How to Add an Amazon Listing: A Comprehensive Guide to Creating a Product Listing on Amazon

Amazon listing is not just a regular catalog entry that sellers maintain for themselves. You actually can’t sell on Amazon without adding product listings to your seller account. Amazon listing is your complete introduction to buyers. It is your storefront, info desk, and all the promotional elements combined into a single webpage. Therefore, you need to be on top of things while adding Amazon listings.

However, adding product listings can get overwhelming due to all the boxes you need to check. Moreover, not practicing due diligence can lead to missing listing information. It eventually transpires into inventory errors that can hinder your sales performance.

If you're about to start your selling journey on Amazon and want to add product listings without any troubles and glitches, you’ve landed at the right place.

This post will walk you through the steps to add an Amazon product listing without any errors and missing information. We will also talk about the elements of an optimal listing that helps you make your product more visible to the target audience.

Without any further ado, let’s start our discussion. 

Adding a Product Listing on the Seller Central: A Step-by-Step

Once you sign in to your Seller Central account, click on the Inventory drop-down menu on the main dashboard/homepage. You have two options to add an Amazon listing: Add a product and Add products via upload. 

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The Add a product option is suitable when adding a single product. It is also perfect for those who are just starting on Amazon. On the other hand, the Add products via upload option is most suitable when you have to do bulk uploading (listing more than one product). 

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We will discuss both these options one by one.

Adding Amazon Listing: Add a Product

When you click on Add a Product, you will be directed to this page. 

Here, you will have four options to choose from. 

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1. The search bar: If you are working as an Amazon wholesaler and selling a product/ASIN already in the marketplace, search the ASIN, EAN, UPC, or ISBN and list yourself with all other sellers offering the same product. 
2. I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon: It is the option you will choose as a private label seller who has created a new ASIN under Amazon’s Brand Registry.
3. I’m uploading a file to add multiple products: This is the same as Add products via upload option. You will have to upload an inventory file finished in Excel (xlsm format) to add multiple product listings simultaneously.
4. I want to learn how to list products: If you click on this option, it will show you a video on listing products on Amazon.

As a private label seller adding a single product, click on the second option i.e. I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon.

When you click on I'm uploading a product not sold on Amazon, you will end up on this page. You can either search for the product category in the search bar or browse it through the list of categories given below that search bar. 

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• Picked the product type right to its sub-category and exact niche e.g.

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories→ Luggage & Travel Gear→ Handbags & Shoulder Bags→ Girls'

After selecting the exact product category, you will be redirected to this page.

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Here, first, switch the More Attributes toggle on to see all the sections you need to fill in. You need to take care of seven sections for adding your listing.

1. Vital Info 
2. Offer
3. Compliance
4. Images
5. Description
6. Keywords
7. More Details
8. Vital Info

The variation section only comes into play if you add the same product with its different variants (based on color, size, material, etc).

1. Vital Info

The first section is Vital Info. As the title suggests, all the fundamental information about your product will go in that section. 

The vital info section

First, you have to select if the product has variations. Select No if you add a product in a single size, design, material, and color. Then, you will have to add these vital pieces of information about the product. The cells with asterisk signs are compulsory to fill for the given product category (this rule applies to all the other sections as well).  

• Product ID: Enter the Product ID (GCID, UPC, EAN, etc) and select the correct ID type from the drop-down menu next to the ID box.
• Product Name: Enter the full product name here. If there are no variations and it’s the parent SKU, make sure to add color and size information as well in the title. This title will be displayed as the title of your product page visible to consumers.
• Brand: Add the brand name that you have registered with the Brand Registry as a private label seller. If you’re selling a white-label product, mention “generic” in that box.
• Outer Material: It is an important field to fill when listing a product in the clothing, shoes & accessories category. Here, we’re listing a handbag. So, we have to mention its primary material e.g. leather, Rexine, suede, synthetic, canvas, faux leather, etc. 
• Department: Here, you have to select the target audience from the drop-down menu. In this case, it is women/girls.
• Size: This box is more relevant to clothing and shoe items. Here, you will have to mention the exact size by European or US standards.
• Size Map: Through the size map drop-down menu, you will have to select the general size category of the product e.g. S, M, L, XL, XXL, etc.
• Color: In this box, you will have to mention the exact color shade of the product e.g. emerald green, sky blue, clay brown.
• Color Map: From this drop-down menu, you have to select the main color family of the shade you have just mentioned in the above box. For instance, if you have mentioned “emerald” in the above segment, you must select "green" here.
• Manufacturer: Mention the manufacturer name if you are selling a generic product.
• Manufacturer_contact_information: Mention the email address of the manufacturer. 

After filling out the vital information, click on Save and Finish and move to the Offer tab. 

2. Offer

You will have to fill in some critical listing information about your product in the Offer tab.

