How many keywords does KDP allow?

Seven boxes, each up to 50 characters. Amazon treats each box as a phrase, so the practical limit is seven phrases of two to five words. Filling a box with a comma-separated list is allowed but wastes the phrase matching, and spaces between words already act as separators.

Should I repeat words from my title in the keywords?

No. Amazon already indexes your title, subtitle, series name and description, so repeating them in the backend boxes adds nothing. Use the boxes for the searches your title does not cover: the reader's problem in their words, adjacent topics, the format (workbook, journal, short read), and the audience.

How do I pick Amazon categories?

You choose up to three at setup and can request more through KDP support. Pick the most specific path your book genuinely belongs in: specific categories have fewer books, so a bestseller badge is reachable, and the shoppers browsing them are closer to buying. Confirm each path exists in the current Books store before you submit.

Is this KDP keyword generator free?

Yes. You get a few free generations with no account; a free Built&Written account lifts the limit. There is a quick invisible bot check before each generation, which is what keeps it free for real authors.

Can I use competitor titles or author names as keywords?

No. Amazon's metadata guidelines prohibit names of other authors, other books, brands and trademarked terms, as well as claims like "free" or "bestselling". Listings that break the rule can be suppressed. Target the reader's search instead of a competitor's name.

How do I know if a keyword is any good?

Type it into Amazon's search bar and look at the results and the autocomplete suggestions. If books like yours appear, readers use that phrase and it will bring the right shoppers. If nothing relevant appears, nobody searches it. If the results are a different product entirely, the phrase means something else to Amazon.

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KDP Keywords Generator

Amazon gives you seven keyword boxes and most authors leave them half empty. Describe your book and get seven phrases readers actually type, three category paths, and the search phrases to use in your description.

Book title (optional)

What is your book about, and for whom?

Reader (optional)

Free — a few generations, then sign in for more.

AI-generated suggestions to start from. Search each phrase on Amazon and keep the ones that surface books like yours.

How to choose your KDP keywords

1
Describe the book and the reader
Say what the book does for whom. The phrases come from the reader's problem and outcome, not from the title, which Amazon already indexes on its own.
2
Complete the quick check
Pass the invisible bot check. It keeps the tool free by stopping automated abuse.
3
Generate and test on Amazon
Type each phrase into the Amazon search bar. If the results are books like yours, keep it. If they are a different product or nothing, replace it.
4
Paste into the seven boxes
Each keyword box takes up to 50 characters, so one phrase per box, no commas, no quotation marks. Set your categories in the same screen.

What makes a KDP keyword work

Backend keywords are how Amazon connects a search to your book when the words are not in the title or description. Good ones share a few traits.

Phrases, not words. "leadership" competes with a million books; "first time manager guide" competes with a few hundred and matches intent.
Different angles per box. One for the problem, one for the outcome, one for the reader, one for the method, one for the format. Seven variations of the same phrase waste six boxes.
Nothing already in the title. Amazon indexes the title, subtitle and description. Backend keywords should add what those do not say.
No names you do not own. Competitor titles, author names and brand names break Amazon's rules and can get the listing suppressed.

Frequently asked questions

How many keywords does KDP allow?: Seven boxes, each up to 50 characters. Amazon treats each box as a phrase, so the practical limit is seven phrases of two to five words. Filling a box with a comma-separated list is allowed but wastes the phrase matching, and spaces between words already act as separators.
Should I repeat words from my title in the keywords?: No. Amazon already indexes your title, subtitle, series name and description, so repeating them in the backend boxes adds nothing. Use the boxes for the searches your title does not cover: the reader's problem in their words, adjacent topics, the format (workbook, journal, short read), and the audience.
How do I pick Amazon categories?: You choose up to three at setup and can request more through KDP support. Pick the most specific path your book genuinely belongs in: specific categories have fewer books, so a bestseller badge is reachable, and the shoppers browsing them are closer to buying. Confirm each path exists in the current Books store before you submit.
Is this KDP keyword generator free?: Yes. You get a few free generations with no account; a free Built&Written account lifts the limit. There is a quick invisible bot check before each generation, which is what keeps it free for real authors.
Can I use competitor titles or author names as keywords?: No. Amazon's metadata guidelines prohibit names of other authors, other books, brands and trademarked terms, as well as claims like "free" or "bestselling". Listings that break the rule can be suppressed. Target the reader's search instead of a competitor's name.
How do I know if a keyword is any good?: Type it into Amazon's search bar and look at the results and the autocomplete suggestions. If books like yours appear, readers use that phrase and it will bring the right shoppers. If nothing relevant appears, nobody searches it. If the results are a different product entirely, the phrase means something else to Amazon.

AI-generated suggestions to start from, not final metadata. Test every phrase in Amazon search and confirm category paths in the Books store. Last updated: September 3, 2026.