Having your Amazon listing suppressed or marked as inactive can be frustrating, especially if it’s a high-performing product. Suppressed listings don’t appear in search results, and inactive listings mean customers can’t buy your product. This can lead to lost sales and lower rankings.
Fortunately, fixing these issues is possible if you know what to look for. In this guide, we’ll cover why Amazon suppresses or deactivates listings and how to fix them quickly.
Why does Amazon suppress or deactivate listings?
Amazon suppresses or deactivates listings when they don’t meet the platform’s guidelines. Here are the most common reasons your listing might be affected:
- Missing or incorrect product information – If your listing lacks required details like images, titles, or descriptions, Amazon may suppress it.
- Policy violations – Listings that contain prohibited claims, misleading information, or restricted products may be deactivated.
- Image issues – Amazon requires high-quality images with a pure white background. Listings with blurry, watermarked, or incorrectly sized images can be suppressed.
- Pricing errors – If your price is too low or too high compared to other sellers, Amazon may deactivate your listing due to pricing policy violations.
- Stock availability issues – If your inventory goes out of stock for too long, your listing may become inactive.
- Brand or category approval requirements – Certain brands or categories require approval before listings go live. If you haven’t completed this process, your listing may remain inactive.
- Amazon algorithm errors – Sometimes, Amazon mistakenly suppresses or deactivates listings due to system errors.
How to fix suppressed or inactive listings
If your listing is suppressed or inactive, follow these steps to resolve the issue and get it back online.
- Check for suppression alerts in Seller Central
Go to Seller Central > Inventory > Manage Inventory and look for listings marked as Suppressed or Inactive. Click on the affected listing to view the suppression reason.
- Fix missing or incorrect product details
If Amazon has suppressed your listing due to missing information, follow these steps:
- Update your product title to meet Amazon’s character limits (usually 150 characters max).
- Ensure your bullet points and descriptions follow Amazon’s guidelines.
- Add high-quality images that meet Amazon’s size and background requirements.
- Check and update the category and product type to ensure accuracy.
These updates can often be done manually in Manage Inventory or by editing your product details.
- Resolve policy violations
If Amazon deactivated your listing due to a policy violation, you’ll need to review the guidelines and make necessary changes. Common violations include:
- Prohibited claims – Remove words like “100% guaranteed” or “cures all ailments.”
- Competitor comparisons – Avoid mentioning other brands in your listing.
- Restricted keywords – Words like “FDA approved” or “BPA-free” may trigger suppression.
Once changes are made, resubmit your listing for review.
- Check for pricing errors
Amazon automatically suppresses listings with pricing that doesn’t align with market trends. If your listing is affected:
- Compare your pricing with similar products.
- Adjust your price within a competitive range.
- Avoid drastic price changes that may trigger automated suppression.
- Fix stock availability issues
If your listing is inactive due to being out of stock, restock your inventory as soon as possible.
- If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), check if Amazon has received your shipment.
- If you use Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM), update stock levels in Seller Central.
Keeping inventory levels stable helps prevent future deactivations.
- Request approval for restricted categories or brands
If your product requires category or brand approval, you’ll need to submit a request through Seller Central.
- Go to Catalog > Add a Product and search for your item.
- If approval is required, follow the on-screen steps to submit the necessary documentation.
Amazon may take a few days to review and approve your request.
- Contact Amazon support for unresolved issues
If your listing remains suppressed or inactive despite making corrections, reach out to Amazon consulting services or open a case with Amazon Seller Support.
- Navigate to Help > Contact Us in Seller Central.
- Select Listing Issues and provide details about your problem.
- Attach screenshots or documents to support your case.
Amazon support may take 24-48 hours to respond.
How to prevent future listing suppressions
To avoid dealing with suppressed or inactive listings in the future, follow these best practices:
- Ensure complete product information – Always include all required fields when creating listings.
- Follow Amazon’s image and text guidelines – Use high-quality images and avoid restricted phrases.
- Monitor pricing regularly – Keep your prices competitive and avoid sudden changes.
- Keep inventory stocked – Use inventory management tools to prevent stockouts.
- Work with experts for optimization – Using Amazon product listing optimization services can help ensure your listings remain active and fully optimized.
Final thoughts
A suppressed or inactive Amazon listing can hurt your sales, but most issues can be fixed quickly. By identifying the suppression reason, making the necessary updates, and following best practices, you can get your listings back online efficiently.
If you need professional help, consider working with Amazon consulting services to ensure your listings remain active and compliant with Amazon’s rules.
