Overview

When listing products on Amazon, sellers must assign an appropriate condition type to each offering. Condition settings determine whether an item is presented as new, used, refurbished, or another recognized state, and they directly affect where and how your offer appears to shoppers. Understanding how to correctly select and manage conditions is essential for accurate listings, compliance with Amazon's category rules, and maximizing your visibility across buying options.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Condition types define buyer expectations — Every listing must include a condition designation such as New, Used - Like New, Used - Very Good, Used - Good, Used - Acceptable, Refurbished, or Collectible. The condition you select sets buyer expectations and influences purchase decisions.

• Not all categories allow all conditions — Some Amazon product categories restrict listings to new items only. Before listing, check Amazon's category-specific condition guidelines to confirm which condition types are permitted for your product line.

• Condition affects offer placement — When multiple sellers list the same product, buyers can sort and filter offers by condition on the offer listing page. Properly categorized conditions help your offer surface to the right audience.

• You can list the same product in multiple conditions — If you carry both new and used inventory of the same item, Amazon allows you to create separate listings under different condition types, expanding your reach to a broader set of buyers.

• Default condition behavior matters — When using category-specific inventory files, any listing submitted without an explicitly declared condition type will default to "New." Sellers should always specify the intended condition to avoid misrepresentation.

How Condition Selection Works

Amazon provides several methods for assigning condition types to your products. Through the Add a Product workflow in Seller Central, you can select a condition from a drop-down menu when creating or editing a listing. For bulk operations, condition types can be submitted through inventory file uploads, including flat files, text-based templates, and XML feeds. Each method requires you to match the condition to Amazon's accepted values for the relevant product category. Sellers working with media products such as books, music, video, and DVD items should pay particular attention to condition accuracy, as these categories have well-established buyer expectations around item quality.