AI AutoPilot Harvesting

AiHello AutoPilot guide

How search terms are harvested into better Amazon Ads keywords

AutoPilot reads buyer search terms from your ad reports, finds the searches that prove demand, and creates new keywords in the right AiHello ad group so bids can be managed more precisely.

View the funnel See examples
Search terms moving into keyword ad groups Buyer searches enter AutoPilot, then become broad, phrase, and exact keywords. Buyer search terms Actual shopper queries glass water bottle water bottle 32 oz bottle with straw leakproof cup AutoPilot Evidence checks BROAD theme roots PHRASE phrase roots EXACT proven queries Optional source negative
Search terms are buyer queries. They come from Amazon Ads reports and do not have match type.
Keywords are bid targets. AutoPilot harvests by creating broad, phrase, or exact keywords.
Routing is ad-group based. AiHello uses ad group match types: Auto, Broad, Phrase, and Exact.
Negation uses your setting. Source negatives are created only when Negate in Source is enabled.

The plain-language version

A search term is what a shopper typed. A keyword is what you choose to bid on. AutoPilot does not change the buyer's search term. It uses search-term performance to create new keywords in the ad group where that traffic should be managed next.

Search term

What the shopper searched

Search terms are report data. They show the exact wording shoppers used before clicking your ad. Search terms do not have match type.

Buyer search term Meaning
32 oz glass water bottle A specific shopper query that may be harvested into an exact keyword.
glass bottle with straw One query in a phrase family that may help prove a theme.
B0ABC12345 A retail ASIN-style term that is not used as a search-term theme root.
Keyword

What your ad can bid on

Keywords are advertising targets that AutoPilot can create and bid optimize. Keywords have match types.

Created keyword Match type Why it exists
32 oz glass water bottle EXACT The full buyer query has enough performance evidence.
glass water bottle BROAD A repeated theme is useful for future discovery.
glass water bottle PHRASE A phrase family is proven across related searches.

The harvesting funnel

AutoPilot moves from broad discovery toward tighter control. The movement happens between ad groups. Amazon Ads campaigns do not have match type; AiHello ad groups have an Auto, Broad, Phrase, or Exact type used for routing.

Search term harvesting flow chart Buyer search terms flow from source ad group reports through evidence checks to destination ad groups. Source ad group Search-term report Performance check Sales, orders, cost, and bid cap Destination choice Same ASIN and type, fewest keywords Create keyword Broad, phrase, or exact AUTO BROAD PHRASE EXACT Optimize bids theme roots proven exact query proven query proven query
Search terms are harvested into keywords. Exact ad groups are the final control layer where AutoPilot focuses on bid optimization.
Routing rules
  • AUTO Creates exact keywords from proven buyer search terms. It can also create broad and phrase theme keywords from repeated roots.
  • BROAD Creates exact keywords from specific proven buyer search terms. It can also create phrase keywords from repeated phrase families.
  • PHRASE Creates exact keywords from specific proven buyer search terms.
  • EXACT Does not move search terms further by default. AutoPilot optimizes bids on exact keywords.
What must be true

AutoPilot looks for high-performing search terms, excludes terms that already exist in the destination, respects bid caps, and only creates keywords for active transfer settings.

Evidence Sales
Scope ASIN
Safety Existing check
Bid Cap

How AutoPilot finds themes

A theme is not a buyer search term. It is a repeated phrase root found across multiple buyer search terms. AutoPilot uses themes to populate broad and phrase ad groups without forcing every single query through every layer.

Theme extraction example Repeated buyer search terms are tokenized into roots and the common theme becomes a keyword candidate. Search terms 32 oz glass water bottle glass water bottle with straw reusable glass water bottle glass bottle dishwasher safe Repeated roots glass water bottle water bottle glass bottle bottle dishwasher Only repeated roots with sales evidence become candidates.
Theme extraction is deterministic: normalize text, tokenize, remove weak words, compare 2 to 4 word roots, then rank by performance.
Theme rules

AutoPilot currently uses deterministic n-gram and phrase-root extraction. It does not need a shopper's search term to contain the same words in the same full order every time, but it does require repeated useful roots.

Step What happens
Normalize Lowercase text, clean punctuation, and remove weak words.
Extract roots Compare 2, 3, and 4 word roots such as glass water bottle.
Require repetition A root must appear across multiple unique buyer search terms.
Rank by value Prioritize units, sales, source-term count, and cost efficiency.
Themes create positive broad or phrase keywords. Themes are not added as source negatives.
Example 1: Auto search terms create a broad theme

Search terms: 32 oz glass water bottle, glass water bottle with straw, reusable glass water bottle.

Created keyword: glass water bottle as BROAD, if the broad destination is active.

Example 2: Broad search terms create a phrase theme

Search terms: kids lunch box blue, kids lunch box bento, small kids lunch box.

Created keyword: kids lunch box as PHRASE, if the phrase destination is active.

Example 3: One isolated query is not a theme

Search term: stainless hiking flask green cap.

Result: no broad or phrase theme keyword yet, because the root has not been proven across multiple searches.

