The Ultimate Amazon Listing Optimization Checklist (2025 Guide)
Table of Contents
Optimize your Amazon listings the right way, with well-structured titles, clear bullets, keyword-rich descriptions, quality images, and A+ content. Follow this sample checklist to boost visibility, clicks, and conversions while keeping your listings within Amazon’s rules in 2025.
Introduction
Your Amazon listing isn’t just a product page, it’s your storefront. Every word, image, and detail influences how easily shoppers find your product and decide to buy it.
According to Amazon Seller Central, each product detail page is a shared catalog space where your listing combines with others to represent the same product. That means your information must be accurate, keyword-rich, and well-structured, or your listing may be suppressed or lose visibility.
If you don’t follow the checklist, you risk:
- Your product does not appear in search results.
- Listing to suppression or rejection.
- Lost Buy Box eligibility.
- Poor click-through and conversion rates.
So, let’s build your listing in the Amazon-approved way — well-structured, discoverable, and conversion-ready.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Product detail pages and offers (G51)
The Amazon Listing Optimization Checklist (2025)
Below is your step-by-step guide, every point backed by Amazon’s own documentation.
1. Product Title: Keep It Clear and Policy-Compliant
Your product title is the first thing shoppers see and Amazon indexes. A clear, keyword-rich title helps your product show up in search results and attract more shoppers to click.
Amazon recommends/ Guideline recommends:
- Start with your brand name, followed by product type, feature, size, and color.
- Stay within 200 characters.
- Avoid special characters (!, $, ?, _, etc.), promotional phrases (“Best,” “Cheap,” “Limited Offer”), or subjective claims.
- Use relevant, high-traffic keywords naturally.
Example:
❌ “Best Quality Gym Bottle, Super Cheap, Leakproof Water Flask!”
✅ “HydroMate Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 1L, Leakproof, BPA-Free, Blue.”
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Product Listing Guidelines (G202073140)
2. Bullet Points: Make Them Clear and Benefit-Focused
Your bullet points (the “About this item” section) are where you show customers why your product is worth choosing, keep them clear, short, and focused on what matters most.
Amazon’s guidance:
- Use 5 short, scannable bullet points.
- Start each with a capital letter; no punctuation at the end.
- Avoid emojis, all caps, or repetitive keywords.
- No pricing, promotional, or shipping information.
- Focus each bullet on one unique feature or benefit
Example:
- Leakproof Design – Secure cap prevents spills while on the go.
- Durable Build – Made from BPA-free stainless steel.
- Easy to Clean – Wide mouth design for easy refilling and washing.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Suggest changes to your product detail page (200335450)
3. Product Description: Keep It Natural and Informative
Your product description is where you explain your product in detail, just keep it clear, honest, and within Amazon’s guidelines.
Amazon allows only:
- Plain text (HTML codes are not supported except <br/> for spacing).
- Keep your content simple and accurate.
- No contact info, URLs, or external links.
- No quotes, testimonials, or promotional claims.
Tip: Use this section to explain how your product can be used and what benefits it offers, while adding secondary keywords naturally.
Example:
Stay hydrated throughout your busy day. The HydroMate bottle keeps drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12, perfect for gym sessions, office work, or travel. Built with double-wall insulation, it’s durable and eco-friendly.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Product Listing Guidelines (G202073140)
4. A+ Content: Tell a Stronger Brand Story
If you’re Brand Registered, add A+ Content. It lets you use rich visuals, infographics, and brand stories in your listing. This not only makes your page look more professional but also helps increase buyer confidence and boost conversions.
Amazon’s A+ guidelines:
- Add infographics, comparison charts, and lifestyle images.
- Avoid promotional claims, reviews, or competitor comparisons.
- Keep text simple, structured, and brand-aligned.
- Follow content module recommendations for a better mobile experience.
A+ Content improves conversion rates by helping customers visualize and trust your product.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Enhance Your Listings (200403880)
5. Product Images: Meet Amazon’s Technical and Visual Standards
Good product images catch a shopper’s eye and make them want to buy, but dull or unclear photos can make them scroll past your product.
Amazon requires:
- Main Image: pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255).
- Product must fill at least 85% of the frame.
- No text overlays, logos, or watermarks.
- Minimum 1,000px on the longest side (to enable zoom).
- An additional 6–8 lifestyle or infographic images allowed.
- Upload multiple angles, packaging, and product-in-use visuals.
