Overview

When Amazon sellers upload product data via Seller Central or the SP‑API, every XML feed must start with a correctly structured header. This header conveys the feed’s version and the seller’s unique identifier, allowing Amazon to route and validate the submission. Getting the header right prevents outright rejections that can delay inventory updates and sales‑critical changes.

Key Points

• Header required on every feed — The XML header appears at the top of each feed envelope; omitting it causes Amazon to reject the file before any product data is examined.
• Document version follows a strict pattern — Amazon currently accepts version 1.01; the value must match the regex \d{1,2}\.\d{1,2} (e.g., “1.01” or “10.5”).
• Merchant identifier must be exact — This is the seller‑account ID assigned by Amazon; a mismatch (such as using a legacy ID from an old template) triggers a “Invalid Merchant Identifier” error.
• Schema validation is non‑negotiable — Amazon validates the header against its published XSD file; any deviation in element order, naming, or data type results in immediate rejection.
• Common cause of feed failures — Missing or malformed header fields account for the majority of early‑stage rejections reported in Seller Central’s Feed Processing Reports.

How the Header Schema Works

1. Create the feed envelope — Begin with the root element <AmazonEnvelope>; for example, <AmazonEnvelope xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">. This wrapper signals to Amazon that the file contains a feed.
2. Insert the <Header> element — Inside the envelope, add <Header> as the first child. A typical snippet looks like:

   <Header>
       <DocumentVersion>1.01</DocumentVersion>
       <MerchantIdentifier>A1B2C3D4E5F6G7</MerchantIdentifier>
   </Header>
   

   The DocumentVersion tells Amazon which schema version to apply, while links the feed to your seller account.