword optimization pipeline. They do not act as a content filter and will not stop a word from appearing in your generated copy. Overall instructions are standing directives that apply to every piece of content generated using that template, and this is where you tell WriteText.ai what language to avoid.

Where to find overall instructions

Overall instructions are set at the top of each template in the Templates section of your platform.writetext.ai account. Any instruction you add there applies to every product or category page generated using that template.

How to write a word exclusion instruction

Keep instructions affirmative and specific. Rather than saying what not to do in vague terms, state a clear rule the AI can follow. The example below is copy-pasteable and can be adapted to your needs.

Sample instruction:

Never use the following words or phrases in any generated content: [term 1], [term 2], [term 3]. Do not use synonyms or close variations of these terms either.

Replace the bracketed placeholders with your actual terms. For broader restrictions, you can also describe the type of language to avoid rather than listing individual words:

Do not use language that implies medical claims, such as "cures," "treats," "clinically proven," or "medically approved." 

When to use word exclusion instructions

Overall instructions are the right tool any time a term must never appear in published copy, regardless of context. Common scenarios include:

Regulated or restricted terminology — Products in health, wellness, supplements, or medical device categories often have legal restrictions on marketing language. Terms like "cures," "treats," or "clinically proven" may be prohibited unless specific conditions are met.

Age-restricted or compliance-sensitive categories — Alcohol, tobacco, and similar categories may require that content avoids language implying suitability for minors or making unsubstantiated claims.

Competitor brand names — If competitor names surface through contextual association, an instruction in your template ensures they won't appear in copy even if they weren't caught at the keyword level.

Brand voice restrictions — A premium brand may want to avoid words like "cheap," "budget," or "affordable." A professional services brand might restrict casual or informal language.

Overused filler phrases — Terms like "best in class," "cutting edge," or "state of the art" can dilute content quality. A standing instruction to avoid them keeps output sharper across the board.

Discontinued products or retired brand names — If your store no longer carries a brand or line, prevent those names from surfacing through contextual association in new content.

Regionally sensitive language — For stores operating across multiple markets, some terms that are neutral in one language or region carry unintended connotations in another.

Using word exclusion alongside negative keywords

These two features solve different problems and work best together.

Use negative keywords to keep your keyword pipeline clean — if a term would attract irrelevant traffic or undermine your ranking strategy, exclude it at the keyword level.

Use overall instructions to set content boundaries — if a term must never appear in your published copy, add it as a standing instruction in your template.

For more on what negative keywords do and don't control, see What are negative keywords in WriteText.ai?