When you publish on Amazon KDP, you choose browse categories for your book. These categories determine where your book appears when shoppers browse the Amazon store — and they control which bestseller lists your book can rank on. A smart category strategy can earn your book a #1 bestseller badge with a fraction of the sales a top-level category would require.
How many categories can you choose?
During the KDP publishing flow, you can select up to 2 browse categories per format (ebook and paperback are set independently). However, KDP support will add up to 10 categories total if you contact them after publishing. This is a legitimate strategy used by experienced KDP authors.
Under-used tip: After your book goes live, email KDP support with your ASIN and a list of up to 10 browse category paths you want added. They typically process requests within 24–48 hours and will add any categories that are a genuine fit for your book.
Understanding category depth
Amazon's category tree has multiple levels. "Books" is level 1. "Books › Business & Money" is level 2. "Books › Business & Money › Entrepreneurship" is level 3. Deep sub-categories (level 3 and below) have far fewer competing books, making it possible to reach #1 with modest sales.
A #1 bestseller badge in any category — however niche — shows on your product page as an orange banner. It's the same badge regardless of whether you earned it in a massive category or a small one. That badge increases conversions by building credibility with shoppers who are browsing quickly.
How to find low-competition categories
Step 1: Identify your top-level genre
Start with 2–3 broad categories that genuinely fit your book (Business, Self-Help, Cookbooks, Fiction › Thriller, etc.).
Step 2: Drill into the deepest sub-categories
Navigate the Amazon category tree from a competitor's product page. Click each category in the "Best Sellers Rank" section to open the category page and see what the #1 book's BSR is.
Step 3: Look for categories where #1 has a high BSR
If the current #1 bestseller in a category has a BSR of #30,000 or higher, you can likely reach #1 with 5–10 sales in a single day. Categories where #1 sits below #5,000 require significant sales volume to crack.
Step 4: Verify the category is a genuine fit
Amazon rejects category requests that aren't a reasonable match for your book's content. Stick to categories you can genuinely argue your book belongs in.
Free KDP Category Finder
Search all KDP browse categories, filter by competition level, and see the approximate BSR needed to reach #1 in each category.
Choosing only the two default KDP categories. Most authors stop here. Contact KDP support after publishing to add up to 10 total.
Picking top-level categories only. "Books › Self-Help" is far harder to rank in than "Books › Self-Help › Creativity". Always go as deep as the tree allows.
Ignoring the Kindle vs. paperback separation. Your ebook and paperback categories are set independently — optimise both.
Choosing categories just for the badge without relevance. If shoppers in an irrelevant category land on your page and bounce, it can hurt your organic rank. Choose categories where the audience would genuinely be interested in your book.
Kindle Store vs. Books categories
Ebooks appear in the Kindle Store category tree, which is separate from the Books tree used for paperbacks. The category names are often similar but the competition levels differ. The Kindle Store tends to have more granular sub-categories and slightly different competition dynamics — research both trees when setting up your book.