Your Amazon listing just got suppressed. The culprit? A title that seemed perfectly fine to you but violated rules you didn't know existed.
Optimize your Amazon product title
Generate compliant, keyword-rich titles within Amazon's character limits.
Amazon's title requirements trip up new sellers constantly. One banned character, one promotional word, or a few too many characters—and your product vanishes from search results. This guide breaks down exactly what Amazon allows in 2026, why listings get rejected, and how to write titles that stay live.
What Are Amazon Title Requirements?
Amazon enforces strict title guidelines to keep search results clean and consistent. Unlike Etsy or eBay, where creative titles can help you stand out, Amazon rewards standardized, information-rich titles that follow a specific formula.
Why Amazon Has Strict Title Rules
Amazon's A9 algorithm prioritizes relevance and customer experience. Titles stuffed with keywords, written in ALL CAPS, or filled with promotional claims create a poor shopping experience. Amazon's solution: automated enforcement that suppresses non-compliant listings within 14 days.
2026 Title Policy Updates
Amazon tightened title enforcement in January 2025, and these rules carry into 2026. The biggest changes:
- Stricter character limit enforcement (many categories capped at 80-150 characters)
- Automated suppression for promotional language
- Faster enforcement timelines
- Title locking for repeat violations
Amazon Product Title Character Limits
The maximum character limit varies by category, but the rules are non-negotiable.
Standard Character Limits by Category
| Category | Maximum Characters |
|---|---|
| Most categories | 200 |
| Electronics | 150 |
| Pet Supplies | 80 |
| Baby Products | 80 |
| Clothing | 80 |
Best practice: Stay under 100 characters regardless of category. This ensures your full title displays on mobile devices.
Mobile vs Desktop Display Differences
Desktop shows roughly 200 characters. Mobile cuts off around 80. Since most Amazon shoppers browse on phones, front-load your most important keywords. If your title gets truncated, will customers still understand what you're selling?
Required Title Elements
Amazon expects titles to follow a specific structure. Miss a required element, and your listing may underperform—or get flagged.
Brand Name Placement
Your brand name goes first. No exceptions. Even if you're a new brand nobody recognizes, Amazon's algorithm expects it at the front.
Product Type and Key Features
After the brand, state exactly what the product is. Then add distinguishing features that help shoppers find your specific item.
Size, Color, and Quantity
Include relevant variants: pack count, dimensions, color, or size. Shoppers filter by these attributes, so including them helps your listing appear in filtered searches.
Optimize your Amazon product title
Generate compliant, keyword-rich titles within Amazon's character limits.
The Amazon Title Formula
Here's the structure Amazon recommends:
Brand + Product Type + Key Feature + Material/Ingredient + Color + Size + Quantity
Real Examples That Work
Bad: "AMAZING Coffee Maker Best Seller FREE SHIPPING!!!"
Good: "Cuisinart Drip Coffee Maker with Programmable Timer, Stainless Steel, 12-Cup"
Bad: "Top Rated Premium Premium Dog Leash for Dogs"
Good: "PetSafe Nylon Dog Leash with Padded Handle, Black, 6-Foot"
Notice the difference: good titles inform, bad titles sell. Let your bullet points and images handle the persuasion—titles should be purely descriptive.
What to Avoid in Amazon Titles
This is where most sellers get tripped up. Amazon actively scans for these violations.
Prohibited Characters and Symbols
These characters will get your listing suppressed:
- Exclamation marks:
! - Dollar signs:
$ - Question marks:
? - Underscores:
_ - Curly braces:
{ } - Carets:
^ - Pipes:
| - Tildes:
~
Exception: If the character is part of your registered brand name, you can use it.
Banned Words and Phrases
Amazon suppresses titles containing:
- Promotional claims: "Best Seller," "Hot Item," "Limited Time," "Sale"
- Subjective descriptors: "Best," "Top Rated," "Amazing," "Perfect," "#1"
- Shipping/pricing info: "Free Shipping," "Cheap," "Discount"
- Guarantees: "100% Satisfaction Guaranteed," "Money Back"
Keyword Stuffing Penalties
Amazon's two-word rule: no word can appear more than twice in your title. Prepositions and articles don't count, but repeating "premium" three times will flag your listing.
Violation: "Premium Premium Quality Premium Leather Wallet"
Fixed: "Premium Genuine Leather Wallet with RFID Blocking"
Common Title Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Exceeding Character Limits
Problem: Your 250-character title gets auto-truncated, losing critical information.
Fix: Write titles under 100 characters. If you can't fit everything, prioritize: brand, product type, and one key differentiator.
Using ALL CAPS
Problem: Amazon considers full caps "shouting" and flags it as spam.
Fix: Capitalize the first letter of each word. Keep articles (a, an, the) and conjunctions (and, or, for) lowercase unless they start the title.
The Ampersand Trap
Problem: Using "&" instead of "and" (unless it's in your brand name).
Fix: Write out "and" fully. "Salt and Pepper Shakers" not "Salt & Pepper Shakers."
Copying Competitor Titles
Problem: You copy a top seller's title, not realizing it also violates guidelines.
Fix: Build your title from scratch using the formula. Competitor titles often contain legacy violations that haven't been enforced yet.
Amazon Title Compliance Checklist
Before publishing any listing, run through this checklist:
Do This
- Keep titles between 80-100 characters
- Start with your brand name
- Capitalize first letters (except articles/conjunctions)
- Write out "and" instead of "&"
- Include size, color, and quantity when relevant
- Use numerals for numbers ("6-Pack" not "Six Pack")
Avoid This
- Prohibited characters:
! $ ? _ { } ^ | ~ - Repeating any word more than twice
- Promotional language of any kind
- Subjective claims or rankings
- ALL CAPS formatting
- Pricing or shipping information
- Starting with articles (a, an, the)
What Happens When Titles Violate Guidelines
Amazon's enforcement process:
- Warning: You may receive a notification about non-compliant content
- Auto-correction: Amazon may modify your title without asking
- Suppression: Your listing disappears from search results
- Title lock: Repeat offenders lose the ability to edit their own titles
Suppressed listings still exist—customers with a direct link can find them—but they won't appear in search, effectively killing organic traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amazon's title character limit?
The standard maximum is 200 characters, but many categories enforce stricter limits (80-150 characters). Amazon recommends staying under 100 characters for optimal mobile display.
Can I use all caps in Amazon titles?
No. Amazon flags ALL CAPS titles as spam. Capitalize the first letter of each word instead, keeping articles and conjunctions lowercase.
How often should I update my titles?
Only update when you have data showing the current title underperforms. Frequent changes can temporarily hurt your ranking while Amazon re-indexes your listing.
Will Amazon notify me before suppressing my listing?
Sometimes, but not always. Automated suppression can happen without warning. Check your Suppressed Listings report in Seller Central regularly.
Can I appeal a title suppression?
Yes, through Seller Central. Fix the violation first, then submit for review. Appeals typically resolve within 48 hours if your correction is compliant.
Write Better Titles, Faster
Getting Amazon titles right means balancing keywords, compliance, and clarity—all within a tight character limit. Titles are just one piece of the puzzle—see our complete Amazon Listing SEO Checklist for the full optimization workflow.
Try our free Amazon Title Optimizer to generate compliant titles automatically, following 2026 guidelines so your listings stay live and searchable.
Optimize your Amazon product title
Generate compliant, keyword-rich titles within Amazon's character limits.
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