An Amazon product page is a comparison tool. Shoppers usually have several listings open at once and flick between them, scanning the same spots on each: the main image, the title, the price, the star rating, and the bullet points. Your copy has to win in those few seconds of scanning.
Amazon's rules vary by category and change over time, so treat the specifics below as a starting point and always check the style guide for your category in Seller Central. The principles, though, are stable.
The title: say what it is, clearly
The title is the most important text on the listing — it appears in search results, on the product page, and in ads. Amazon's general limit is 200 characters including spaces, and some categories are stricter. Amazon has also tightened rules on titles: no promotional phrases ("best seller", "free shipping"), limits on repeating the same word, and restrictions on special characters.
A dependable structure:
- Brand + product type + key attribute(s) + size/quantity + colour/variant.
- Example: "Northway Insulated Lunch Box, Stainless Steel, Leak-Proof, 1.2L, Fits Laptop Bags — Sage Green"
Put the most important information in roughly the first 80 characters, because titles are shortened on mobile and in some search layouts. Write it for a human scanning a results page, not for a search algorithm. A title that reads like a keyword list ("lunch box lunchbox bento box food container adult kids work") looks spammy and can break the rules.
Bullet points: the real sales copy
Most listings get five bullet points, and on mobile they're often the first block of text a shopper reads. Each bullet should answer one question or remove one objection. A reliable pattern:
- Open with a short benefit phrase (many sellers put it in capitals so it scans), then a dash or colon.
- Follow with the specific detail that proves it.
- Keep each bullet focused on one idea.
Example bullets:
- "HOT LUNCH, NO MICROWAVE — Double-walled stainless steel keeps food warm through the morning; fill with hot food at breakfast and eat at lunch."
- "LEAK-PROOF FOR BAGS — Silicone-sealed lid with four locking clips, so soup and sauces stay in the box and out of your laptop bag."
- "FITS YOUR DAY — 1.2L capacity holds a full meal; 18 × 13 × 7 cm fits most work bags and backpacks."
- "EASY TO CLEAN — Removable divider; body and lid are dishwasher-safe (remove the seal first)."
- "WHAT'S INCLUDED — Lunch box, divider, foldable steel spoon. Backed by our 30-day return policy."
Notice what's missing: no "premium quality", no "perfect gift for everyone", no claim that isn't checkable. Specific beats impressive.
The product description (and A+ Content)
The description appears further down the page. Many shoppers never reach it, but those who do are usually close to buying and want more detail. Use it to tell a short story about who the product is for, explain anything that needs more than a bullet (care instructions, sizing advice, how it compares to your other products), and repeat the key reasons to buy.
Brand-registered sellers can use A+ Content (enhanced images and text modules) in place of the plain description. If you have it, the same principles apply — but put the effort into clear comparison charts and images that answer questions, rather than decorative banners.
Backend search terms
Amazon gives you a hidden "search terms" field that shoppers never see. It's the right place for synonyms, alternate spellings, and other languages your customers use — words that would make visible copy awkward. Amazon limits this field (generally under 250 bytes), and repeating words already in your title doesn't help. Don't include competitor brand names, ASINs, or misleading terms; those break the rules.
Keywords without stuffing
Find out how shoppers actually describe your product: look at the autocomplete suggestions in Amazon's search box, the wording in competitor reviews, and your own customer questions. Use the main phrase in the title, the next few naturally in the bullets, and the long tail in backend terms. If a sentence exists only to hold keywords, it's costing you more in readability than it's earning in search.
What gets listings into trouble
- Unsupported claims: "antibacterial", "non-toxic", "eco-friendly", "FDA approved" and similar claims need real backing and are restricted in many categories.
- Promotional language: pricing, shipping offers, and "#1" or "best seller" claims don't belong in titles or bullets.
- Contact details and external links: not allowed in listing copy.
- Health and medical claims: heavily restricted. If in doubt, leave it out.
A quick editing checklist
- Could a shopper tell exactly what this is from the first 80 characters of the title?
- Does every bullet start with a benefit and end with a fact?
- Are size, compatibility, materials, and what's in the box all stated?
- Have I removed every claim I can't prove?
- Have I read it on a phone?
Put it into practice
Gather your specs, materials, dimensions, and the questions customers ask most. Then draft the title first, the bullets second, and the description last. Our Amazon Description Generator produces a title, benefit bullets, a longer description, and suggested keywords in Amazon's shape from the details you provide — and it's instructed not to invent any facts, so the more specifics you give it, the better the draft. For the broader method that applies to every platform, read How to Write a Product Description That Converts.