Add Winning Search Terms as Manual Keywords in Amazon Ads
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Quick answer
Manually adding selected winning search terms as keywords in a new or existing manual campaign is the final step in moving proven queries out of automatic discovery. It involves exporting the search-term report, choosing terms with enough clicks, orders, and acceptable return on ad spend, then entering each term as a manual keyword with a specific match type and bid. This creates a controlled placement where you can manage performance more directly than in an auto campaign.
Done carefully, this process preserves the momentum of terms that already perform well while giving you the ability to set individual bids and match types. The workflow is similar whether you are adding to a new manual campaign or an existing one.
Prepare your winning search term list
Start in the search-term report for your automatic campaign. Filter for terms with enough data to make a clear decision—typically several clicks and at least one order, depending on your margin. If you use a tool like Amazon Ads Report Analyzer, you can import the report and review performance signals without manually sorting rows.
Record the exact search term text, not a paraphrased version. Check that the term is not already present in another manual campaign or ad group to avoid duplication. If the term is also appearing in other auto campaigns, note that too.
Add keywords in a new or existing manual campaign
In Amazon Ads, open the manual campaign you want to use or create a new one. Inside the ad group, choose Keyword targeting and enter each selected search term as a keyword. Select a match type for each keyword: broad, phrase, or exact. Exact and phrase are often preferred for proven terms because they limit the query to closer matches.
- Use exact match for search terms that convert very consistently.
- Use phrase match when you want to cover close variants with more reach.
- Set a starting bid based on the term's past cost per click and your target advertising cost of sale.
When manually adding keywords matters most
Manual promotion is most useful when a search term has meaningful conversion history but you want stricter control over spend, match type, or placement. It also matters when you need to separate top performers from broader discovery. After adding the keywords, monitor them for a short window before making larger bid changes. Tools like the Amazon Ads Dashboard by Todoza can help you watch spend, sales, and wasted spend trends in one place.
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Once the winning terms are added manually, you can return to the process described in How to Move a Winning Auto Search Term Into a Manual Campaign to review whether any remaining auto campaign terms should be negated or left in discovery. This keeps the manual keyword set clean and the auto campaign focused on new opportunities.