Amazon Listing Formatting Rules (Images, Video, Titles, Bullets, Descriptions, Keywords)

Last updated: 2026-02-16

Amazon is aggressively standardizing listing content across its stores. If your listing looks “marketing-y” (emojis, gimmicky symbols, excessive formatting, guarantees, contact info), Amazon may suppress it, strip formatting, or rewrite parts of it.

This guide summarizes the formatting and content rules Amazon has published for:

Images (how many, specs, main image rules)
Video (recommended usage + technical specs)
Titles (character limits + banned characters)
Bullet points (emoji and special-character restrictions)
Product descriptions (what to include + HTML limitations)
Backend keywords (search terms formatting and limits)
A+ Content rules (if you use it)

1) Images: minimum required, but Amazon recommends 6

Minimum and recommended count

**Minimum:** Every Amazon detail page requires **at least 1 image**.
**Recommended by Amazon:** **6 images** per listing.
**Also recommended by Amazon:** **1 video** per listing.

Main image rules (the image shown in search)

Amazon treats the first image as the **MAIN** image and expects it to follow strict rules:

**White background** for MAIN images (pure white is referenced as RGB 255,255,255).
**Only the product for sale** (no extra graphics).
Product should fill the frame and **must fill at least 85%** of the image.
MAIN images must **not** include: text, logos, borders, color blocks, watermarks, or other graphics.
MAIN images must show products **outside of packaging** (unless packaging is an important product feature).

Additional image guidance

Amazon recommends using additional images to show:

The product in use or in context
Different angles
Different features

Technical image requirements (size and file type)

From Amazon’s published guidance and forum clarifications:

**Recommended:** 1,000+ pixels on height or width (helps enable zoom)
**Minimum:** 500 pixels on the longest side
**Allowed file formats:** JPEG preferred; also TIFF, PNG, GIF (no animated GIF)
**Pixel bounds:** Amazon guidance commonly references images between **500 and 10,000 pixels** on the longest side

Aspect ratio

Amazon does **not** mandate a single aspect ratio (like 3:2). If your image ratio doesn’t match the display container, Amazon may pad with white space rather than distort the image.

2) Video: Amazon recommends using it, and specs matter

How many videos?

Amazon’s own seller-facing guidance commonly recommends adding **at least one video** (it is not typically stated as mandatory).

Shoppable video technical specs (high level)

Amazon’s Shoppable Video guidance includes requirements such as:

Accepted formats like **MP4 / MOV**
A maximum file size (commonly **up to 5 GB**)
Minimum resolution (commonly **720p or higher**)
Maximum runtime (commonly **up to 12 minutes**)

If you treat video like “ad creative,” you’ll hit compliance issues. Keep it product-first and consistent with Amazon’s “detail page rules” mindset.

3) Product titles: the 2025 policy change you must follow

Amazon introduced new title requirements effective **January 21, 2025**:

Hard requirements (Amazon policy)

For most categories, titles **may not exceed 200 characters**, including spaces.
Certain special characters are **not allowed** in titles (unless they are part of the brand name). Amazon explicitly listed:
`!`, `$`, `?`, `_`, `{`, `}`, `^`, `¬`, `¦`
Titles may not contain the **same word more than twice** (with exceptions for prepositions, articles, and conjunctions).

Additional title guidance Amazon publishes

Amazon also publishes broader “title requirements and guidelines,” including avoiding certain unusual characters and keeping titles readable (not stuffed, not spammy).

Practical formatting advice (consistent with Amazon “quick tips”)

Amazon guidance often pushes titles to be:

Clear and concise
Not all-caps
Not promotional
Not keyword-stuffed

4) Bullet points: five key features, and emojis are now a risk

What bullet points are for

Amazon describes bullet points as the place to highlight the **five main features and benefits** customers should know.

Bullet formatting “do’s” Amazon published

Highlight key features and benefits
Keep it concise
Use clear, simple language
Start each bullet point with a capital letter
Use semicolons to separate phrases within a bullet
Put a space between numbers and measurements

“Don’ts” Amazon published (this is where people get hit)

Amazon explicitly discourages or forbids bullet-point content like:

Special characters and emojis
ASIN numbers
Certain prohibited phrases (examples Amazon gave include “eco-friendly” and “anti-bacterial”)
Guarantee claims or company information
Subjective claims and competitor comparisons
Vague or misleading language

August 2024 enforcement update (important)

Amazon announced that effective **August 15, 2024**, it was updating bullet point requirements to restrict:

Special characters
Emojis
Certain phrases (including examples tied to refund-related guarantees)

Amazon also stated it would use automated processes (including generative AI) to remove non-compliant bullet content and generate compliant bullets, sharing proposed changes for review before publishing.

