Reporting & Analysis
Feb 16, 2024
TLDR
Amazon can temporarily hide your listings (suppress them) if they violate their policies, lack key details, or have safety concerns. Identify suppressed listings through Seller Central or Airboxr, then fix them by addressing the issue and re-submitting for review. Prevent future issues by creating accurate listings, staying informed on policies, regularly monitoring your listings, and engaging with customer feedback.
Amazon offers a wide range of opportunities for sellers to reach customers worldwide. However, navigating this platform comes with its challenges, one of which is listing suppression. When Amazon suppresses a listing, it essentially becomes invisible to shoppers, significantly impacting a top seller account's visibility and sales. This issue arises when a listing doesn't meet Amazon's strict guidelines or there are concerns about the product's information, safety, or compliance.
In this article, we will look into the causes of listing suppression, identify ways to spot and correct suppressed listings, and discuss strategies to fix and prevent these issues.
Understanding Amazon Listing Suppression
What is Listing Suppression?
Listing suppression is when Amazon removes a product from view. It happens without removing the product completely from the platform. The goal is to ensure all products shown to shoppers are trustworthy and meet Amazon's quality standards.
This matters because if your listing gets suppressed, customers can't find your product through search or browsing. This can lead to a drop in sales and affect your product's ranking. It's like having a shop where no one can see or purchase products on one of your shelves.
How to Search Suppressed Listings
When Amazon suppresses one of your listings, it's not always obvious. You won't get a big red flag waving at you. But, finding these hidden issues is key to keeping your online store running smoothly. Here's how to spot them.
Amazon Seller Central
To find and address your suppressed listings on Seller Central, navigate to the Inventory tab > Manage All Inventory. Under Search Suppressed and Inactive Listings, locate the section labeled Fix Your Products. There, select Search Suppressed to review all listings currently hidden from buyer searches. You can then download this report and take appropriate action for each listing, such as reactivating it if necessary.
Using Airboxr
Airboxr keeps you up to date on whether any of your product listings have been suppressed in our Handpicked Insights section on our app homepage. With this, you'll always be informed on when and how many of your product listings have been suppressed by Amazon.
You can also get a suppressed listings report straight to your Google Sheet using Airboxr's Suppressed ASINs Hop. This is essentially a suppressed listing report. It provides you a list of the products that have been removed from Amazon's listings (i.e., suppressed) and the reasons why they have been removed. Thanks to this hop, getting your suppressed listing report has never been easier.
Causes of Suppressed Listings
Amazon suppresses listings for several reasons, all boiling down to ensuring customers have a safe and clear shopping experience. Let's break down the common reasons.
Incomplete Product Details
Imagine shopping online and finding a product with no size or color options listed. Frustrating, right? Amazon agrees. If your listing lacks essential information like dimensions, ingredients, or usage instructions, it might get suppressed.
Policy Violations
Amazon has rules about what you can sell and how you present it. Listings that break these rules, like selling prohibited items or using misleading images, get suppressed.
Intellectual Property Issues
If someone claims your product infringes on their trademark or copyright, Amazon may suppress the listing until things are cleared up.
Safety and Compliance
In order to avoid set health standards and prevent safety complaints, products that could be unsafe or don't meet legal standards aren't allowed. If there's a concern about your product's safety, it might be suppressed.
Poor Customer Experience
Reviews and ratings matter. If your product gets a lot of complaints or returns, it could lead to suppression.
How to fix Suppressed Listings
You can fix Amazon suppressed listings by understanding what went wrong and taking the right steps. Here's how to tackle the issue.
Review the Suppression Reason
Start by checking why Amazon suppressed your listing. This information is in your Suppressed ASINs report or your Seller Central account, under the 'Suppressed Listings Report'. Each suppressed listing report will have a reason attached.
Update Your Listing
Based on the reason for suppression, make the necessary changes product detail page. This could mean adding missing information, adjusting missing product details, or replacing images with valid product images to comply with Amazon's guidelines.
Address Intellectual Property Claims
If the issue is a copyright or trademark claim, you might need to provide documentation proving you have the right to sell the product or use the images.
Improve Product Safety and Compliance
For safety or compliance issues, review the product's documentation. You may need to provide additional safety certifications or product testing results.
Enhance Customer Experience
If poor reviews or a high return rate is the problem, look into the feedback. Improving the product or its description can help address these concerns.
Submit for Reinstatement
Once you've made the necessary updates, submit your listing for review. Amazon will check if the changes meet their standards and, if so, remove the suppression.
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Prevention Strategies for Listing Suppression
Avoiding the hassle of fixing suppressed listings starts with proactive measures. Here are strategies to help keep your listings visible and compliant.
Create Accurate and Complete Listings
Ensure every product listing is detailed and accurate, meaning that you should aim for a detailed product description. Include all necessary information about product detail like dimensions, materials, usage instructions, and any warnings. High-quality images that accurately represent the product are also crucial.
Stay Informed on Amazon Policies
Amazon updates its policies regularly. Keep yourself informed about these changes to ensure your listings always comply. Regularly check the Amazon Seller Central news section for updates.
Regular Monitoring and Auditing
Set a routine to review your listings periodically. Look for any missing information or outdated details that could lead to suppression. Tools and software that monitor listing health can automate this process, alerting you to potential issues before they become problems.
Engage With Customer Feedback
Pay attention to customer reviews and questions. This feedback can highlight areas for improvement in your product or listing details. Addressing these concerns promptly can prevent issues related to customer experience.
Implement Quality Control Measures
Ensure your products meet all safety and compliance standards before listing them. Regular quality checks can help catch any potential issues that could lead to suppression due to safety concerns.
By adopting these prevention strategies, you can minimize the risk of listing suppression, ensuring search visibility for your products remain visible and available to Amazon shoppers. This proactive approach not only helps maintain your sales momentum but also builds a positive reputation with customers and Amazon alike.
Dealing with suppressed Amazon listings can be challenging, but understanding the causes and solutions is key to overcoming this hurdle. By taking proactive steps to ensure your listings comply with Amazon's guidelines, you can significantly reduce the risk of suppression. Regular monitoring, updating your listings with accurate and complete information, staying informed about policy changes, and engaging with customer feedback are essential practices. These strategies not only help in fixing suppressed listings but also in preventing them from occurring in the first place.
