Amazon listing suppressions are common for online retailers, especially for new sellers who have just started selling on the platform or those who sell a large number of different items.
It’s actually pretty easy to fix a blocked listing. This article will show you how to fix a blocked listing and how to avoid this happening again and again.
What happens when an Amazon product is banned?
When a seller creates a specific product listing that doesn’t meet Amazon’s strict standards, Amazon will determine that it will negatively impact the shopping experience of the millions of users on the platform and restrict the listing.
When a listing is suppressed by Amazon, it will not be displayed in search and browse functions, although it will still be visible in the seller dashboard until the issues and policy violations are resolved.
What are the common reasons why a listing is banned?
There are many reasons why Amazon may restrict your product listings, and thankfully, most of these issues are things you can troubleshoot and fix quickly on your own.
Typically, your listing may be suppressed in these situations:
1. There is no main picture, or the product auxiliary pictures you provide do not meet the standards and specifications required by Amazon;
2. Important information in the product description is missing, incomplete or invalid;
3. The products you listed are prohibited from sale on Amazon;
4. The product you listed does not have a defined category type;
5. The product name has too many characters;
6. Your listing violates Amazon’s selling policies.
Additionally, Amazon may restrict listings for more complex reasons that are time-consuming and difficult to correct, including:
1. Determine that your product is a counterfeit product;
2. Receive safety complaints about the listed items;
3. Think you are trying to sell a used item as a new one;
4. Determine that you are trying to sell expired merchandise;
5. Suspect that you are not the legal owner of the listed product.
If you are unable to determine the reason for the restriction, are unclear about how to resolve the ban, or disagree with Amazon’s decision, you can contact customer service through Amazon Seller Support.
How to detect suppressed listings on Amazon?
First, Amazon doesn’t automatically notify sellers when this happens, so it’s not easy to find out that your products have been restricted. Sellers are advised to regularly check whether there are any restrictions on listing in order to resolve the issues.
How to perform the test? The specific operation method is as follows:
Navigate to the “manage inventory” button under the “inventory” button in Amazon Seller Central. If any listings are currently suppressed, you will immediately see a “Suppressed” button in the top navigation pane. If no listings have this issue, this button will not appear.
If you find a restricted product, don't panic. Usually, the repair process is quick and easy. Restricted listings are not visible to buyers and will result in zero sales during the deactivation period, so it is important to resolve them quickly and decisively.
How to deal with common listings being banned?
1. Select the “suppressed” button and then view options such as “all suppressed listings” or select only specific types of suppressed listings, such as “image missing”;
2. Select a single listing and click the "Edit" button, then select "Edit" or "Manage images";
3. On the Amazon product summary page, select a tab with a warning indicator next to it (restricted listings will have a red exclamation mark, and you’ll also see quality warnings marked with a yellow triangle);
4. Once all alerts in the list have been resolved, simply click Save and finish.
Finding and fixing suppressed listings is an easy and quick process in the “Manage Inventory” section of Seller Central. Each of your product listings has an Amazon Product Summary page that contains complete information about why your product is restricted.
Once you resolve all issues, Amazon will quickly remove the restriction and your listing will be visible again.
How to avoid listing being banned again?
The most important point is to constantly maintain the products.
Amazon will continue to adjust product listing requirements as its business develops, and all products on the shelves require continuous maintenance and fine-tuning. If your product listing fails to meet these ever-changing standards, it will be suppressed or deactivated without any notice. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to Amazon’s policies regularly and constantly test your own product listings to avoid losses when Amazon makes adjustments or major changes.