Pro Tip: Use one image for scale — e.g., a bottle in a hand or bag for perspective.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Product Listing Guidelines (G202073140)
6. Product Videos: Boost Trust and Engagement
Videos help shoppers see how your product really works, and that can make a big difference. Listings with videos often get more clicks and up to 24% higher sales. A short demo, unboxing, or “how-to” video can clear doubts and build trust faster than images alone.
Amazon recommends:
- Use .mp4 or .mov formats under 5GB.
- Focus on product usage, benefits, or setup.
- Avoid voiceovers that include contact info or promotional offers.
- Keep it short — 30 to 90 seconds works best.
Example Video Ideas:
- “Unboxing and First Use”
- “Before/After Demo”
- “How It Solves a Problem”
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Product Listing Guidelines (G202073140)
7. Keywords and Search Terms: Optimize Without Spamming
Keywords help Amazon decide when and where to show your product to shoppers. When you use the right words that people are searching for, your product shows up more often. Add these keywords naturally in your title, bullet points, and backend fields to reach more buyers and get more sales.
Best practices per Amazon:
- Include primary keywords in title, bullets, and description.
- Use long-tail and marketplace-specific keywords in backend search terms.
- Avoid repetition and banned terms like “free shipping,” “best price,” and “guaranteed.”
- Do not include competitor brand names or irrelevant search bait.
Pro Tip: Use Amazon’s Listing Enhancements Tool to find missing attributes and optimization opportunities.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Enhance Your Listings (200403880)
8. Pricing & Offer Optimization
Every product you list on Amazon includes key details like price, condition, and how it’s shipped (by you or through FBA). These details together make up your offer.
Getting them right is important; your pricing affects the Buy Box, your condition affects customer trust, and your fulfillment method impacts delivery speed and Prime eligibility.
Keep your prices competitive, update them regularly, and make sure your shipping options match what buyers expect.
Amazon notes:
- Set prices fairly — consider FBA and referral fees.
- Keep sale start and end dates accurate.
- Ensure consistent pricing across marketplaces.
- Avoid listing duplicates with different prices.
Example:
Regular Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $24.99 (Valid: Oct 1 – Oct 15)
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Update your listing (G201836910)
9. Product Variations: Keep Them Logical and Linked
Variations — like different sizes, colors, or flavors — should make sense to shoppers and help them choose the right option easily. All variations must be part of the same product family (for example, one T-shirt in multiple colors or sizes). Don’t group unrelated items together, like a T-shirt and a cap, as one variation — it confuses buyers and can lead to your listing being removed.
Keeping your variations organized helps customers compare options quickly and increases your chances of getting more sales.
Amazon’s variation rules:
- Parent-Child relationships must be valid and category-supported.
- Visual attributes (like color) change images; non-visual (like size) do not.
- Do not use variations to group unrelated products.
- Variations over 2,000 child ASINs will not display.
Example:
✅ Red, Blue, Green shirts (valid color variations).
❌ T-shirts and jeans (invalid variation).
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Variations on Product Detail Pages (G202135360)
10. Compliance and Restricted Content: Stay Safe and Approved
Amazon has strict rules about what you can and can’t include in your product listings. This helps keep the marketplace safe and fair for both sellers and buyers. Avoid adding contact details, links, or promotional text like “Best Product” or “Free Shipping.” Don’t use misleading claims or list restricted items such as unsafe, offensive, or prohibited products.
Always double-check Amazon’s category and product guidelines before publishing — it’ll save you from listing removals, suppressed pages, or even account warnings.
Prohibited per Amazon:
- Misleading information or false claims.
- Email, phone numbers, URLs, or reviews in text.
- Promotional or time-sensitive content (“sale today only”).
- Restricted or offensive products (pornographic, unsafe, or hate content).
Ensure your product category doesn’t require pre-approval before listing.
🔗 Sources:
11. Ongoing Optimization: Keep Monitoring and Updating
Listing optimization isn’t a one-time job; it’s an ongoing process.
Trends, keywords, and buyer behavior keep changing, so it’s important to review your listings regularly. Check how your products are performing, see which keywords bring traffic, and update your images, titles, or prices if needed.
Keeping your listings fresh not only helps maintain your ranking but also ensures shoppers always see the most accurate and up-to-date information about your product.
Use these Amazon tools regularly:
- Review Listing Changes to monitor AI or Amazon edits.
- Listing Enhancements to find missing details.
- Listing Quality & Suppressed Listing Report to fix issues quickly.
- Manage All Inventory to update attributes in bulk.
