For authors in KDP title setup
KDP Keyword Generator for All Seven Boxes
Paste your book description. Get seven phrases a reader might type, each counted against the box limit, minus the words KDP says to avoid.
Free to start. No card needed.
Keywords · The Sugarhouse Verdict
- Box 1vermont amateur sleuth22/50
- Box 2retired librarian detective27/50
- Box 3maple festival murder21/50
- Box 4clean read no swearing22/50
What you'll get
Seven KDP keyword boxes, each counted and checked against the rules
- Seven short keyword phrases, ready to paste into KDP
- A character count for every box, like 31/50
- A list of words left out, and why
Before and after
Your description in. Seven boxes out.
The Sugarhouse Verdict. When the judge of the Halden Maple Festival is found face down in a sugaring vat, the village blames the newcomer who beat him in last year's contest. Retired school librarian Agnes Pike knows better. Armed with forty years of overdue-book detective work, a nosy tabby named Dewey, and the best gossip network in Vermont, Agnes starts asking the questions the state police won't. But every family in Halden has a secret buried under the snow. A clean, cozy whodunit with no swearing and no gore. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.
1. vermont amateur sleuth (22/50) 2. retired librarian detective (27/50) 3. maple festival murder (21/50) 4. clean read no swearing (22/50) 5. small village family secrets (28/50) 6. older heroine with cat (22/50) 7. fair play whodunit puzzle (25/50) Left out on purpose: sugarhouse and verdict are in your title. Cozy and mystery are in your categories. Agatha Christie is out because KDP prohibits other authors' names.
Every box adds something your title and categories don't already say.
Why it works
How do KDP keywords work?
KDP lets you add up to seven keywords or short phrases to each book, and River's KDP keyword generator fills all seven from your book description. KDP suggests short phrases about your setting, characters, themes and tone. Its metadata guidelines prohibit other authors' names, claims like bestselling and promotional words like free. Each box comes back counted and ready to paste. No description yet? Write it first with the book blurb and Amazon description generator.
Each box holds 50 characters, as Kindlepreneur's guide to the seven keywords notes; KDP's own keyword help page only says to watch the limit in the text field. Every box shows its count, like 31/50, and reads the way people type, such as clean small town romance, not a list of loose words. River also leaves out words already in your title, subtitle, author name or categories, because KDP lists those among keywords to avoid, and it shows you what it skipped.
River doesn't claim search volumes or rankings, because it has no access to Amazon's search data. For keyword research built on Amazon data, Publisher Rocket is a paid option. River follows KDP's own advice instead: think like a reader, and test each phrase in Amazon's search bar. Already published? KDP lets you change keywords any time, so paste your description to refresh them, or build the whole listing with Publish a Book on Amazon.
What lands in your doc
What lands in your keyword doc
- Seven numbered keyword boxes, each a short phrase of two to four words, in reader order
- A character count on every box, kept within the 50 characters the form allows
- One line per box naming the part of your book it reflects, such as setting
- A left-out list showing words skipped because your title, categories or KDP's rules cover them
- Plain lowercase phrases with no quotation marks or comma lists, ready to paste as they are
- A short test, from KDP's own advice, for trying each phrase in Amazon's search bar
How it works
From description to seven boxes
Paste your description
Paste your book description and title, or drop in the manuscript if you have no description yet.
River maps your book
It finds the setting, character types, roles, themes and tone KDP names as useful keyword types.
Get seven boxes
Seven counted phrases land in your doc, with a reason for each and a left-out list.
Paste into KDP
Open your book's details on your Bookshelf, paste one phrase per box, and save.
What KDP asks for, and what it rules out
KDP's help page names five useful kinds of keywords. They are setting, such as Colonial America, and character types, such as single dad. Then come character roles, such as strong female lead, plot themes, such as coming of age, and story tone, such as feel-good. River aims one box at each type your book supports, then uses the rest for your subgenre or a reader promise like slow burn or found family. Specific beats general: for a national parks guide, KDP's keyword example favors Yellowstone and Grand Teton over Parks.
KDP's list of keywords to avoid goes well beyond author names. It includes subjective claims like best novel ever and time-sensitive words like new or on sale. It also rules out words common to the whole category such as book, misspellings, quotation marks, and program names like Kindle Unlimited. Its metadata guidelines also prohibit other authors, books by other authors, sales rank claims and promotions. River checks every box against both lists and names anything it dropped.
Order matters too. KDP points out that readers search for military science fiction, not fiction science military, so each box reads the way a person would type it. Skip quotation marks. KDP's own example is to enter words like complex suspenseful whodunit without quotes, so shoppers can find you with any of them. Don't spend a box on a plural or a respelling of a word you've already used, which KDP also lists to avoid. Need back cover copy and an ad hook too? The book blurb generator writes both, plus your Amazon description.
Questions authors ask
Common questions
What are KDP keywords?
They are up to seven words or short phrases you add to each format of your book in KDP, so shoppers can find it when they search Amazon. KDP suggests thinking like a reader, putting words in a natural order, and searching your keywords before you publish. (KDP help)
How many characters fit in each KDP keyword box?
KDP's help page tells you to keep an eye on the character limit in the text field, but it doesn't name the number. River works to the 50 characters the KDP form allows, as author tools report it, spaces included, and shows a count on every box so nothing gets cut off. (Kindlepreneur's keyword guide)
Should my keywords repeat words from my title or categories?
No. KDP's list of keywords to avoid starts with information already in your book's details, such as the title and contributors, and words already in your categories. River leaves those words out and lists the ones it skipped, so every box gives readers a new way to find your book. (KDP help)
Can I use another author's name or a famous book as a keyword?
No. KDP's metadata guidelines prohibit keywords that reference other authors or books by other authors, and KDP says it does not tolerate keywords that mislead or manipulate customers. Reach readers of similar books through your categories, description and ads instead. If your text names a comparable author, River lists it under left out. (KDP guidelines)
Should I use single words, phrases, or commas?
Use short phrases in the order readers type them, such as military science fiction, KDP's own example. River writes two to four words per box, lowercase, with no commas. Skip quotation marks: KDP suggests entering words like complex suspenseful whodunit without quotes, so shoppers can find you with any of them.
Can I change my KDP keywords after publishing?
Yes. KDP says you can change keywords and descriptions as often as you like by editing your book's details on your Bookshelf. Keyword updates on a published book appear within 72 hours. Keep the same keywords across your eBook, paperback and hardcover, as KDP recommends. (KDP timelines)
Does the KDP keyword generator show search volume?
No. River has no access to Amazon's search volumes, so it never claims volumes, rankings or sales effects. It follows KDP's advice instead: type each phrase into Amazon's search bar and look at the suggestions that drop down. If results look unrelated, ask River for alternates to swap in. A sharper description gives sharper phrases, and the book blurb and Amazon description generator writes one.
Your next step
More for your book
Fill the seven boxes with confidence
Paste your description and get phrases drawn from your book, each one counted and checked.