Match Types and Broad Modifiers

Overview

Match Types determine how Trellis interprets customer search queries in Amazon’s auction.
Choosing the right mix helps balance reach and relevance, while Trellis’s Tunneling system ensures your campaigns stay organized and data remains clean.

You’ll find these options in Advanced Settings → Match Type and Broad Modifier.

How Trellis Uses Match Type Tunneling

Trellis automatically applies a structure called Tunneling — separating each match type into its own ad group and negating the appropriate match types in other ad groups.

This ensures:

No overlap between match types (e.g., Broad traffic won’t compete with Exact).
Faster learning, since each match type’s performance is evaluated independently.

In practice, Trellis “funnels” performance towards Exact:

Broad Match captures new search terms.
High-performing terms are promoted to Phrase Match for testing.
Proven winners are locked into Exact Match campaigns for precise control.
As keywords are promoted, Trellis automatically negates the match types in Phrase and/or Broad to ensure that there is no internal competition.

💡 This structure lets Trellis optimize each keyword stage with clarity — minimizing wasted spend and improving automation accuracy.

Match Type Options

Match Type	Description	Example
Exact Match	Ads only show when a shopper’s search matches your keyword exactly (or very close variants like plural forms).	Keyword: “running shoes” → Ads appear for “running shoe” but not “best running shoes.”
Phrase Match	Ads show when the shopper’s query includes your keyword phrase in order, even with words before or after.	Keyword: “running shoes” → Ads appear for “best running shoes for women.”
Broad Match	Ads show for related terms, synonyms, or variations of your keyword. This gives wider exposure but can be less targeted.	Keyword: “running shoes” → Ads appear for “jogging sneakers” or “athletic footwear.”

Broad Match Modifier

Broad Match Modifier (BMM) gives you more control over Broad Match targeting.

When enabled, Trellis ensures that all words marked in your keyword appear in the shopper’s query — in any order — while still allowing some flexibility.

Example:

Keyword: “women’s hats”
Broad Match might trigger “ladies caps.”
Broad Match Modifier will only trigger “hats for women” or “buy women’s hats,” keeping results more relevant.

Best Practices

Use Broad or Phrase Match early for keyword discovery.
Use Exact Match for high-performing, conversion-focused terms.
Let Trellis’s Tunneling structure handle promotion between match types — no manual duplication needed.
Regularly review your Search Term Report to see what’s being harvested and promoted.
Combine with Auto Campaigns for continuous keyword learning.

💡 Tip: Broad Match Modifier offers the best of both worlds — flexibility like Broad Match with the control of Phrase Match. Trellis automatically manages overlap through Tunneling, so your campaigns stay clean and effective.