ExKey

Inspiration

The inspiration came from a recurring challenge I faced in my day-to-day advertising work — the tedious, manual process of managing negative keywords. I wanted to solve a problem I personally experienced.

What it does

ExKey uses the Google Place API and Google Ads API to automatically extract potential negative keywords with a single click. It simplifies and automates the search term analysis process so advertisers can focus more on strategy and creativity.

How we built it

I built the app using Bolt while brainstorming and prototyping ideas with ChatGPT. Whenever I ran into issues or didn’t know what to do, I used GPT, Bolt, or Gemini to find solutions. The development process was mostly no-code/low-code.

Challenges we ran into

Since I had no prior experience with app development, I didn’t know where to start. Debugging errors was particularly difficult because I didn’t know how to identify or resolve them. It required a lot of persistence and self-guided learning.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I was able to turn a real-world problem into a working prototype that simplifies a common advertising task. It gave me the confidence that with the right tools and mindset, even someone without deep technical knowledge can build something useful.

What we learned

Understanding programming languages isn’t enough — it’s equally important to live with curiosity and constantly ask, “How could this be better?”
With AI making development easier, imagination and problem awareness have become more essential than ever.

What's next for ExKey

The next step is to improve the matching accuracy with user-uploaded search term reports and expand compatibility with more ad platforms. We aim to evolve ExKey into a practical, real-world tool by conducting more user interviews and refining based on feedback.

Built With

• googleadsapi
• googleplaceapi
• react