When you shop on Amazon, we want to help you easily find items you'll want to purchase, whether you know exactly what you want or need help.

You can search for items by entering a few words into the search box, and we'll show you matching results. Each department will offer its own customized options to search and browse. Depending on the product department you choose, you'll see specific refinements that are applicable to the selection.

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How Amazon Search Results Works

When you search for books on Amazon, our system attempts to find the products you are most likely looking for, based on the words you have entered. Our search methods go beyond simple keyword matching and may use information not visible on the search results page, including attributes provided by the publisher or the text of each book.

The search results are dynamic and it is expected for ASIN rankings to fluctuate.

Search results give a mix of the most popular products across various product categories. These are displayed based on:

• Past sales history.
• Availability.
• Length of time the item has been listed on our website.
• Popularity, and others.

As a result, you may sometimes see results you do not expect. Neither Amazon, nor KDP can guarantee that your book will display on the first page of search results.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for my book to display on search results?

Once your book is available for purchase, it takes up to 72 hours to set the search attributes.

If you want to confirm that your book is available for purchase:

1. Sign in to: https://kdp.amazon.com
2. Go to your Bookshelf and click the View on Amazon button below your book price.
3. Click the desired marketplace.

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Which Amazon department should I select to search for my book?

When navigating on the Amazon homepage, use the dropdown menu to search within a specific department. If you’re searching for paperbacks, select Books, and if you’re searching for eBooks, select Kindle Store.

Once you are searching within a department, you can refine your results further by selecting desired features for the results using the links to the left.

If you are navigating through Amazon.com, you can also use Advanced Search. This feature allows you to choose which attributes of a product (title, author, etc.) to search for.

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My book is searchable only on specific Amazon marketplaces. Why?

When viewing product pages, keep in mind that the availability of books may vary based on your home country or region. This can also affect the search results you see.

Please note that books with titles longer than 200 characters will not display in search results on Amazon. You'll want to reduce the number of characters in your title, subtitle and/or series name to ensure your book displays in search results on Amazon.

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My book is available for purchase but I still can’t find it. Why?

If you have selected the correct Amazon department and you are not seeing your book in search results, your book might be categorized as an adult item.

Books with adult content will not surface in general product searches as they could include content of a sexual or explicit nature, which is not appropriate for all readers. These books will surface in general Kindle searches for customers who choose to allow adult content.

If your book is incorrectly categorized as an adult item, you can edit this by following the steps below:

Instructions for eBooks

Instructions for Paperbacks

Sign in to: https://kdp.amazon.com Go to your Bookshelf and click the ellipsis button ("…") under the KINDLE EBOOK ACTIONS menu next to your book. Select "Edit eBook Details." Select 'No' under ‘Adult Section’ option below 'Age and Grade Range section'. Go to the bottom of the page and click Save and Continue. Once you reach the Kindle eBook Pricing page, click the Publish Your Kindle eBook button at the bottom of the page.

Sign in to: https://kdp.amazon.com Go to your Bookshelf and click the ellipsis button ("…") under the PAPERBACK ACTIONS menu next to your book. Select "Edit Paperback Details." Go to 'Adult Content' section and Select 'No' for the question: 'Does this book contain language, situations, or images inappropriate for children under 18 years of age?' Confirm your Territory Rights. Update your prices if necessary. Click Publish Your Paperback Book to complete the process.

Keep in mind that if a book was categorized as an adult item by KDP, you will not be able to change this.

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Other resources

You can also consider adding or updating your keywords or Browse categories. Relevant keywords and/or categories can boost your placement in search results.

To learn more about these topics, go to any of our Help pages below:

• Make Your Book More Discoverable with Keywords
• Browse Categories
  
  
  

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