Amazon Listing Error 90172: How to Fix Date Attribute Rejections on Your Product Listings
Amazon error 90172 blocks listings when a date‑type attribute (e.g., sale_end_date, release_date) is set to today’s UTC date or earlier. The platform expects a future date, so a 2024‑04‑15 entry would be rejected if the current UTC date is 2024‑04‑15. Using an Excel formula like =TODAY()+7 ensures the date is always at least a week ahead.
Overview
Amazon’s validation code 90172 appears when a date‑type attribute on a product record is set to the current day or any earlier day, while the platform expects a future date. The error blocks the creation of new listings or the update of existing ones until the offending date is corrected. Sellers who rely on bulk uploads, API feeds, or manual edits must address it promptly to keep promotional calendars and launch schedules on track.
Key Points
- Trigger condition — The error fires whenever a field such as sale_end_date, offering_end_date, or release_date contains today’s calendar date or a past date according to Amazon’s UTC clock.
- Affected attributes — Typical culprits include sale‑end timestamps, pre‑order release dates, limited‑time offer expirations, and any custom date field that must point forward in time.
- Common entry points — Sellers encounter the rejection while uploading flat‑file spreadsheets, sending inventory feeds through the Marketplace Web Service (MWS) API, or editing the product detail page directly in Seller Central.
- Resulting impact — The specific feed line or listing edit is rejected; the rest of the batch may still process, but the rejected record remains unchanged until the date is amended.
- Time‑zone nuance — Amazon’s servers operate on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); a date that is still “today” in Pacific Time may already be considered “past” in UTC, causing unexpected failures.
How to Resolve Error 90172
- Identify the flagged attribute — Open the feed error report or the listing edit page; the message will read “Attribute ‘ X ’ must not be today or a date in the past.” For example, a rejected line might show Attribute ‘sale_end_date’ as the problem.
- Locate the offending row or field — In a flat‑file, use the error line number to jump to the exact spreadsheet row; in an API response, note the SKU or ASIN associated with the error.
- Convert the date to UTC — Verify the time zone used in your source file. If you entered 2024‑04‑15 as a sale end date while your local time zone is UTC‑7, Amazon may interpret it as 2024‑04‑14 UTC, triggering the error. Adjust the date to one day ahead or add the appropriate UTC offset.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
A rejected feed delays time‑sensitive campaigns, requiring manual correction and re‑upload, which can stall flash sales or pre‑order launches. For example, a stale template dated 2023‑11‑01 caused a March 2024 flash sale to be halted until the date was updated to a future UTC value.
Key Takeaways
- Error 90172 fires when sale_end_date, offering_end_date, or release_date is today or past according to Amazon UTC.
- Amazon’s servers use UTC, so a Pacific Time date can be considered past; e.g., 2024‑04‑15 PT may be 2024‑04‑14 UTC.
- A simple Excel formula (=TODAY()+7) auto‑populates a future date, preventing the error in subsequent uploads.
Recommended Actions
- →Open Seller Central > Reports > Feed Errors to identify the flagged attribute and SKU/ASIN.
- →Edit the flat‑file or API payload: change the offending date field to a future UTC date (add at least one day).
- →Re‑upload the corrected file via Seller Central > Inventory > Add Products via Upload and verify the processing report.
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