Search Suggestions

Overview

You'll use Search Suggestions to discover what people are actually typing into Spotify search. This feature shows you real-time autocomplete suggestions from Spotify—the same suggestions that appear when listeners search for music—helping you identify popular search terms and create playlist titles based on actual user behavior.

Industry Access Required: Search Suggestions is exclusively available to Industry Access users. If you don't have access yet, you can upgrade your plan to unlock this feature.

What Search Suggestions does

When you type a keyword into Search Suggestions, you'll see a list of autocomplete phrases that Spotify users commonly search for. For example, typing "lofi" might reveal suggestions like "lofi beats," "lofi hip hop," and "lofi chill."

Each suggestion may include helpful metrics:

  • Google search volume: Monthly searches on Google for this term

  • Top 50 follower reach: Estimated audience size from Spotify's top playlists for this keyword

  • Monthly growth rate: Whether this search term is trending up or down

Why this matters: Instead of guessing what to name your playlists, you can see exactly what terms listeners are typing into Spotify. This helps you create titles that match real search demand.

Before you begin

Start broad, then refine: Begin with general genre terms like "rap," "indie," or "workout" to see what specific variations people are searching for. You'll often discover niche phrases you wouldn't have thought of on your own.

First-time market loads: The first time you search a specific market, results may take a bit longer to load as the system initializes. Subsequent searches in that market will be faster.

How to use Search Suggestions

Access the feature

  1. Log in to your Artist Tools account

  2. Click SEO in the main sidebar

  3. Select Search Suggestions

Search for suggestions

  1. Select your target market from the market dropdown

    • Choose the country where your audience is located (defaults to United States)

    • Each market shows different search patterns based on regional preferences

  2. Type a partial keyword in the search input

    • Start with broad terms like "chill," "workout," or your genre

    • The tool will automatically search after you stop typing (about 1 second)

    • You can also click the search button to trigger results immediately

  3. Wait for suggestions to load

Review your suggestions

Search Suggestions displays a numbered list of autocomplete phrases. For each suggestion, you'll see:

  • The suggestion text: The full autocomplete phrase (e.g., "lofi beats chill")

  • Market flag: Shows which country this suggestion is from

  • Metrics (when available):

    • Google monthly search volume

    • Top 50 follower reach on Spotify

    • Growth trend (shown with color-coded arrows: green for rising, red for declining, gray for neutral)

Spot opportunities: Look for suggestions with strong search volume but moderate competition. These represent keywords where you can potentially rank without competing against massive playlists.

Explore detailed data

  1. Click any suggestion to view full keyword details on a dedicated analysis page

  2. Use these insights to:

    • Create new playlists with data-driven titles

    • Update existing playlist names to match popular search terms

    • Optimize playlist descriptions with relevant phrases

New keyword data: If you see "We have no data on this keyword yet," it means the suggestion is newly discovered. Check back in 24 hours for updated metrics.

What you'll achieve

By regularly using Search Suggestions, you'll:

  • Discover real search behavior: See exactly what phrases listeners type into Spotify search

  • Find niche opportunities: Identify specific variations of popular terms that have less competition

  • Create better playlist titles: Name your playlists using terms people actually search for

  • Stay ahead of trends: Spot emerging search terms before they become oversaturated

  • Validate playlist ideas: Test whether there's actual search demand for a playlist concept before investing time in it

Pro Tip: Try the same keyword in different markets to see regional variations. A search term popular in the US might have completely different variations in the UK or Germany.

Troubleshooting

Symptom

Likely Cause

Resolution

No suggestions appear

Search term too specific or unusual

Try a broader, more general keyword. For example, instead of "underground jazz fusion bebop," try "jazz" first

Metrics showing "We have no data on this keyword yet"

Newly discovered suggestion without historical data

This is normal for emerging search terms. Check back in 24 hours for updated metrics

Results taking longer than expected

First-time query for this market

Initial market queries take longer to initialize. Subsequent searches will be faster

Market error message appears

Temporary API issue for that specific market

Try a different market or wait a few minutes and try again. This is usually temporary

Suggestions cleared unexpectedly

Search input was accidentally cleared

Retype your keyword—there's no undo, but searches are quick to repeat

Limitations

  • Shows autocomplete-style suggestions (phrase completions) rather than exact keyword matches

  • Typically displays 10-20 suggestions per query based on Spotify's autocomplete API

  • Metrics may not be available for very new or low-volume search terms

  • First-time market queries take longer to initialize

  • No export or download feature on this page (detailed data available on individual keyword pages)

  • Search input accepts plain text only—no advanced operators or regex

  • Market-specific temporary errors may occur during high traffic

What's next

After discovering promising search terms with Search Suggestions:

  • Click individual suggestions to view detailed keyword metrics and playlist rankings

  • Apply these search terms to your playlist titles and descriptions

  • Create new playlists targeting high-potential keywords you've discovered

  • Research top-ranking playlists on Spotify for your target keywords to see how they're optimized

  • Repeat searches in different markets to discover regional opportunities

Getting help

If you encounter persistent issues with Search Suggestions:

  • Note which keyword you searched and which market you selected

  • Take a screenshot of any error messages

  • Record the timestamp when the issue occurred

  • Contact support with these details for faster troubleshooting

For questions about interpreting search suggestions or developing your playlist SEO strategy, reach out to support for personalized guidance.

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