Top 10 Tips and Strategies to Avoid Amazon Listing Policy Violation in 2025
- Saman Arooj
- Apr 16
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
For an Amazon seller, account health maintenance is challenging but necessary for long-term business success, especially among 2M+ active sellers and 300M+ active users globally. Amazon is committed to building customer trust and enriching the purchase experience and to achieve this you need to follow Amazon's strict policies. By doing this you can avoid any listing policy violations and ensure a trustworthy marketplace for buyers and sellers.
If your account violates these policies, you can face listing removals, account suspensions, or even permanent bans. According to a study, 43% of Amazon reviews (33.5M) were not reliable, especially, the rate of unreliable reviews soared to 88% in clothing, shoes, and jewelry categories.
This guide will help you in:
Maintaining compliance with Amazon's policies
Avoid common pitfalls
Maintain a healthy seller account
Tips to Address Amazon Listing Policy Violations
Here are the top 10 tips and strategies to avoid listing policy violations and maintain the health of the company:
1. Follow Amazon Policies
As a seller, you need to comprehend the Amazon Seller Code of Conduct and comply with Amazon's policies to maintain a fair and safe marketplace. You can prevent unintentional violations by reviewing these policies on a regular basis. According to research, Amazon permanently suspended 60K+ seller accounts globally in 2024 for repeated policy violations.
2. Avoid Copyright Infringement
IP infringement can occur in copyright infringement for original work that’s why it is advisable to not list products that infringe on IP rights. As per the Brand Protection Report, Amazon received 2.8M IP infringements within the US in 2023. To avoid any copyright issues in your product listings, you can design your own images or only use images, videos, and descriptions you have permission. Also, to sell branded products you should have the necessary IP rights. You can protect your own intellectual property and monitor for potential infringements by utilizing Amazon's Brand Registry. You will receive a notification for IP violation If your account has violated the IP policy so you can address it at the Account Health page.
3. Avoid Prohibited Items
Sellers are recommended to avoid sales of Amazon-prohibited products because they cause immediate suspension. Illegal, unsafe, or restricted products require approval before listing to ensure adherence to legal regulations and Amazon’s quality standards. Amazon blocked 700K+ restricted product listings before a single sale could occur in 2023 as per Amazon Transparency Report. You should get a consultation on Amazon's Prohibited Seller Activities and Actions and Restricted Products pages before listing new items for regulatory compliance.
4. Avoid Prohibited Terms
If you have used prohibited terms in your product listings, it can mislead customers and violate Amazon's policies. Marketplace Pulse report indicates that listings flagged for misleading claims are increased by 23% YOY. Make sure the titles and descriptions of your product are accurate, clear, and free from prohibited language to avoid any listing violation. You can review Amazon's Product Detail Page Rules for your guidance.
5. Avoid Prohibited Claims
You should not make any unverified claims, like FDA-approved or copyrighted products, especially regarding health products, because it can lead to policy violations. Due to this Amazon removed 100K+ listings for unapproved health claims in 2023. If you have no explicit authorization, you should avoid stating that a product is FDA-approved. If you are mentioning this kind of claim, must ensure all of them are substantiated and comply with Amazon's Healthcare and Medical Products Policy.
6. Do Not Have Multiple Accounts Without Approval
If you have multiple seller accounts without Amazon's approval, you are violating the policy, which can cause the account suspension. You should seek permission through Amazon's Multiple Selling Accounts Policy based on your legitimate business need for multiple accounts. Amazon flagged 80K+ linked accounts globally in 2024 by detecting duplicate account behavior through AI algorithms.
7. Avoid Review Manipulation & Seller Abuse
If a seller is involved in manipulating reviews, such as offering incentives for positive feedback or posting fake reviews, he violates Amazon's policies, which causes his account to be suspended. According to a 2023 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposal, the U.S. government begin penalizing fake review practices with fines up to $50K per incident. To avoid the violation, engage in ethical practices, encourage genuine customer reviews, and address negative feedback professionally. You can go through Amazon's Customer Product Reviews Policies for more information.
8. Adhere to Fair Trade Rules & Pricing Policies
Price gouging or setting unfair prices can result in account suspension, that’s why ensure your pricing strategies comply with Amazon's Marketplace Fair Pricing Policy. During COVID-19, Amazon suspended 3.9K accounts for price gouging in a single month. You should maintain competitive and fair pricing to build customer trust and drive long-term business growth.
9. Do Not Share Direct Contact Information
It is prohibited to share personal contact information within product listings or communications, that’s why any minor mistake can cause account restrictions or listing removal. You can protect both parties by leveraging Amazon's messaging system for all buyer-seller interactions and collaborations. Amazon’s internal data shows that over 15% of suspended accounts in Q1 2024 were flagged for unauthorized contact sharing.
10. Monitor Account Health & Resolve Issues Promptly
You should regularly check your Account Health Dashboard to monitor Order Defect Rate (ODR), Late Shipment Rate, and Cancellation Rate. If you identify any issues, address them promptly to keep your account healthy. Because proactive management can prevent suspensions and improve customer satisfaction. According to Amazon’s internal thresholds, sellers with an ODR above 1% face a significantly higher risk of deactivation.
FAQs
Q1: What should I do if my account is suspended due to a listing violation?
Ans: First of all, review the notification from Amazon to understand the reason for suspension. Then prepare a detailed Plan of Action (POA) in which you will address the issue, outline corrective measures, and submit it through Seller Central. Review Amazon's Appeal a Suspension page for further guidance.
Q2: How can I report a policy violation by another seller?
Ans: Use Amazon's Report Infringement Form to report violations, such as counterfeit products or policy breaches. Also, provide detailed information with evidence to support your claim.
Q3: What is the Order Defect Rate (ODR), and why is it important?
Ans: ODR measures the percentage of orders with defects, including negative feedback, A-to-Z Guarantee claims, and chargebacks. Maintaining an ODR below 1% is crucial to avoid account suspension. You can monitor your ODR through the Account Health Dashboard.
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