Overview

Amazon assigns error code 100471 to product listings that contain disallowed symbols, excessive punctuation, or stray HTML markup. The validation runs whenever a seller saves a listing, uploads a feed, or edits content, and it blocks the change until the offending characters are removed. Fixing this issue promptly keeps listings live and prevents interruptions in catalog updates.

Key Points

• Disallowed symbols — Characters such as ™, ©, ®, †, and § placed in titles, bullet points, or descriptions will trigger error 100471.
• Over‑used punctuation — Sequences like “!!!”, “???”, “###”, or decorative icons (e.g., ♥♥♥) are flagged as unreadable formatting.
• Embedded HTML — Raw tags such as <br>, <b>, <p> or any other markup left in customer‑facing fields cause the error to appear.
• Attribute‑specific feedback — Amazon’s error message points to the exact field (title, description, bullet, etc.) that contains the problem, simplifying the correction process.
• Bulk upload risk — A single prohibited character pattern repeated across many rows can cause an entire flat‑file import to fail, delaying large‑scale catalog changes.

How to Resolve Error 100471

1. Read the error notice — The system will display a message like “Invalid characters found in the product title.” For example, a seller sees “Error 100471 – prohibited characters in bullet 2,” which tells them exactly where to look.
2. Open the identified field — Navigate to the indicated attribute in Seller Central or locate the corresponding column in the flat‑file template. If the error points to the description, open the description editor or the “product_description” column.
3. Search for non‑standard symbols — Use the browser’s find function (Ctrl + F) to locate symbols such as ™ or ®. Replace “SuperWidget™” with “SuperWidget trademark” or simply remove the symbol.
4. Trim repetitive punctuation — Look for runs of three or more identical punctuation marks. Change “Best price ever!!!” to “Best price ever!” and replace “###Limited Offer###” with “Limited Offer.”