How many keywords does Amazon allow? Seven. KDP’s help page says to “use up to seven keywords or short phrases”, one per box, and to keep an eye on the character limit shown in each box. I read that page on 24 September 2026: Make Your Book More Discoverable with Keywords.
Paste your title and your seven boxes below. The checker tests each box against the rules on that KDP page and flags the words you are wasting. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Checks your seven KDP keyword boxes against Amazon's own keyword rules. The boxes are filled with an example book so you can see what it does; replace them with yours.
What the checker tests, and where each rule comes from
Every rule below is from KDP’s own keyword help page or its metadata guidelines, both read on 24 September 2026, except the one I have marked as my own advice.
| The checker flags | Why |
|---|---|
| Words already in your title, subtitle, series or author name | KDP lists information already in your title, contributors or categories as something to avoid. Amazon already searches those fields, so repeating them wastes a box. |
| “best”, “greatest”, “must read” | KDP: avoid subjective quality claims. |
| “bestselling”, “#1” | KDP’s metadata guidelines ban references to sales rank. |
| “free” | KDP bans advertisements and promotions in keywords. |
| “new”, “on sale”, “available now” | KDP: avoid time-sensitive statements. |
| “book”, “ebook”, “kindle” | KDP: avoid terms common to most items in the category. |
| “Kindle Unlimited”, “KDP Select” | Named by KDP as keywords not to use. |
| Quotation marks | KDP says to leave them out; they narrow the search. |
| HTML tags | Banned. |
| Single words | KDP recommends phrases of two to three words. |
| A word repeated across boxes | My advice, not an Amazon rule. A repeat does not buy you a new search. |
What I could not verify
- The exact character limit per box. KDP’s help page says to watch “the character limit in the text field” and does not print the number. The checker shows how long each of yours is; the KDP form itself will stop you if you go over.
- How many people search a phrase. Amazon does not publish search volumes. KDP’s own advice is to type a phrase into Amazon’s search box and look at the suggestions it offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many keywords does Amazon allow for a book?
Seven. KDP gives you seven boxes and says to use “up to seven keywords or short phrases”.
Should I put commas between keywords in one box?
KDP’s help page does not ask for commas. It says a keyword can be a word or a phrase, and recommends phrases of two to three words, one per box.
Can I use another author’s name as a keyword?
No. KDP’s metadata guidelines ban keywords that refer to other authors or their books, and its keyword page lists unauthorised author names as misleading.
Should I repeat words from my title in my keywords?
No. KDP says to avoid information already in your title and contributor fields. Amazon searches those anyway, so a repeat wastes one of your seven boxes.
Can I change my KDP keywords after publishing?
Yes. KDP explains how on its page How do I add or change my keywords?
Related
- How to choose KDP keywords, the longer guide with a method for finding phrases
- Amazon book categories
- How to write a book description that sells
- My Sell More Books course covers keywords, categories and ads in one place.