5) Product description: what to include, what to avoid, and HTML limits

What Amazon says to include

Amazon’s seller-facing “quick tips” for descriptions emphasize:

Use the description to fully describe the item and differentiate it from similar products
Describe unique characteristics (examples Amazon lists: brand, material, cut, model number)
Use simple language based on official manufacturer info
Use correct grammar and complete sentences (not lists)
Include accurate dimensions and care instructions
Keep it short, but include critical information

Another Amazon “quick tip” frames descriptions as helping customers imagine the experience of owning/using the product, not just repeating bullets.

Length guidance you will see in Amazon “quick tips”

Amazon has also published tips suggesting keeping descriptions short (one example guidance: ~500 characters or less) and focusing on major features and warranty info. Treat this as guidance, not a universal hard cap across every category.

HTML and formatting rules (this trips sellers constantly)

Amazon has repeatedly warned sellers about HTML in descriptions:

Amazon has published announcements that **unsupported HTML** in product descriptions will stop rendering properly (and lines may be stripped or shown without formatting).
Amazon’s rules commonly discourage HTML, while still allowing a limited set of tags in some contexts.

One Amazon help reference lists allowed HTML tags such as:

`p`, `br`, `b`, `em`, `i`, `ol`, `ul`, `li`, `strong`

Prohibited content (applies across titles, bullets, descriptions, and even images)

Amazon’s “detail page rules” guidance includes prohibitions such as:

Phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, website URLs
Pricing, availability, condition statements
Links to other websites for ordering or alternative shipping offers (including “free shipping” style offers)
Offensive/obscene content

Bottom line: your description should describe the product, not your business, shipping deal, or contact methods.

6) Backend keywords (Search Terms): format matters more than people think

Amazon’s published guidance for backend “Search Terms” includes:

Hard limit

**250 bytes** (Amazon describes bytes as 1:1 for basic alphanumeric characters)

Formatting rules and best practices Amazon states

Use **generic** words customers would search for
Separate words with **spaces**
**Punctuation is not needed** (examples commonly given: semicolons, colons, dashes)
Do not repeat words in the search terms field
No need for stop words like “a,” “an,” “and,” “the,” etc.
Don’t repeat information already present in other fields like title/brand

Amazon staff have also clarified in forums that punctuation may not be counted the way sellers expect and is generally not recommended. The safest format is space-separated keywords.

7) A+ Content: follow A+ guidelines or you get rejected

If you use A+ Content, Amazon publishes specific A+ content guidelines and an A+ Content guide.

Common reasons for rejection (from Amazon’s own guidance) include:

Adding external links or contact information
Including shipping details (including “free shipping”-style messaging)
Other content that reduces clarity or breaks Amazon’s quality rules

Treat A+ like “on-page content” that must stay inside Amazon’s ecosystem: no off-Amazon CTAs, no contact funnels.

8) Category style guides: where rules get stricter

Amazon publishes “product page style guides” and category templates/style guides. General rules apply everywhere, but category-specific rules can be stricter (and enforced differently).

If you sell in multiple categories, you should expect that:

Title conventions differ by category
Required attributes differ
Some claims allowed in one category can be prohibited in another

9) Rule-help popover mapping (Settings sidebar and drawer)

Poodle Scanner resolves question-mark popover copy from platform-scoped help mappings in:

`web/static/config/rule-help-content.json` (source of truth)
`web/static/config/verifier-help-content.json` (source of truth)
loaded at app startup by `web/js/constants.js`

Structure:

```json { "AMZN": { "product_title": { "title": "Title compliance", "body": "..." } }, "SITE-CHECKER": { "responded_successfully": { "title": "Successful primary response", "body": "..." } } } ```

Update process:

Keep copy sourced from this document’s policy sections (titles, media, bullets/description, ratings, page elements, redirects).
Add or edit rule entries in `web/static/config/rule-help-content.json` under the platform code (`AMZN`, `SITE-CHECKER`, etc.) using the exact backend rule IDs.
Add or edit verifier entries in `web/static/config/verifier-help-content.json` under the platform code using the exact backend verifier/check IDs.
If a platform/rule or platform/verifier entry is missing, the UI suppresses the popover trigger for that item (no placeholder text).
When adding a new platform ruleset, add its mapping block at the same time so help coverage stays explicit and platform-scoped.

PoodleScanner Compliance Checklist (Fast)

Use this when auditing listings:

Images

[ ] At least 1 image, ideally 6
[ ] MAIN image: pure white background, product-only, fills 85%+, no text/logo/watermark, outside packaging
[ ] 1,000px+ recommended, 500px minimum
[ ] JPEG preferred, no animated GIF