What is the Amazon Product Feed?
The Amazon product feed is the primary mechanism by which merchants supply product data to Amazon's catalogue. When you submit a feed file to Amazon, you are providing structured product information that Amazon uses to create and maintain your product listings. The feed serves as the source of truth for your product details, pricing, availability, and attributes across Amazon's marketplace.
Merchants use product feeds to manage inventory at scale, update multiple product attributes simultaneously, maintain consistency across regional marketplaces, and ensure their listings comply with Amazon's content guidelines. Rather than manually editing each product in the seller dashboard, a well-structured feed allows you to batch-process hundreds or thousands of products in a single submission.
Amazon evaluates feed data against strict quality standards. Incomplete or incorrectly formatted data can result in listing suppression, category restrictions, or removal from search results. Understanding each field's purpose and validation rules directly impacts whether your products remain active and visible to customers.
Core Product Identification Fields
Accurate product identification is fundamental to feed quality. These fields tell Amazon which product you are describing and how to match it within the catalogue.
item_name is the product title displayed to customers. Amazon enforces a maximum of 200 characters and requires that the title accurately describe the product without promotional language or special characters. Titles that are vague, misleading, or stuffed with keywords may trigger content violations. A clear, descriptive title improves search visibility because Amazon's algorithm uses title text as a ranking signal, but only when the title genuinely represents the product.
brand specifies the manufacturer or brand name. This field is mandatory for most categories and must match the actual brand printed on or associated with the product. Misrepresenting the brand is a policy violation that can result in listing removal. Brand accuracy also enables customers to filter search results and is essential for brand registry verification if you are a brand owner.
externally_assigned_product_identifier refers to a unique identifier you assign to the product within your own system, such as a SKU or internal product code. This field helps you track which product in your feed corresponds to which item in your inventory management system. Amazon does not enforce uniqueness across the marketplace for this field, but you should ensure it is unique within your own feed submissions to avoid accidental overwrites.
merchant_suggested_asin allows you to propose an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) if you believe your product matches an existing catalogue entry. If you omit this field and Amazon cannot find a matching ASIN, the system will create a new ASIN automatically. Suggesting the correct ASIN is critical because it determines whether your offer appears on an existing product page or creates a duplicate listing. Duplicate listings fragment your sales, dilute your reviews, and confuse customers. Use merchant_suggested_asin only when you are certain the existing product is genuinely the same variant.
part_number and model_number are product identifiers assigned by the manufacturer. These fields help Amazon and customers distinguish between product variants and identify the exact model you are selling. Accuracy here prevents mismatches and supports customers who search by model number.
Product Description and Content Fields
Product description fields determine how much detail customers see before purchasing and influence how Amazon's search algorithm understands your product.
product_description is the main body text that appears on the product detail page. Amazon allows up to 2000 characters and expects a clear, factual description of the product's features, materials, dimensions, and intended use. Avoid repeating the title, using all capitals, or including promotional claims that lack substantiation. Descriptions that are too short or generic may result in content warnings or suppression, particularly in regulated categories such as health, beauty, or food.
bullet_point fields allow you to highlight five key product features or benefits. Each bullet point has a 500-character limit. These bullets appear prominently on the product page and are weighted heavily by Amazon's search algorithm because they directly inform the customer's purchase decision. Effective bullets are specific, benefit-focused, and avoid redundancy with the title or description. A bullet stating 'Made from high-quality materials' is weaker than 'Constructed from food-grade silicone, BPA-free and dishwasher safe up to 70 degrees Celsius'.
item_type_keyword classifies the product into a specific item type within your category. This field is category-dependent and must match Amazon's approved values for that category. Item type keywords help Amazon route your product to the correct browse node and apply category-specific validation rules. Selecting the wrong item type can suppress your listing or place it in a category where customers cannot find it.
generic_keyword allows you to provide additional search terms beyond the title and bullets. These keywords should reflect how customers actually search for your product. Avoid keyword stuffing or including misspellings, as Amazon penalises irrelevant or deceptive keyword usage. Use generic_keyword strategically to cover search variations that your title and description do not naturally include.
Attribute Fields for Product Variation and Filtering
Attribute fields enable customers to filter and refine search results. They also allow Amazon to group product variants into a single product detail page where customers can select their preferred option.
color_name, size_name, material_type, style_name, and age_range_description are variation attributes that must match Amazon's predefined values for your category. If you submit 'red' but the category expects 'Red' or 'Crimson', Amazon may reject the value or suppress the listing. Consistency across variants is essential. If you are selling a shirt in three colours, each colour variant must have the same title, description, and other attributes except for the colour value. Inconsistent variant data causes Amazon to create separate product pages instead of grouping them, which fragments your sales and confuses customers.
target_gender specifies whether a product is intended for men, women, unisex, or other categories. This field is optional but improves searchability in categories where gender-specific filtering is common. Misrepresenting gender can violate Amazon's content policy if it appears to target products inappropriately.
