Magento meta keywords are one of several default Magento SEO settings that help merchants optimise product pages for search. While meta keywords were also used for ranking in search, search engines have ignored this as a ranking signal since 2009. Now the meta keywords field is used for internal search only.
This guide explains what Magento meta keywords are, whether they still matter in 2026, and how to set meta keywords in Magento automatically for multiple pages at once.
- Magento includes the Meta Keywords field in the Search Engine Optimization section of product, category and CMS pages.
- Meta keywords are stored in a page HTML code and aren't visible to shoppers. Yet, they can still be used for Magento internal product search.
- Unlike meta keywords, the meta title and meta description fields must be filled out carefully since they give search engines and AI tools details about pages.
- Magento meta tags templates provided by the Magefan SEO extension allow merchants to automatically generate unique meta keywords and other metadata for products, categories, and custom pages.
What Are Magento Meta Keywords?
Magento meta keywords are specific words or phrases stored in a page's source code to describe the content of a page. They can include important product attributes, use cases, brand names, or other relevant terms. Magento places them in the <meta name="keywords"> HTML tag and keeps them hidden from store visitors.
e.g. a product page source code for a duffle bag might contain the following meta keywords: large black gym bag, spacious dark duffle, oversized workout bag, crossfit gear bag, men's/women's large training bag, etc.
Below is a Magento meta keywords example showing what they look like in the page source code.
Meta Keywords as Magento Product Search Keywords
Since search engines deprecated keywords for ranking, meta keywords are now used as Magento product search keywords only.
Like any other attribute, meta keywords can be searchable if flagged as such in Stores > Attributes > Product > meta keyword > Storefront Properties > Use in Search.
So when a customer searches for a word that is not included in the product name or description, the system will use meta keywords to show the relevant product in the search results.
This is how you can add extra terms to help visitors find your products in the store internal search without cluttering the product page.
Do Magento Meta Keywords Matter for SEO?
Adding meta keywords to Magento pages doesn't improve search engine rankings. Google and other major search engines don't use them as a ranking factor since 2009.
The reason is that merchants used to fill this field with long, irrelevant lists of words that had nothing to do with the actual product just to get higher rankings. As a result, meta keywords are now ignored by major search engines.
However, don't confuse meta keywords with the meta titles and meta description. They still play an important role in SEO.
Meta Title vs Meta Description vs Meta Keywords
Magento meta keywords, meta title, and meta description fields are part of the page metadata. Even though they serve different needs, they are often confused. The following table highlights the main differences.
| Feature | Meta Title | Meta Description | Meta Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | The page title shown in search results and browser tabs | A short summary of the page shown under the title in search results | A list of keywords describing a page content |
| Displayed in | Search engine results, browser tabs, and social sharing | Primarily in search engine results | Stored in the page source code only. Visitors usually never see it |
| SEO impact | High impact. Tell search engines and users what the page is about | Indirect impact. Encourage people to click on your page by describing its content | No impact. Ignored by Google and major search engines |
| Optimization | Always write a unique, descriptive title | Write a clear and engaging description | Optimize only if your store has a specific use for it |
| Product page example | Joust Duffle Bag | Lightweight Travel & Gym Bag | Explore the Joust Duffle Bag, a practical bag for the gym, travel, and everyday activities. Order online today with fast shipping and secure checkout | large black gym bag, spacious dark duffle, oversized workout bag, crossfit gear bag, men's/women's large training bag |
| Category page example | Shop Bags Online | Travel, Gym & Everyday Bags | Discover high-quality bags for travel, work, sports, and everyday use. Find the perfect style with fast shipping and great prices | bags, travel bags, backpacks, duffle bags, everyday bags, accessories |
As you see, meta title and meta description should be optimized for every product and category to improve visibility in search results and bring more visitors.
On the other hand, meta keywords in Magento are displayed only in the page source code and can be left empty without any harm to your SEO.
How to Add Meta Keywords in Magento 2?
Magento allows you to add meta keywords to products, categories and CMS pages from the Search Engine Optimization field in the admin panel. The process is almost the same for all page types.
Add meta keywords to Magento products
To add Magento keywords to a product page:
- Go to Catalog > Products, find the product you need and click Edit.
- Scroll down to the Search Engine Optimization section.
- Enter the relevant keywords in the Meta Keywords field, and press the Save button.
Add meta keywords to Magento categories
To add Magento keywords to category pages:
- Navigate to Catalog > Categories and choose the needed category.
- Scroll down to the Search Engine Optimization section.
