Overview

Sellers may encounter error 90178 when a product attribute does not follow Amazon’s strict restriction‑attribute format during listing creation or update. The validation failure stops the listing from going live, so understanding the cause and the correction process is critical for maintaining sales velocity.

Key Points

• Error trigger — The system flags the listing when a restriction‑type attribute value deviates from the exact pattern Amazon requires, such as an incorrect unit‑value pair.
• Attribute identifier — The error message inserts the offending field name in place of {attribute_name}, allowing sellers to locate the problem instantly.
• Reason string — Amazon appends a short explanation (e.g., “invalid unit”) that points to the specific formatting rule that was broken.
• Scope of impact — The validation can arise from manual entry in Seller Central, bulk uploads via flat‑file templates, or API calls that push product data.
• Blocking nature — Listings that return error 90178 remain unpublished until the attribute is corrected and the feed is resubmitted.

How to Resolve Error 90178

1. Read the full error message — Capture both the attribute name and the accompanying reason.

   • Example: “Error 90178 – {BatteryWeight} – invalid unit” tells you the battery weight field is using the wrong unit of measure.

2. Locate the category‑specific style guide — Open the Browse Tree Guide (BTG) or the category’s style guide for the product type you are listing.

   • Example: For “Health & Personal Care” items, the BTG will list acceptable units for weight (grams, kilograms) and the exact syntax (e.g., 5 g).

3. Download the latest inventory template — If you are using a flat file, fetch the most recent version from Seller Central’s “Add Products via Upload” page.