Overview

Taking a planned break from an Amazon FBM (Fulfilled‑by‑Merchant) operation can jeopardize performance metrics if orders continue to arrive while you’re unavailable. Amazon’s vacation mode lets you temporarily hide all seller‑fulfilled listings, preventing new purchases until you reactivate the store. Activating the feature before a vacation is one of the simplest ways to keep your account health intact.

Key Points

• Vacation mode only affects FBM listings — Any SKU fulfilled through Amazon’s warehouses (FBA) stays visible and continues to sell while you’re away.
• Late‑shipment and tracking metrics are at risk — Missing the ship‑by date raises the Late Shipment Rate (threshold 4 %) and drops the Valid Tracking Rate below the required 95 %.
• Order‑defect and pre‑fulfillment cancellations matter — Unshipped orders can trigger A‑to‑Z claims, pushing the Order Defect Rate past the 1 % limit and adding to the Pre‑Fulfillment Cancellation Rate.
• Amazon expects fulfillment of pre‑activation orders — Orders placed before you toggle vacation mode must still be shipped; otherwise the pause defeats its purpose.
• Visibility returns gradually after deactivation — Listings reappear in search over 24‑48 hours, and Best Sellers Rank may dip until sales resume.

How Vacation Mode Works

1. Access the vacation setting — In Seller Central, go to Settings > Account Info > Listing status & vacation settings. For example, a seller with 120 active FBM SKUs clicks the “Store status” link and sees a toggle labeled “On vacation.”
2. Toggle the store to “On vacation” — Switching the toggle removes every seller‑fulfilled product from search results and detail pages. A buyer searching for a “hand‑stitched leather wallet” will no longer see the listing once the toggle is active.
3. Fulfill any orders placed before activation – Amazon still displays a “Pending orders” queue for purchases made prior to the switch. If a customer bought a “ceramic coffee mug” the day before the vacation, the seller must ship it within the original handling time to avoid metric penalties.