- Insert the keyword in the Meta Keywords field and press Save.
Note: if you want to add filter options as title or meta keywords for Magento layered navigation pages, you need to enable custom options in the Magefan SEO Extension.
If you manage a Magento multi-language store, the system allows you to create different meta keywords and metadata for each language. Just switch to the corresponding scope and go to the Search Engine Optimization > Meta Keywords section there.
This way, you can use terms relevant to a specific audience.
However, if you have many products and store views, setting up and optimising meta keywords for all of them becomes nearly impossible. This is where automation comes in handy.
How to Set Magento Meta Keywords Automatically?
To add meta keywords in Magento to multiple pages in bulk you need to create meta tags template provided by the Magefan . These templates create predefined patterns using dynamic product attribute variables to generate unique meta keywords, meta title, meta descriptions, and H1 tags.
e.g. you can create a single meta keyword template, like {name}, {category_name}, {material}. After the template is applied, the system automatically replaces the variables with real product values, like Joust Duffle Bag, Gear, Canva.
To create a meta keywords Magento template, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Create an SEO rule
Go to Marketing > SEO by Magefan > SEO Rules and press the Add New SEO Rule button. Name the rule and set its priority. Then, enable the Override Existing Attributes Values option if your product or category already has meta attributes and you want to replace them with those generated by the rule.
Creation of an SEO rule using the Magefan SEO extension
Step 2: Choose the page type
Choose what Page Type you're creating the meta keywords template for: products or categories.
Step 3: Build the meta keywords template
Copy the attribute variables from the List of Available Attributes, and insert them into the meta keyword field.
Step 4: Choose store views
Define the Store Views on which you want your meta tags templates to work to localize your Magento keywords.
Step 5: Set conditions
Set condiitons to define which products or categories to apply meta keywords template to.
e.g. you can create a rule that applies to products marked as New. This way, the system will generate meta keywords only for the recently added products.
After setting conditions, Preview Products to see which products the template will be applied to. If everything is correct, click Save.
Now, whenever a product or category matches the specified conditions, the Magefan SEO extension will automatically generate meta keywords based on the configured template variables.
Magento Meta Keywords Variables
To create automatic, descriptive, and relevant meta keywords and other metadata, use the following most used variables for the meta tag templates.
| Variable | Description | Value Example | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| {product_name} {category_name} | Product or category name | Joust Duffle Bag | The main keyword in meta keywords, titles, and descriptions |
| {category_name} | Category the product belongs to | Gear | Helps describe the product category |
| {sku} | Unique product identifier (SKU) | 24-MB01 | Useful for B2B stores or customers searching by SKU |
| {brand} | Product brand or manufacturer attribute | Joust Volley | Improves product identification |
| {color} | Product color | Black | Helps generate more descriptive metadata |
| {size} | Product size | L 29" x W 13" x H 11" | Useful for products that differ in size |
| {material} | Product material | Canva | Gives products a more accurate description |
Of course, the available template variables may vary depending on your store catalog and product attributes. Therefore, choose the ones that describe your products best.
Benefits of Automating Magento Meta Keywords
Automating meta keywords in Magento using meta tags templates in the Magefan SEO Extension saves time and helps to avoid repetition or errors. The extension populates meta keywords in bulk and makes updating and editing more streamlined.
- Faster workflows: instead of adding meta keywords separately for every product, the Magefan SEO extension lets you generate them in bulk in seconds. This way, you can save more time for optimizing meta titles and descriptions, which are more important for SEO.
- Excellent consistency: with templates meta keywords follow the same structure across multiple products. This keeps your metadata organized, complete, and consistent.
- Quick updates: if you add new products or change existing product attributes, you don't need to visit every product page to update the keywords. You just need to apply changes to the template, and the extension will do the rest.
- Reduced human errors: the chances of making typos or missing pages when filling out Magento keywords for all products manually are high. The automation reduces that risk. And if a typo happens, it's always easier to update one template rather than visit and change every page.
- Easier scalability: after creating a meta tag template once, you can reuse it across new products, or categories. The extension automatically generate corresponding metadata for all new pages without you having to do anything.
Yet, automating metadata is only one part of Magento SEO best practices. To improve your rankings, attract more visitors, and appear in AI-powered search results more often, you need to go beyond default SEO settings.
FAQs
What is the correct format to input meta keywords in Magento?
How to apply Magento meta keywords in bulk?
How to update thousands of meta titles, keywords, and descriptions in Magento?
Do meta keywords affect Magento product search?
