Key Takeaways
- Suppressions are a constant source of difficulty that can cost vendors and sellers revenue.
- Having images that do not comply with Amazon’s guidelines are a common cause of suppressions.
- Text, logos, and watermarks are not allowed on main images and will cause detail page suppressions.
- An image suppression tracker is available in Vendor Central.
What are suppressions and why do they happen?
A suppression occurs when Amazon employees or the automated system identifies something on the detail page (product listing) that does not comply with Amazon’s standards or regulations, meant to ensure positive customer experiences. The suppressed product won’t show up in searches, so no shopper can see or purchase it while the suppression remains. One of the primary causes for suppressions are image issues.
What kinds of images suppress products?
The most common image issues come with the main image. There are many specifications for this image that can trigger a suppression, but some are more common than others.
Common Main Image Issues
- Text, logo, graphic, or watermark
- Non-white background
- Blurry or pixelated
- Cropped product
- Product doesn’t fill enough of the image
There are also suppressions that are triggered by secondary images even if the main image is perfectly compliant, such as what Amazon deems as adult content.
What do to?
Ensure that your images comply with all of Amazon restrictions. Amazon’s directions can help you avoid many of these common issues.
To find if you have any image compliance issues you are not aware of, vendors in vendor central can click on “Items” tab at the top of the page and select “Upload Images”. Towards the top of that next page, click on the text that reads “Visit this page to upload images in bulk.” Then in the top right corner, click “Status report”, and from here you can select a report on content compliance issues.
Once these ASINs are identified and you can see the reason for their suppression, it is a simple matter of editing the product through the vendor central portal to ensure it follows Amazon’s regulations.
If the product listing seems to follow all Amazon’s standards, it may be necessary to contact them through a Vendor Central support case. This way, the product will get a human’s eyes on it to either identify the noncompliance issue or publish it manually when they see that it follows regulations.
It is essential to constantly monitor your catalog to ensure that your listings are live and correct. Amazon’s rules and standards are always changing, their automated systems may flag something in error, and other sellers may affect listings in unforeseen ways. Navazon’s team of experts monitors and fixes these kinds of issues for businesses every day with their specialized tools and processes. Contact us today to find out how we can help analyze and optimize your catalog today.