How to use keyword filters in Facebook groups (inclusion & exclusion)?

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Quick summary: Keyword filters allow targeting specific members of a Facebook group according to information visible under their name (profession, city, description). You create reusable keyword groups with positive keywords (inclusion) and negative keywords (exclusion).

What are keyword filters for?

Keywords allow precisely targeting certain members of a Facebook group from information visible in the member list.

Targetable information

Keywords match on:

• Member's first and last name
• 1-2 lines under name which often contain:
• Profession (e.g., "Personal development coach")
• City (e.g., "Paris, France")
• Short description (e.g., "Entrepreneur • CEO")
• Current position (e.g., "Founder at StartupXYZ")

How to create a keyword group?

Step 1: Access library

1. In your Novalya space (app.novalya.com)
2. Go to Library (left menu)
3. Click Keywords
4. Click Create new (blue button top right)

Step 2: Configure keyword group

A window opens with 3 fields:

1. Your keywords name

• Give descriptive name to group
• E.g., "CEO — Entrepreneurs", "Coaches", "Paris Real Estate"

2. Positive keywords

• Add terms to include
• Keywords appear in green

3. Negative keywords

• Add terms to exclude
• Keywords appear in red

Step 3: Save

• Click Submit
• Keyword group is saved in your library

How to enter keywords?

Entry methods

You can add a keyword in 2 ways:

• Type word then press Enter
• Or separate with a comma

Entry example:

coach, consultant, trainer

Result: 3 distinct keywords created

Visual validation

A keyword is validated when it becomes:

• Green chip (positive keywords)
• Red chip (negative keywords)

Positive keywords (inclusion)

Positive keywords are used to include members who contain these terms in their visible information.

How it works

Example:

• Positive keyword: coach
• Result: Includes "Personal dev coach", "Sports coach", "Life Coach"

Case insensitivity

Keywords are case insensitive:

• Coach = coach = COACH = CoAcH

Variants and synonyms

Recommendation: Add common variants

Example to target entrepreneurs:

Positive: entrepreneur, CEO, founder, 
co-founder, business owner, director

Negative keywords (exclusion)

Negative keywords are used to exclude members containing certain terms.

How it works

Example:

• Positive: coach
• Negative: personal dev, student
• Result: Includes "Sports coach" but excludes "Personal dev coach" and "Coaching student"

Use cases

Exclude irrelevant sectors:

Positive: consultant
Negative: IT, computer, developer

Exclude statuses:

Positive: entrepreneur
Negative: student, intern, retired

Exclude specific competitors:

Negative: CompanyNameA, CompanyNameB

Best practices (very important)

1. Copy actual terms from Facebook

Method:

1. Go to Facebook group
2. Check member list
3. Copy exactly terms visible under names
4. Paste into your Novalya keywords

Why:

• Avoids terms that match nothing
• Guarantees correct targeting
• Reduces configuration errors

2. Targeting balance

Recommended approach:

• Start with 3-5 positive keywords
• Add 1-2 negative keywords if needed
• Test on small volume
• Adjust based on results

3. Test before mass launch

• Configure your keywords
• Launch test campaign (10-20 messages)
• Verify targeted profiles match well
• Adjust if needed

Using keyword group in campaign

At launch time

1. Configure your Facebook campaign (imported group)
2. At Filters step
3. Select keyword group created in your library
4. Continue configuration

Reusability

Keyword groups are reusable:

• Create once
• Use on multiple campaigns
• Modify anytime in library

What happens if it's too restrictive?

If your filters are too strict, Novalya may find very few eligible profiles (or none).

Symptoms

• Campaign finding no profiles
• Campaign stopping immediately
• Volume of sent messages = 0

Solutions

1. Reduce number of negative keywords
2. Simplify positive keywords (more generic terms)
3. Verify terms actually exist in Facebook
4. Test with single positive keyword first

Concrete examples

Example 1: Target coaches (simple)

Keyword group: "Coaches"

• Positive: coach, coaching
• Negative: none

Result: All members with "coach" or "coaching" in their info

Example 2: Exclude sector (intermediate)

Keyword group: "Coaches except personal dev"

• Positive: coach, coaching
• Negative: personal development, personal dev

Result: Coaches EXCEPT personal development ones

Example 3: Precise multi-criteria targeting (advanced)

Keyword group: "Tech entrepreneurs Paris"

• Positive: entrepreneur, CEO, founder, startup, tech, Paris
• Negative: student, intern, retired

Result: Tech entrepreneurs in Paris, excluding students/interns

Example 4: Real estate (specific sector)

Keyword group: "Real estate agents"

• Positive: real estate agent, real estate, realtor, negotiator
• Negative: student, assistant

Result: Active real estate professionals

FAQ

Do keywords work on complete profile information?

No. Keywords only match information visible in group member list (name + 1-2 lines under name). They don't scan complete profile.

Can I use multi-word expressions?

Yes. Example: business owner is valid keyword (counts as 1 single term).

Is there accent sensitivity?

Keywords are generally tolerant, but to maximize results, include variants:

• entrepreneur AND entrepreneur (if accent variants possible)

How many keywords can I add?

There's no technical limit, but we recommend:

• 3-10 positive keywords maximum
• 0-5 negative keywords maximum
• More you add, more restrictive targeting becomes

Can I modify keyword group after using in campaign?

Yes. Modifications apply to future campaigns. Already launched campaigns keep original configuration.

Need help?

If you have questions about keyword configuration:

• Ticket Center: Available from your Novalya space
• Email: support@novalya.com

We typically respond within 2 hours during business days.

Updated on: 27/03/2026