Amazon Listing Copy Rules: the claims that get a listing removed
Read from Amazon's Selling policies and seller code of conduct and its Product image guide on 28 October 2026. Amazon does not publish a banned-word list, which is why this page is organised around the three prohibitions it does state rather than around a vocabulary — and why an AI writer will walk into them without ever using a forbidden word.
Can I use AI to write Amazon listing copy?
Yes, and Amazon publishes no rule against it. What Amazon does prohibit is specific: claims about sales rank in a title or description, links or messages that prompt a customer to visit an external website, and information that is misleading. An AI writer breaks none of these by existing and can break all three by writing, because it will produce a superlative or a competitor comparison without being asked.
- Claims about sales rank in a title or description are prohibited outright — no "#1 best seller", no ranking figures.
- Links, or messages prompting a customer to visit an external site, are prohibited. Amazon calls this circumventing the sales process.
- Information must be accurate and not misleading. Amazon does not publish a banned-word list, so this is a judgement about the claim, not the vocabulary.
- Images are stricter than text: they may not carry claims, reviews, five-star imagery, badges or Amazon trademarks at all.
- Amazon enforces this at the account level, not only the listing: the code of conduct allows suspension for prohibited content.
Every claim above is on this page with its source and the date it was read. The rest of the page is the evidence.
The three prohibitions Amazon actually states
| Prohibition | What Amazon says | Where it bites |
|---|---|---|
| Sales-rank claims | Making claims about sales rank in product titles or descriptions is listed as acting unfairly | Titles, bullet points, descriptions, A+ copy |
| External links | May not provide links or messages that prompt users to visit any external website or complete a transaction elsewhere | Description, A+ copy, brand story text |
| Misleading information | Must provide accurate information, and may not provide misleading or inappropriate information to customers | Any claim a buyer could rely on and be wrong about |
Why an AI writer walks into these without a banned word
None of the three prohibitions is a vocabulary rule. A model asked for persuasive listing copy produces superlatives because that is what persuasive copy looks like: "the best on the market", "trusted by thousands", "clinically proven", "as seen on TV". Not one of those is a forbidden word. Each of them is a claim, and a claim that cannot be substantiated is misleading information.
The sales-rank prohibition is the sharpest example because it is explicit. A generated bullet such as "our #1 rated formula" is not a stylistic exaggeration under Amazon's policy — it is the specific conduct the code of conduct names, and it can be enforced against the account rather than the listing.
The external-link rule catches a different AI habit: models insert a call to action pointing at a brand site because that is what marketing copy does. On Amazon that is circumvention of the sales process, not a formatting preference.
Images are held to a stricter rule than text
Text may make a claim if the claim is accurate. An image may not carry a claim at all. Amazon's product image guide prohibits images of customer reviews, five-star imagery, claims such as "free shipping", pricing details and text of any kind, and prohibits Amazon badges and Amazon trademarks outright.
This matters for any workflow that generates the copy and the artwork together: a claim that would be defensible in a bullet point becomes a violation the moment it is rendered into the picture.
What is not restricted
Amazon publishes no banned-word list, and no rule on the pages read here prohibits a tone, a length or a marketing register. A listing can be enthusiastic. What it cannot be is wrong in a way a buyer relies on, or a ranking claim, or a route off the platform.
That is a narrower set of rules than most sellers assume, and it cuts both ways: it means a well-written listing is not at risk for sounding like marketing, and it means a tool that reports "no prohibited keywords found" has checked almost nothing.
Where this page stops
This page covers two Amazon policies: the selling policies and seller code of conduct, and the product image guide. It does not cover category-specific style guides, which are published as separate PDFs per category and can add requirements.
It also does not cover Google Merchant's misrepresentation policy or Etsy's listing standards. Those are real rules that govern the same copy once it is syndicated, and they are not documented here — so a verdict on this site about a copy tool reflects the Amazon rules only.
Frequently asked
Can I say my product is a best seller on Amazon?
Not as a sales-rank claim in your title or description. Amazon's seller code of conduct specifically prohibits making claims about sales rank in product titles or descriptions. A ranking you cannot substantiate is also misleading information under the same policy.
Can I put a link to my website in my Amazon listing?
No. Amazon prohibits links or messages that prompt users to visit an external website or complete a transaction elsewhere, and describes it as circumventing the sales process.
Does Amazon have a list of banned words for listings?
No. Amazon states the prohibitions — sales-rank claims, external links, misleading information — rather than a vocabulary. That is why a tool that screens for banned words is not a compliance check.
Are health claims allowed in Amazon listings?
A claim has to be accurate and not misleading. Amazon's code of conduct does not carve out a separate health-claims list in the pages read here, so a medical claim is judged under the accuracy rule rather than against a published list of prohibited phrases.
Does this page cover Google Shopping and Etsy copy rules?
No. It covers the two Amazon policies read on 28 October 2026. Google Merchant has a separate misrepresentation policy and Etsy has its own listing standards; neither is documented on this page, so a verdict here does not clear copy written for those platforms.
Sources
Every figure above comes from the pages below, read on the date shown. Marketplace policies change without announcement, so if you are about to rebuild a catalogue on one of these numbers, open the source and confirm it still says what it said.
- Amazon Seller Central — Selling policies and seller code of conduct — read Oct 28, 2026
- Amazon Seller Central — Product image guide (claims in images) — read Oct 28, 2026
Tools that claim to handle this
The whole channel →Anyword
Scores your copy before you publish it, which is the interesting part.
ChatGPT
The general-purpose assistant that set the template.
Claude
Long-context assistant that is unusually good at writing and code.
Clearscope
The expensive one that enterprise SEO teams actually buy.
Copy.ai
The most generous affiliate programme in AI writing, which tells you something.
DeepL
Translation that reads like it was written in the target language.
Easy-Peasy.AI
The cheapest subscription that still does something useful.
Frase
Research, brief and draft in one window, at a price that makes sense.
Gemini
Google's assistant, strongest when it can read your workspace.
Grammarly
Proofreading that catches more than a spellchecker.
Hypotenuse AI
Quietly good at ecommerce product descriptions at scale.
Jasper
AI writing built around brand voice and marketing workflows.
MarketMuse
Tries to model your whole topic authority, not just one page.
Neuroflash
A German-built writing tool that prices in euros and says so.
NeuronWriter
The budget Surfer, with a lifetime-deal past.
Originality.ai
Built to catch the thing you just generated.
QuillBot
Paraphrasing tool for rewording, with a useful grammar check.
Rytr
The cheapest way to find out you do not need an AI writing tool.
Surfer SEO
Content editor scored against the ranking pages, which is either smart or lazy.
Writesonic
Cheap at the entry point, confusing everywhere above it.
None of these tools checks the numbers on this page for you. They produce the image; you still verify the corners, the fill percentage and the edge.