Overview

In-Stock Head Start is an Amazon program designed to keep your product listings active and purchasable even during temporary stockouts. Rather than losing visibility and sales when inventory runs dry, enrolled products remain discoverable in search results, allowing customers to place orders that ship once stock is replenished. For sellers who experience occasional inventory gaps, this feature can be a powerful tool for maintaining sales momentum.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Continued Product Visibility — When your inventory temporarily runs out, your listing does not disappear from search results. Customers can still find your product through Amazon's standard search and browse experience.
• Orders During Stockouts — Customers can place orders on out-of-stock items. These orders are queued and fulfilled once your inventory is back in stock, preventing you from losing the sale entirely.
• Sales Velocity Protection — Stockouts normally damage your organic ranking because sales drop to zero. In-Stock Head Start helps cushion this impact by keeping orders flowing, which can preserve your search position.
• Improved Discoverability — Because your listing stays live and continues generating orders, Amazon's algorithm is less likely to suppress it, helping maintain long-term product discoverability.
• Automatic Enrollment Eligibility — The program is generally available to FBA sellers whose products meet Amazon's eligibility criteria, including a track record of reliable restocking.

How It Works

When a product enrolled in In-Stock Head Start runs out of inventory, Amazon does not remove the listing from search results as it normally would. Instead, the product page remains active with an adjusted delivery estimate that reflects the expected restock timeline. Customers who choose to purchase understand that fulfillment will be delayed until the item is available again. Once the seller's inventory arrives at Amazon's fulfillment centers, queued orders are processed and shipped according to standard FBA timelines. This creates a seamless experience where the customer gets the product they want and the seller avoids the revenue gap typically caused by a stockout.