How the destination ad group is selected

Search terms are harvested from one ad group into another ad group. If more than one destination ad group exists for the same ASIN and AiHello match type, AutoPilot selects the active ad group with the fewest existing keywords.

Destination ad group selection chart AutoPilot compares keyword counts and chooses the destination ad group with the fewest active keywords. Same ASIN: B012EXAMPLE Target: create Exact keyword Exact A 42 keywords Exact B 18 keywords Selected Exact C 55 keywords
The chosen destination is not simply the first ad group. AutoPilot balances keyword load where possible.
Selection priority
Priority Rule
1 Look for active destination ad groups for the same advertised ASIN and desired AiHello ad group match type.
2 If multiple ad groups match, select the ad group with the fewest existing active biddable keywords.
3 If no same-ASIN candidate is found, use the configured transfer destination as the fallback.
Example 1: Two exact ad groups exist

Exact A has 42 keywords. Exact B has 18 keywords. AutoPilot selects Exact B.

Example 2: No same-ASIN phrase group exists

AutoPilot uses the configured phrase transfer destination instead of inventing a new ad group.

What Negate in Source does

Negate in Source is an AutoPilot setting. When it is off, AutoPilot harvests search terms without creating source negatives. When it is on, AutoPilot can add an exact negative in the source ad group after the exact keyword is created successfully.

Negate in Source decision chart The setting controls whether exact source negatives are created after successful exact keyword harvests. Exact keyword created successfully? Negate in Source enabled? No source negative Harvest only Add negative exact in the source ad group Off On Theme keywords do not create source negatives.
Source negation is about routing traffic after a successful exact harvest. It is not used to block a broad theme root.
Examples
Example 1: Setting is off

Search term 32 oz glass water bottle is created as an exact keyword in the exact ad group.

No source negative is created.

Example 2: Setting is on

Search term 32 oz glass water bottle is created as an exact keyword successfully.

AutoPilot adds 32 oz glass water bottle as NEGATIVE_EXACT in the source ad group.

Example 3: Theme keyword

Theme glass water bottle is created as a broad or phrase keyword.

No source negative is created for the theme, even when Negate in Source is on.

Exact negatives route one proven buyer query away from the source ad group. They do not permanently block all related future searches.

Example performance view

AutoPilot uses search-term performance to decide what deserves a new keyword. The simplified chart below shows how buyer queries can be split into exact harvests, theme roots, and no-action items.

Search term performance chart A sample chart comparing sales and spend for search terms and showing AutoPilot action categories. Sample search-term decisions Illustrative data for seller education $0 $25 $50 $75 $100 32 oz glass bottle Exact harvest glass bottle with straw Theme member water bottle gym Theme member random gift bottle No action yet Sales Spend
Real decisions use your AutoPilot thresholds and account data. This chart is an educational example, not a fixed rule table.

Common examples

These examples show the most common search-term harvesting outcomes. The exact thresholds depend on your AutoPilot settings, transfer destinations, bid limits, and available ad groups.

Auto to Exact

Specific query wins

Source ad group: AUTO

Buyer search term: 32 oz glass water bottle

Created keyword: 32 oz glass water bottle as EXACT

Why: the exact buyer query has enough sales evidence.

Auto to Broad

Theme discovery

Source ad group: AUTO

Search terms include glass water bottle 32 oz and glass water bottle with straw.

Created keyword: glass water bottle as BROAD

Why: repeated phrase root across multiple searches.

Broad to Phrase

Phrase family proves itself

Source ad group: BROAD

Search terms include kids lunch box blue and kids lunch box bento.

Created keyword: kids lunch box as PHRASE

Why: repeated useful root should be controlled more tightly.

Phrase to Exact

Best query graduates

Source ad group: PHRASE

Buyer search term: kids stainless bento lunch box

Created keyword: kids stainless bento lunch box as EXACT

Why: exact keywords give precise bid control.

No movement

Exact is final

Source ad group: EXACT

Keyword already exists: 32 oz glass water bottle

Action: AutoPilot optimizes the bid instead of harvesting the term again.

Why: exact is already the most controlled layer.

Blocked duplicate

Already in destination

Destination already has glass water bottle as BROAD.

Action: AutoPilot does not create a duplicate keyword.

Why: duplicate keywords make reporting and bid control harder.

Seller checklist

Use this checklist when you review harvesting behavior in your account.

Check What to verify Example
Ad group types Confirm the AiHello ad group type is correct: Auto, Broad, Phrase, or Exact. A broad discovery ad group should be marked BROAD.
Transfer destinations Make sure the high-performance exact, broad, and phrase destinations you want are active. Auto search terms can create exact keywords only if the exact destination is active.
Negate in Source Turn it on when you want successful exact harvests routed away from the source ad group. An auto search term harvested to exact can become a source NEGATIVE_EXACT.
Theme expectations Look for repeated phrase families, not just one attractive search term. Three related searches can create glass water bottle as broad or phrase.
Keyword balance If multiple ad groups exist for one ASIN and match type, expect the smaller keyword-count group to be used. Exact B with 18 keywords can be selected over Exact A with 42 keywords.