See Exact Search Volume in Keyword Planner
Why is Google Keyword Planner not showing exact search volume?
Google Keyword Planner is built for advertisers, so it keeps its most useful number, the exact search volume, behind ad spend.
If you are not running an active Google Ads campaign, the "Avg. monthly searches" column never shows an exact figure. It shows a broad range instead, like 1K to 10K or 10K to 100K.
Those ranges are too wide to choose keywords with. A keyword searched 1,300 times a month and one searched 9,400 times can land in the very same "1K to 10K" band, so you cannot tell which is the bigger opportunity.
To unlock the exact numbers inside Keyword Planner itself, Google expects you to be running active ads with a real monthly budget. No campaign, no exact volume.
That paywall is exactly why "how to get exact search volume in Keyword Planner" is such a common search.
Keywords Everywhere removes that wall. Install the free extension and it shows the exact monthly search volume right next to Google's range.
The figure comes from the same Google Keyword Planner data Google gives advertisers, so you get the real number for every keyword without running, or paying for, a single ad.
What Keyword Planner shows vs what Keywords Everywhere adds
| Google Keyword Planner on its own | With Keywords Everywhere added |
|---|---|
| A broad range in the Avg. monthly searches column, such as 1K to 10K or 10K to 100K. | The exact monthly number, for example 8,100 searches a month, in a column of its own. |
| Exact figures only while you run ads, with enough monthly spend on an active campaign. | Exact figures always, with no campaign and no ad spend of any kind. |
| CPC, plus competition shown as Low, Medium or High. | Exact volume, CPC, a competition score and the 12-month trend for every keyword. |
How to see exact search volume in Google Keyword Planner
Once you have installed the browser addon, sign up for an API key and then purchase a plan.
Open Google Keyword Planner and search for any English keyword phrase. Keyword Planner is the current version of the old Google AdWords Keyword Tool, now part of Google Ads, so this works whether you came looking for "Keyword Planner" or the "AdWords keyword tool".
Keyword Planner shows its usual range in the "Avg. monthly searches" column. Keywords Everywhere appends a new column to the right of it called "Volume (Global)", where you see the exact monthly searches, that is the global monthly searches figure, for that keyword. See the screenshot above.
Tip: if you want country-specific numbers rather than the global figure, set your country on the extension's settings page.
Prefer not to install anything yet? Look up the monthly volume for a small batch of keywords with our free Search Volume Checker, or pull long-tail ideas with the free Google Keyword Tool. For a fuller breakdown of how the extension reports Google volume, see the Google search volume page.
Questions you may have
How do I get exact search volume in Google Keyword Planner?
On its own, Google Keyword Planner only shows exact monthly search volume to accounts running an active Google Ads campaign with enough spend. Without that, the Avg. monthly searches column shows a broad range like 1K to 10K instead of a real number. Keywords Everywhere removes that limit: install the free extension and it adds the exact monthly search volume next to Google's range, from the same Keyword Planner data Google gives advertisers, with no campaign and no ad spend required.Why is Google Keyword Planner showing ranges instead of exact numbers?
Because Keyword Planner is built for advertisers. Google only reveals exact search volume to accounts running active campaigns with enough spend. Everyone else sees bucketed ranges such as 1K to 10K or 10K to 100K. Those buckets are too wide to compare keywords with, since a term searched 1,000 times a month sits in the same bucket as one searched 9,000 times. Keywords Everywhere shows the exact figure beside the range so you can tell those keywords apart.Is Google Keyword Planner free to use?
Yes. Keyword Planner is free with any Google Ads account, but on an account that is not actively advertising it only shows search volume as ranges, not exact numbers. Keywords Everywhere is free to install too. The exact volume, CPC and competition data it adds is a paid feature: you buy credits, and one credit returns the data for one keyword. You can also check a small batch of keywords for free with our Search Volume Checker tool.Is the search volume in Keywords Everywhere the same as Google Keyword Planner?
Yes. The numbers come from Google Keyword Planner, the same source Google gives its advertisers. The only difference is that Keywords Everywhere shows you the exact monthly figure, while Keyword Planner shows that same figure as a broad range to anyone who is not running ads.Do I need to run Google Ads to see search volume?
Not with Keywords Everywhere. Google Keyword Planner needs an active campaign with ad spend before it will show exact numbers, but the extension shows the exact monthly search volume with no campaign and no ad spend at all. You just need the extension installed and one credit for each keyword you look up.Is this the same as the old Google AdWords Keyword Tool?
Keyword Planner is the current version of what used to be the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. It now lives inside Google Ads, the platform formerly known as Google AdWords. The Global Monthly Searches column people remember from the old tool is the same idea as the volume Keywords Everywhere shows, which it labels Volume (Global) and which you can switch to a specific country in the settings.Already installed? Sign up for an API key here
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