Amazon Search Terms Byte Counter
Amazon's Search Terms field (backend keywords) holds 249 bytes. Amazon does not count spaces or punctuation. Go over and Amazon ignores the whole field. Paste your search terms to see the byte count Amazon describes, the words it prohibits, and a cleaned copy.
Search terms are one field. Who's checking the rest?
OptimalCentral scores your full listing (title, bullets, keywords, images, intent match, AI-search readiness) and returns a prioritized fix list. On the Brand plan, with your account connected, its optimizing agent, Ossy, keeps working for you around the clock. Free 14-day trial, no card required.
Start free trial →How Amazon counts the 249 bytes
- Bytes, not characters. a–z, A–Z and 0–9 are 1 byte each. Accented letters such as ä take 2 or more.
- Spaces and punctuation don't count. Amazon's help page says search does not count them toward the length.
- Over the limit, the whole field is ignored. Amazon does not index the first 249 bytes and drop the rest. Other keyword attributes are cut at their limit instead.
- Seller Central stops accepting input at the byte limit. Amazon does not say whether that field counter skips spaces. The second number above counts everything. Stay under 249 on both and neither reading puts you over.
This counter measures UTF-8 bytes: ä is 2, most Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters are 3, emoji are 4. Amazon does not name its encoding.
Amazon's search terms rules
From Amazon's Use search terms effectively page in Seller Central.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Stay within the length limit | Repeat words |
| Use synonyms and abbreviations | Include common misspellings |
| Use spelling variations | Use punctuation (semicolons, colons, dashes) |
| Use all lowercase | Add short words: a, an, and, by, for, of, the, with |
| Separate words with spaces | Use both singular and plural of a word |
Prohibited: can suppress the ASIN
- your brand or any other brand name
- ASINs
- profanity and offensive terms
- temporary statements: "new", "on sale", "limited time", "today"
- subjective claims: "best", "cheapest", "amazing", "popular"
The checker flags ASINs and the temporary and subjective words from Amazon's examples. It can't recognize brand names. Check those by hand.
Where to enter search terms
Seller Central → Manage Products → select the product → Fix → Edit → Product details tab → Generic keyword field. Since December 6, 2023 the field is required for 23 product types, including board games, blankets, balloons and bedding sets.
Amazon decides which supplied terms are relevant and may not use all of them. Terms that break the rules above can be dropped.
What to put in the field
Words shoppers search for that your title and bullets don't already contain: synonyms, abbreviations, spelling variants, use cases. Paste your title and bullets into the second box to find overlaps. The full method is in our Amazon backend keywords guide. For how this field differs from the Brand Analytics and Ads search term reports, see Amazon search terms explained.
Title next? Use the Amazon title character counter (75-character limit). All free tools: OptimalCentral free Amazon seller tools.
Frequently asked questions
How many bytes is the Amazon Search Terms field?
249. Amazon lists the Search Terms attribute (generic_keywords) at 249 bytes.
Do spaces and punctuation count toward the 249 bytes?
No. Amazon search does not count them. Separate words with single spaces; skip punctuation.
What happens if search terms go over 249 bytes?
Amazon ignores the whole field, not only the overflow. Other keyword attributes are cut at their limit instead.
How many bytes does one character use?
a–z, A–Z and 0–9 are 1 byte each. Accented letters take 2 or more. This counter uses UTF-8; Amazon does not name its encoding.
What words are prohibited in Amazon search terms?
Brand names (yours or anyone's), ASINs, profanity, temporary words ("new", "on sale"), subjective claims ("best", "cheapest") and offensive terms. Violations can suppress the ASIN.
Should Amazon search terms be separated by commas?
No. Use single spaces.