Amazon A+ Content Guidelines & Compliance Rules [2026]

Why A+ Content Compliance Matters

Amazon processes millions of A+ Content submissions every year, and a significant percentage get rejected on the first attempt. According to seller community surveys, roughly 30-40% of first-time A+ submissions face at least one rejection. Each rejection means lost time — Amazon's review cycle typically takes 7 business days, so a single rejection can delay your listing optimization by two weeks or more.

Understanding the rules before you design saves you from this cycle entirely. This guide covers every compliance requirement, prohibited content type, and common pitfall that trips up Amazon sellers in 2026.

Amazon's Content Policy Framework

Amazon's A+ Content guidelines exist for a specific reason: to maintain a consistent, trustworthy shopping experience. Amazon wants every product listing to provide accurate, helpful information without misleading claims or distracting promotional language.

The guidelines fall into several categories:

• Text content rules — What you can and cannot say
• Image requirements — Technical specifications and content restrictions
• Structural rules — Module usage and layout requirements
• Category-specific rules — Additional restrictions for regulated product categories

Violating any of these can result in rejection. Repeated violations can lead to temporary or permanent loss of A+ Content privileges, which is a significant competitive disadvantage.

Prohibited Text Content

Pricing and Promotional Language

This is the single most common reason for A+ Content rejection. Amazon strictly prohibits any reference to pricing, discounts, or promotions within A+ Content.

Prohibited phrases include:

• Any mention of price ("only $19.99," "affordable," "budget-friendly")
• Discount language ("save 20%," "special offer," "limited-time deal")
• Free shipping references ("free Prime shipping," "ships free")
• Promotional terms ("sale," "clearance," "bonus," "gift with purchase")
• Value comparisons ("half the price of competitors")

Why this rule exists: Amazon controls pricing and promotions through its own systems. A+ Content is meant to be evergreen product information, not a promotional channel. Prices change, promotions end, but A+ Content stays up indefinitely.

Competitor References

You cannot mention competitor brand names anywhere in your A+ Content — not in text, not in images, not in comparison charts.

Prohibited examples:

• "Better than [Brand X]"
• "Unlike [Competitor], our product uses..."
• Comparison charts that name specific competitor brands
• Images showing competitor products

What you can do instead: Use generic references like "ordinary brands," "standard products," or "typical alternatives." Your comparison charts can compare your own product variants against each other, or compare your product against unnamed generic alternatives.

Unsubstantiated Claims and Superlatives

Amazon requires evidence for absolute claims. Without proper citation, these terms will trigger rejection:

• "Best," "number one," "#1"
• "Top-rated," "highest quality"
• "Award-winning" (without specifying the award and year)
• "Doctor recommended" (without citing the specific study or endorsement)
• "Clinically proven" (without referencing the clinical study)

How to handle this: Either provide the specific citation (for example, "Winner of the 2025 Good Housekeeping Seal") or soften the language ("designed for exceptional durability" instead of "the most durable on the market").

Time-Sensitive Statements

A+ Content should be evergreen. Avoid:

• Year-specific claims like "best seller of 2025"
• Seasonal references ("perfect holiday gift") unless your product is genuinely seasonal
• "New" or "just launched" — these become inaccurate over time
• References to current events or trends that will date the content

Warranty and Guarantee Language

Amazon has a specific system for warranties and guarantees through A-to-Z claims. Including warranty language in A+ Content is prohibited:

• "Money-back guarantee"
• "Lifetime warranty"
• "100% satisfaction guaranteed"
• "30-day return policy"

This information belongs in dedicated warranty fields within your product listing, not in A+ Content.

External References

Your A+ Content cannot direct customers away from Amazon:

• No external URLs or website addresses
• No social media handles or QR codes
• No phone numbers or email addresses
• No references to purchasing from other channels

Image Content Rules

Technical Requirements

Every A+ image must meet Amazon's technical specifications. For a complete dimension reference, see our A+ Content image sizes guide.

Mandatory technical specs:

• File format: JPEG or PNG only (no GIF, WEBP, TIFF, or BMP)
• Color mode: RGB (CMYK will be rejected)
• Resolution: 72 DPI minimum
• File size: Under 2 MB recommended, 5 MB maximum
• Dimensions: Must match the exact pixel requirements for the chosen module

Common technical rejection reasons:

• Images that are 1-2 pixels off from required dimensions
• CMYK color mode (common when designers export from print-oriented tools)
• Excessively compressed JPEGs with visible artifacts
• Images with embedded color profiles that cause display issues

Image Content Restrictions

Beyond technical specs, Amazon restricts what can appear within your images:

Prohibited image content:

• Blurry, pixelated, or visually stretched images
• Watermarks of any kind (including subtle brand watermarks on lifestyle photos)
• Third-party brand logos or trademarks
• QR codes or barcodes
• Screenshots of Amazon reviews or ratings
• Before-and-after images that make medical claims
• Lifestyle images depicting unsafe product usage
• Images with text in a language different from the listing's marketplace

Text within images:

• All text must be legible at the displayed size (minimum 16px equivalent on mobile)
• Text must be in the listing's marketplace language
• Text within images is subject to the same content restrictions as body text — no pricing, no competitor names, no unsubstantiated claims

Alt Text Rules

Every A+ image requires alt text for accessibility. However, Amazon monitors alt text for keyword stuffing:

• Alt text should accurately describe the image content
• Include 1-2 relevant keywords naturally
• Do not repeat the same keyword multiple times
• Keep alt text under 100 characters
• Do not use alt text as a keyword dumping ground

Category-Specific Compliance

Certain product categories have additional A+ Content rules that go beyond the standard guidelines.

