Overview

Starting May 30 2024, Amazon will enforce a fixed retention schedule for every report file produced through the Reports API. Each report type will now have a predetermined lifespan after which Amazon automatically deletes the file, making it unavailable for download. Sellers who depend on regular data extracts—such as inventory snapshots, price feeds, or fulfillment performance metrics—must revise their download cadence and archival strategy to prevent loss of historical information.

Key Points

• Effective date — The new retention rules become active on May 30 2024, so any report generated on or after that day follows the defined expiration timeline.
• Type‑specific windows — Amazon assigns a distinct retention period to each report category; for example, a daily sales summary may disappear after 3 days, while a monthly inventory report could remain accessible for up to 30 days.
• Metadata exposure — The reportDocument object now returns both a createdAt timestamp and an expiresAt timestamp, allowing sellers to see exactly how long a file will be retained.
• No per‑report alerts — Amazon does not send individual notifications when a specific report is about to expire; the only source of this information is the documentation of report‑type values.
• Download deadline — If a seller attempts to fetch a report after its expiresAt moment, the API responds with a ResourceNotFoundException, forcing the seller to request a fresh copy.
• Automation impact — Scripts that previously assumed indefinite file availability will start failing once the expiration passes, requiring updates to error‑handling and scheduling logic.

How Report Retention Works

1. Submit a report request — The seller invokes the CreateReport endpoint with a desired report type, such as GET_FBA_INVENTORY_DATA. Amazon queues the request and returns a unique reportId.