Pricing and Availability Fields
Pricing and availability data directly control whether customers can purchase your product and at what price.
list_price is the manufacturer's recommended retail price or the highest price at which you have sold the product. This field is optional but recommended because it provides context for discounts. If you show a list_price of £50 and a sale_price of £30, customers perceive greater value. However, if your list_price is lower than your sale_price or if the list_price appears artificially inflated, Amazon may reject the feed or flag the listing for content review.
sale_price is the price at which the product is currently offered. This is the price customers will pay. The sale_price must be a valid number with no currency symbols or text. If you submit an invalid price format, Amazon will reject the entire feed submission. Pricing errors can prevent your products from appearing in search results until corrected.
purchasable_offer indicates whether the product is available for purchase. Setting this to 'yes' makes the product purchasable; setting it to 'no' suppresses the listing without deleting it. Use this field when you temporarily run out of stock but expect to replenish, rather than deleting the product entirely.
fulfillment_availability specifies how quickly the product can be shipped and by which method. Valid values typically include 'in stock' for immediate shipment and specific lead times such as '2-3 business days'. Amazon uses this field to calculate estimated delivery dates shown to customers. Inaccurate fulfillment_availability leads to customer complaints, returns, and potential account suspension if delivery promises are consistently missed.
condition_type indicates whether the product is new, refurbished, or used. Most new product listings require 'new' as the condition. Misrepresenting condition is a serious policy violation that can result in permanent suspension.
Image and Visual Fields
Product images are the first thing customers see and are critical to conversion rates.
main_product_image_locator is the URL of the primary product image. This image must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side (1000 pixels recommended) and must show the product clearly against a white or very light background. Images with watermarks, logos, or lifestyle photography in the main image position often trigger content warnings. The image must accurately represent the product as it will be delivered. If the main image is blurry, cut off, or shows a different product, Amazon may suppress the listing pending image review.
other_product_image_locator_1 and additional image fields allow you to provide additional views of the product. You can submit up to nine additional images. These supplementary images should show the product from different angles, detail shots of important features, size comparisons, or lifestyle context. Images must remain consistent with the main image in terms of product representation. Submitting images of different product variants or unrelated items will trigger content violations.
All image URLs must be publicly accessible and must remain available for the duration of your listing. If Amazon cannot retrieve an image at the URL, it will display a broken image placeholder, damaging customer trust and conversion rates.
Physical Attribute Fields
Physical attributes help customers determine whether a product meets their needs and support accurate search filtering.
item_weight specifies the product weight, typically in kilograms or pounds depending on your regional marketplace. This field is used to calculate shipping costs and must be accurate. If you submit an incorrect weight, Amazon's shipping calculator will provide inaccurate delivery estimates, leading to customer complaints. Overestimating weight can make shipping costs prohibitively high; underestimating can result in unexpected shipping losses.
Practical Feed Optimization and Submission Strategy
Effective feed management requires a structured approach to data quality, validation, and ongoing monitoring.
Before submitting your feed, validate all required fields for completeness. Amazon publishes category-specific field requirements, and submissions missing mandatory fields will be rejected entirely. Use Amazon's feed template for your category as a starting point rather than building a custom structure. Templates ensure you include all required fields and use the correct field names.
Test your feed in a staging environment if possible. Submit a small batch of products first and verify that they appear correctly on the live marketplace. Check that images load, prices display correctly, and bullet points render without formatting errors. Many feed issues only become apparent when you see the live listing.
Ensure consistency within variant families. If you are selling a product in multiple colours or sizes, each variant must have identical information in all fields except the variation attributes (colour, size, etc.). Inconsistent variant data causes Amazon to create separate product pages, fragmenting your sales and reviews.
Update your feed regularly to reflect inventory changes, pricing adjustments, and product improvements. Stale feed data leads to customer complaints when promised stock is unavailable or prices differ from what customers expected. Establish a schedule for feed updates, whether daily, weekly, or monthly depending on how frequently your products change.
Monitor Amazon's Seller Central for feed submission reports and content quality warnings. Amazon will flag common data errors such as invalid prices, missing images, or policy violations. Address warnings promptly rather than ignoring them, as unresolved warnings can eventually result in listing suppression.
Use keywords strategically across title, bullets, and generic_keyword fields, but avoid repetition. Each field serves a specific purpose in Amazon's search algorithm. Keyword stuffing in any single field damages readability and may trigger policy violations. Distribute your most important keywords across title and bullets; use generic_keyword for secondary or long-tail variations.
Optimise images for the products most likely to drive traffic. If you sell multiple variants, the main_product_image_locator should show the most popular or representative variant. Use supplementary images to showcase variants, important features, or use cases that inform purchase decisions.
Summary
The Amazon product feed is a structured data submission that controls how your products appear, are discovered, and are purchased on Amazon. Each field serves a specific function in product visibility, customer filtering, or purchase completion. Incomplete, inaccurate, or inconsistent feed data results in listing suppression, content violations, or poor search ranking. Merchants who invest in feed quality, validate data before submission, and monitor feed performance over time see improved listing visibility, higher conversion rates, and fewer customer service issues. Treat your feed as a critical business asset and review it regularly to ensure it remains accurate and compliant with Amazon's evolving requirements.