How To: Avoid Alcohol and Gambling Triggers With New Google Ads Filters

Written by: Rachel Alter

Last Updated: Dec 31, 2020

There is no feeling like enjoying an innocent video on YouTube of cats or babies or even fluffy baby cats, when suddenly, out of nowhere, an ad for a popular beer pops up when you least expect it. Or an ad for an online gambling site starts playing and you can’t skip it for a full, endless, 5 seconds.

Bam. It hits you right in the gut. You couldn’t prepare for it, you didn’t have time to brace yourself, and suddenly you are fighting that feeling again.

You’ve bumped right up into one of your triggers, and the only way to avoid it is to never go on YouTube again. Which is not really all that practical…

That’s why we are so excited about Google’s announcement about their new ad filters. And while the announcement makes clear that these controls are not foolproof, we believe this is a significant step forward into a world that is more conscious of the constant bombardment of triggers it throws in the faces of people in recovery.

There are now two new options in your personal Google ad settings that allow you to choose to see fewer ads from two categories: alcohol and gambling.

Accessing these options is very simple.

First, log into your Google account and navigate to the Ad Settings page. Ad personalization will have to be turned on in order to access the new filters.

Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to the “Ad categories on YouTube” section.

Next, click “See fewer” next to the filter you want to activate.

Next, click “Continue” on the popup

And that’s it, it is that easy!

An easy way to avoid your triggers and get back to the important work of watching those cat videos. Like this one. They’re not going to watch themselves!

Rachel Alter is an addiction recovery marketer and specialist with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. Her expertise in developing effective marketing strategies and creating compelling content has helped numerous individuals and families affected by addiction find their way to recovery. Rachel's compassionate and empathetic approach to her work, combined with her extensive knowledge of addiction recovery, makes her a leading expert in the field.