Health and Supplements

• No disease treatment or cure claims
• No before-and-after images implying medical outcomes
• FDA disclaimer requirements for supplement facts
• Cannot claim FDA approval unless the product is actually FDA-approved
• Ingredient claims must be verifiable

Beauty and Skincare

• No claims about permanent results
• Dermatological claims require clinical backing
• "Hypoallergenic" and similar terms may require substantiation
• Before-and-after images are heavily scrutinized
• See our guide on A+ Content for beauty and skincare products for category-specific strategies

Food and Grocery

• Nutritional claims must match the Nutrition Facts label
• Organic claims require USDA certification
• Allergen information must be accurate
• No health claims that are not FDA-approved
• Learn more in our guide to A+ Content for food and grocery products

Electronics

• Safety certifications (UL, FCC, CE) must be valid
• Battery-related claims must be accurate
• Compatibility claims must be current and verified
• No performance claims without testing data

Children's Products

• CPSIA compliance required
• Age recommendations must be accurate
• Safety testing references must be verifiable
• No images showing children in unsafe situations

The Submission and Review Process

What Happens During Review

When you submit A+ Content, Amazon's review team (a combination of automated systems and human reviewers) checks for:

• Technical compliance — Image dimensions, file formats, and sizes
• Content policy compliance — Prohibited words, claims, and references
• Brand consistency — Content matches the registered brand
• Category compliance — Category-specific rules are followed
• Quality standards — Images are clear, professional, and relevant

Review Timeline

• Standard review: 7 business days (typical)
• Peak periods: 10-14 business days (Q4 holiday season, Prime Day periods)
• Expedited review: Not available — all submissions go through the same queue
• Resubmission after rejection: Resets the review clock to another 7 business days

Rejection Notifications

When content is rejected, Amazon provides a rejection reason in Seller Central under A+ Content Manager. The notification typically specifies which module triggered the rejection and which policy was violated.

However, these rejection messages can sometimes be vague. If you receive a generic rejection message, review every module against this compliance checklist before resubmitting. For specific guidance on fixing rejections, see our guide on how to fix rejected A+ Content.

A+ Content Compliance Checklist

Use this checklist before every submission:

Text Content

• [ ] No pricing or discount language anywhere
• [ ] No competitor brand names mentioned
• [ ] No unsubstantiated superlatives (or proper citations included)
• [ ] No time-sensitive claims
• [ ] No warranty or guarantee language
• [ ] No external URLs, phone numbers, or email addresses
• [ ] No promotional language (sale, deal, offer, bonus)

Images

• [ ] All images meet exact pixel dimensions for chosen modules
• [ ] File format is JPEG or PNG
• [ ] Color mode is RGB
• [ ] File size is under 2 MB
• [ ] No watermarks or third-party logos
• [ ] No QR codes or barcodes
• [ ] Text in images is legible on mobile
• [ ] All text is in the marketplace language

Alt Text

• [ ] Every image has descriptive alt text
• [ ] Alt text includes relevant keywords naturally
• [ ] No keyword stuffing in alt text

Category-Specific

• [ ] Health claims are substantiated (if applicable)
• [ ] Safety certifications are valid (if applicable)
• [ ] Nutritional information is accurate (if applicable)

How to Stay Compliant Long-Term

Amazon updates its A+ Content policies periodically. To stay current:

Monitor Seller Central announcements. Amazon publishes policy updates through Seller Central notifications. Check these regularly.

Review your existing A+ Content quarterly. Policies that were acceptable six months ago may have changed. A quarterly audit prevents surprises.

Use tools that build compliance in. AI-powered A+ Content generators like zonfy are designed with Amazon's current guidelines baked into the generation process, which significantly reduces the risk of rejection compared to manual design where compliance depends entirely on the designer's knowledge.

Keep a rejection log. If any of your content gets rejected, document the reason and the fix. This builds an internal knowledge base that prevents repeat mistakes.

Final Thoughts

Amazon's A+ Content guidelines can feel restrictive, but they exist to maintain marketplace quality. Sellers who understand the rules from the start spend less time in rejection loops and more time benefiting from the conversion lift that well-executed A+ Content provides.

Start with the compliance checklist above, design your content with these rules in mind, and you will dramatically reduce the chances of rejection. For complete A+ Content creation strategies within compliance bounds, see our complete guide to Amazon A+ Content.