Decision scope

Decision scope is the answer to one question: when this decision was made, whose evidence was it allowed to read?

The rules that create or remove negatives — negation, unnegation and the word rule — offer two settings. (The Import rule also reads search terms, but is bounded by its search terms source rather than by a scope setting.)

Individual ASIN

The default. The decision reads only the evidence belonging to the selected ASIN.

Use it when the product has its own keyword set and its own shopper, and when evidence from related products would be misleading rather than helpful.

Product Group

The decision reads the selected ASIN plus the remaining Product Group, aggregated into one context.

Use it when:

• the ASINs are variants of one product — differing by colour, size, material, style, quantity or anything else — and share a keyword set;
• a single ASIN does not generate enough query volume to settle a question;
• you are deciding whether a previously negated term deserves another look.

What stays the same either way

Scope changes the evidence, not the action. A negative created by a rule reading at Product Group scope is still created only in the ad group that rule is assigned to. Widening the scope never widens the blast radius of the change.

Individual ASIN scope Selected ASIN Rest of group — not read Thin evidence Not enough to settle the question

Product Group scope Selected ASIN + remaining group, as ONE context Denser evidence Enough to reach a decision

Either way, the change is written in one place The assigned ad group only Scope widens the evidence, never the action.

The remaining ASINs are always aggregated into a single context. Vendlen does not compare siblings one against another.

Where you will see it

• On an Automation rule that reads search terms, including negation and unnegation.
• On a Decision Brief, where the scope the brief applied to is stated as part of the brief.

Choosing between them

Ask what would make you change your mind. If evidence from a sibling ASIN would legitimately change your decision about this one, use Product Group scope. If it would not, use Individual ASIN and keep the evidence narrow.