#search terms report #Amazon Ads #KDP #keywords
How to Read the Amazon Search Terms Report
James Whitfield · July 23, 2026 · 6 min read
The Amazon search terms report shows every actual phrase a shopper typed that triggered your ad, along with its clicks, spend and sales. You read it to find the terms worth promoting to keywords and the terms worth blocking as negatives. It is the most valuable report in your account.
Where to find it
In the ads console, open Reports and run a Search Term report for your Sponsored Products campaigns. Each row is a real customer search, not a keyword you chose, which is what makes it so useful.
The columns that matter
- Customer search term: what the shopper actually typed.
- Clicks and Spend: how much that term cost you.
- Orders and Sales: whether it converted.
- ACOS: spend divided by sales for that term.
How to act on it
Sort by clicks and look for patterns:
| Search term | Clicks | Orders | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| converts well | 12 | 4 | Add as exact keyword, raise bid |
| spends, no sales | 20 | 0 | Add as negative |
| a few clicks, no sales | 3 | 0 | Wait for more data |
The two moves that matter most: promote winners (add converting search terms as exact-match keywords so you control their bids) and cut losers (negate terms that only spend).
Do it on a schedule
The report keeps filling with new terms, so this is not a one-time task. Reviewing it every one to two weeks is how keyword research actually compounds over time. Doing it across a whole catalog by hand is slow, which is why Essentia harvests the winners and negates the wasters automatically.
FAQ
How is the search terms report different from my keywords? Your keywords are what you chose to target. The search terms report is what shoppers actually typed. A broad keyword can trigger dozens of different search terms.
How many clicks before I act on a term? As a rule of thumb, wait for around ten clicks with no sales before negating, so you are acting on a pattern and not on noise.
What is the best thing to do with a converting search term? Add it as an exact-match keyword. That gives you direct control over its bid instead of relying on a broad term to catch it.