Overview

Amazon provides inventory file templates that allow Professional sellers to list products in bulk rather than one at a time. Understanding how to properly fill out these templates with accurate product data is essential for getting your listings live quickly and ensuring they perform well in search results. This guide covers the key steps and best practices for populating your inventory file with the right information.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Professional selling plan required — Inventory file uploads are only available to sellers on the Professional plan. Individual sellers cannot use this feature and must list products one at a time through Seller Central.
• Customizable templates available — Amazon lets you generate inventory file templates tailored to your specific product categories, and you can even include multiple product types within a single template.
• Required fields must be completed — Each template contains mandatory fields that must be filled in before your file can be processed. Missing required data will cause listing errors or rejections.
• Optional fields improve visibility — While not mandatory, completing recommended and optional fields helps your listings appear in more search results and converts more shoppers into buyers.
• Data validation tab included — Each template includes a reference tab showing accepted values for various fields, helping you avoid formatting mistakes during data entry.

How Inventory File Templates Work

The inventory file process starts with downloading the correct template for your product categories from Seller Central. Amazon uses the data you enter in these spreadsheet-based files to create your product listings in the catalog. Each template is structured with columns representing different product attributes such as title, brand, price, quantity, condition, and product identifiers like UPC or EAN. You can generate a customized template that matches the specific types of products you sell, which streamlines the process by only showing relevant fields. Sellers who carry products across multiple categories can combine them into a single template file rather than submitting separate uploads for each category.