2026-06-10 · all guides

KDP Keywords Guide: How to Fill All 7 Slots the Right Way

The raw numbers: 7 slots, 50 characters each

When you publish on KDP, the metadata form gives you exactly seven keyword fields, and each field accepts up to 50 characters. That is 350 characters of search indexing that you control directly, separate from your title, subtitle, and categories. Amazon matches shopper searches against these fields, so a book with empty or half-filled slots is competing with one hand tied behind its back. There is no penalty for using all seven, and no benefit to leaving any blank.

Each slot is a phrase field, not a single-word field. You do not need commas, quotation marks, or repetition of the same word in different forms. Amazon indexes the words within a slot in any order, so a slot containing a natural phrase like sourdough baking for beginners can match searches for beginner sourdough, sourdough for beginners, and baking sourdough. Think of each slot as a small bag of related words rather than an exact-match string.

Do not repeat words that are already indexed

The most common mistake is burning slots on words Amazon already knows. Your title, subtitle, and category names are indexed automatically. If your book is called Sourdough for Beginners, putting sourdough or beginners into a keyword slot adds nothing; the search engine already associates those words with your listing. Repeating them just spends characters you could have used on new terms like no-knead bread, starter maintenance, or artisan loaves at home.

A practical workflow: write your title and subtitle first, list every meaningful word in them, then brainstorm 30 to 40 search phrases a buyer might type and delete every phrase already covered. What survives is your keyword pool. Group related survivors into seven themed slots, packing each toward the 50-character limit. Seven slots times 50 characters sounds small until you realize almost every word can be unique, giving you 40-plus distinct indexed terms.

The banned terms that can get metadata rejected

Amazon publishes a list of keyword types that violate its metadata policy, and the big three catch beginners constantly. First, the word free is prohibited in keywords, along with other time-sensitive or promotional claims like on sale or discounted. Second, subjective quality claims are banned, and that includes the word bestseller; you cannot claim a sales rank in metadata, even if the book genuinely charted. Third, you cannot use brand names or competitor names that have nothing to do with your content, so putting a famous author in your keywords to ride their search traffic is a policy violation.

Enforcement is real: metadata violations can get a book blocked from sale or force a re-review, and repeat offenses put your whole account at risk. The safe rule is that every keyword should honestly describe what is inside the book. Descriptive phrases about topic, audience, format, and setting are always fine; claims about popularity, price, or other brands are not.

What actually belongs in the seven slots

A framework that fills the slots quickly: one slot for the core topic phrased differently than your title, one for the target audience, one for the problem the book solves, one for the outcome or benefit, one for the format or approach, and two for adjacent topics buyers also search. For a budgeting book titled Money Reset, that might yield slots like personal finance for young adults, get out of debt fast, paycheck to paycheck help, simple budgeting method, financial planning workbook, saving money habits, and frugal living tips.

If assembling these by hand feels tedious, tooling can do the first draft. ebookdone generates a KDP metadata pack with every book it creates — seven ready-to-paste keyword strings, category suggestions, and a formatted description — as part of the flat 9 dollar price, and you can start a book at /new. Whether you draft keywords by hand or from a generated pack, revisit them every few months: keywords are editable after publishing, and swapping underperformers is free.

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