- STEP Program & Brand Tools to get personalized suggestions.
Pro Tip: Review your listing performance every 30–60 days. If sales are slow — don’t panic.
- Check impressions → Are your keywords indexing?
- Check CTR → Is your title or main image underperforming?
- Check Conversion Rate → Do your bullets or reviews need improvement?
Track how many people see your product, click it, and buy it. With the KwickMetrics Listing Management tool, diagnose and fix weak spots faster with smart suggestions (e.g., weak titles, missing keywords, underperforming images) and fix issues before they hurt sales.
🔗 Sources:
What Happens If You Don’t Follow a Listing Checklist
When you create a product listing without following Amazon’s rules or optimization steps, several issues can occur:
- Suppressed Listings: Amazon may hide or deactivate your product if it violates style or image guidelines.
- Low Visibility: Missing keywords or incorrect titles prevent your product from showing in search results.
- Lost Buy Box: Poor pricing or incomplete details can remove your Buy Box eligibility.
- Negative Customer Experience: Wrong or incomplete information leads to returns, poor reviews, and loss of trust.
- Policy Violations: Repeated listing errors may lead to temporary or permanent account suspension.
💡 Following an Amazon-approved checklist ensures your listing is discoverable, compliant, and conversion-ready from day one.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Troubleshoot issues with product listings (G200216120)
Conclusion
Your Amazon listing is your brand’s first impression — and first chance to sell.
Follow this checklist for every new or existing product to ensure:
✅ Full discoverability
✅ Better click-through and conversions
✅ Long-term compliance and trust
Remember: optimization isn’t just about ranking higher — it’s about building credibility that drives repeat sales.
“Customers can only buy products they’re able to find.”
— Amazon Seller Central, Product Discoverability Guidelines
Get Your Questions Answered (FAQ)
Amazon recommends reviewing your listings every 30–60 days to ensure accuracy, keyword relevance, and compliance. Use tools like Listing Enhancements and the Suppressed Listing Report to identify missing data or optimization opportunities.
🔗 Source: Enhance Your Listings (200403880)
Listings are suppressed if they don’t meet image, title, or category requirements, or if they violate restricted product or content policies. Missing key attributes, low-quality images, or prohibited claims can also cause suppression.
🔗 Source: Troubleshoot Issues with Product Listings (G200216120)
Amazon requires at least one main image (white background, 1000px+) but recommends six images and one video for better conversions. Include product-in-use, lifestyle, and scale shots.
🔗 Source: Product Image Guide (G2EPBT8DHPKV9BS2)
No — Amazon does not allow HTML tags except for <br/> (line breaks) if necessary. Keep your description plain text and compliant with style guides.
🔗 Source: Product Listing Guidelines (G202073140)
Using phrases like “Best Seller,” “Free Shipping,” or “100% Guarantee” violates Amazon’s listing policies. Your listing may be removed, suppressed, or flagged for policy violation.
🔗 Source: Product Title Requirements and Guidelines (GYTR6SYGFA5E3EQC)
Amazon allows up to ten bullet points, though at least three well-written points are recommended. Focus on clarity, benefits, and readability — not keyword stuffing. (check word count,
🔗 Source: Product Bullet Points Requirements (GX5L8BF8GLMML6CX)
Go to Manage All Inventory → Edit Listing → Product Info Tab, and update the required fields. If another seller’s data is displayed, use “Suggest changes to product detail page” and provide proof (manufacturer’s website, product image, or barcode).
🔗 Source: Suggest Changes to Product Detail Page (200335450)
Valid product variations are options that represent the same product in different versions, such as size, color, style, count, scent, flavor, or storage capacity — depending on the product category.
All variations should belong to one product family and help customers choose the right version easily (for example, one shampoo available in multiple sizes or scents).
Avoid grouping unrelated items (like a shampoo and conditioner) under one parent ASIN, as it can confuse buyers and may lead to listing removal.
🔗 Source: Amazon Seller Central – Variations on Product Detail Pages (G202135360)
Yes. Non-brand registered sellers can upload shoppable videos (product demos, how-tos, or unboxing videos) as long as they follow Amazon’s technical and content standards.
🔗 Source: Shoppable Video Guide (GUZBYWTTVULY6C9Y)
- Product Information: Shared details about the item itself (title, images, features).
- Listing Information: Seller-specific details (price, condition, fulfillment).
Together, they form your complete Amazon listing.
🔗 Source: About Products and Listings (G200182950)