Overview

Amazon enforces strict guidelines governing how sellers communicate with buyers, covering everything from order-related messages to proactive outreach and message formatting. These rules exist to protect buyers from spam and fraud while also shielding sellers from competitor abuse. Understanding these guidelines is essential for every seller, as violations can result in messaging restrictions or account-level consequences.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• All buyer communication is regulated — Whether you message buyers directly, use Amazon templates, third-party apps, or the SP-API, every message must comply with Amazon's communication policy.
• Permitted messages are strictly defined — You may only contact buyers who have purchased from you or contacted you about a purchase. Messages must be necessary to complete an order or respond to a customer service inquiry.
• Proactive messages have a 30-day window — Any seller-initiated messages must be sent within 30 days of order completion, include the 17-digit order ID, and be written in the buyer's preferred language.
• Marketing and promotional content is banned — You cannot include coupons, promotional messaging, or any incentives in buyer communications.
• Review manipulation is prohibited — You cannot incentivize positive reviews, request removal of negative reviews, or selectively ask for reviews only from satisfied customers.
• Message styling has specific restrictions — Emoji use, oversized images, animated GIFs, and custom font styling are all restricted or prohibited in buyer messages.

Order Status and Fulfillment Messages

When a product is unavailable for shipment, sellers are required to notify the buyer and process the appropriate adjustments. The correct approach is to adjust the full order amount through Manage Orders in Seller Central or via an Order Adjustment feed, using the appropriate reason codes such as "NoInventory" or "CouldNotShip." Sellers must then use the "Problem with order" contact option to inform the buyer about the fulfillment issue. The message must confirm that the order was adjusted and explain why the items were unavailable. If you believe you can still fulfill the order but shipment will be delayed beyond the advertised availability window, you are required to notify the buyer about the delay and allow them to decide whether to wait or cancel. Importantly, sellers must never contact a buyer and ask them to submit a cancellation request when the seller is out of stock — the seller must handle the cancellation themselves.