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The Offer tab

• Seller SKU: Mention the SKU you have assigned to the product. 
• Product Tax Code: If you are using Amazon’s sales tax collection service, you will be assigned a product tax code by Amazon. So, you can leave this field for now and fill it in once you get your product enrolled for the tax collection service. This code will guide Amazon on how to charge sales tax on the given item for the given product category (e.g. bags) and in the given jurisdiction (e.g. a particular US state).
• Shipping Template: You make shipping templates to manage the shipping settings for multiple products at once. You can create various templates with different shipping configurations for different products. Select the shipping template you want for that particular product. 
• Standard Price: Mention the price you want to sell the product for. 
• Sale Price: If you’re planning to offer a sale, mention the discounted price.
• Sale Start and End Date: Mention the start and end date to automate the sale.
• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: As the term suggests, it is the price that manufacturers or suppliers recommend for the retail sale. MSRP is more relevant to Amazon wholesale model, where sellers often do price undercutting to win the Buy Box. The MSRP value helps Amazon to keep things under check. You don't have to mention any MSRP price as a private label seller.
• Condition: Select the condition of the product i.e. new, used, like new, etc.
• Condition Note: Further elaborate on the product's condition if it is used. For instance, if it still comes in original packing or with all its accessories (if applicable). 
• Max Order Quantity: Mention the maximum number of units a shopper can buy at a single time.
• Handling Time: It is the number of days taken to procure, pack, and ship a product after the order confirmation of a customer. You have to quote this time in days e.g. 2 days, 3 days.
• Offering Can Be Gift Messaged: Select “yes” if you can offer the product with a gift wrap. Otherwise, select No.
• Is Gift Wrap Available: Select “yes” if the item is available as “gift-wrapped”. Otherwise, select No. 
• Offer Start Date: Choose the date from when you want to make the listing visible/online on the Amazon marketplace.
• Restock Date: You can choose the date from which the inventory will be available for back-ordered products. These product orders are for out-of-stock items and are expected to be delivered after inventory replenishment.
• Fulfilment Channel: Select if you want to fulfill the order yourself (FBM) or give it to Amazon (FBA).

After filling out all the relevant boxes, click on Save and Finish button.

3. Compliance

The next section of the listing is compliance. It primarily revolves around the specs of electronic items and accessories. Sift through this page and fill in the relevant boxes if you list anything involving any electronic component. 

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The Compliance section

4. Images

The next tab is Images. You can upload nine product images in this section. The main image is the one that's on display when a visitor opens the product listing. These images should be of high quality and with a pure white backdrop. Go through this guide to add images to the listing according to Amazon's instructions.

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The Images section

5. Description

Next is the Description tab. Like Images, this tab also plays an integral role in how your listing appears to potential consumers. 

• Product Description: In this section, you have to write a 2000-character (max) description of your product. This description should highlight the product's salient features and how they will solve customers' problems.
• Key Product Features: Amazon lets you add a maximum of five bullet points of 500 characters each. These bullet points are placed right beside the images and below the product title, making them more visible than the Product Description section that often comes below the fold on the product page. So, you should highlight all the USPs of your product here. If any vital point is missed due to the limitation of five bullets, try to add it to the product description. 
• CPSIA Warning Description: If your product entails a choking hazard, you have to outline its details. You are obligated to do that on product packaging, listings, etc under Federal laws. 
• Cpsia Warning:  Select the type of choking hazard (e.g. choking hazard small parts). Select “No warning applicable” if your product doesn't impose any such danger, select "No warning applicable".
• Legal Disclaimer: If your product has any legal disclaimer associated with it, write it down in this section.

Click on Save and Finish button and move to the next section.

The Description section

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6. Keywords

The next tab is for Keywords. Here you have to fill in some interesting boxes to complete your Amazon listing. The information you put here will make your listing more noticeable to Amazon's search algorithm.

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The Keywords Section

• Target Audience: Mention your target audience. Here, it is a women's handbag. So, the target audience can be women and girls. You can mention more than one group of the target audience.
• Style Keywords: These keywords categorize your product into a particular category. They respond to filters that customers can choose from the left navigation bar while searching for a product. 

“Climate pledge friendly” can be a style keyword for women's handbags.

• Search Terms: In this section, you can add keywords not already used in the title, key features, and product description. 
• Platinum Keywords: This section is only relevant to platinum sellers on the platform. Platinum sellers are the top-tier merchants on Amazon. The e-commerce giant hasn’t revealed its criteria to classify anyone as a platinum seller. Common sense suggests that these sellers have tremendous sales volume and a substantial brand footprint.

7. More Details

The next and last tab is More Details. This section mainly contains the optional fields you may need to fill, depending on the product you are listing. Product weight and dimensions are some of the essential boxes to fill here. Sift through all the boxes and fill in the relevant ones to your product. Once you fill out all the More Details page's relevant boxes, click on the Save and Finish button. 

The More Details section

After filling in the relevant product information in these seven sections, adding an Amazon listing through Add a Product option will be completed. The listing will go online on the launch date you have picked.

How Do You Add a Variation to an Amazon Listing?

If you're adding a product with more than one version of itself in different colors/sizes/shapes, you have to add them in the listing as variations. For that, click “yes” on the Vital Info tab and select the type of the variation (size, color, etc). 

Then, in the next tab called "Variation," check the type of variation you will introduce and mention its details in the boxes below. After that, click on the Add Variations button and then the Save and Finish button. 

Now, the listing will show the given product with its variants that you have listed down in the Variations section. So, for instance, if we add a handbag with color variations, the product listing will show that the handbag is available in those colors.

After adding variations, you can also add relevant images through Manage Images in the Edit option of the parent listing in the Manage Inventory section.

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Adding Amazon Listing: Add Products via Upload

When you click on Add products via upload, you will be directed to the Download an Inventory File tab.

Select the product category and the exact product type from this tab to generate the inventory template. It will create a custom template for the relevant product. Next, click on the Generate Template button on the bottom right of the page to download the inventory file in Excel format. 

The file you download is quite self-explanatory. It has six tabs: 

1. Instructions
2. Images
3. Examples
4. Data Definitions
5. Template
6. Browse Data
7. Valid Values

1. Instructions

This tab generally sums up how to use the inventory file.

2. Images

This tab gives all the instructions on how to choose and upload product images.

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3. Examples

The examples tab demonstrates how you can add multiple products and their information in the inventory file's relevant sections for bulk uploading listings.

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4. Data Definitions

The Data Definitions tab lays down all the definitions of the sections and fields given in the inventory template file so that you enter the correct information in the relevant columns and rows.

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5. Template

This is where you have to enter all the information about the product. You enter the same information as you put in the Vital Info section, Offer, Description, Keywords, and Other details tab when you directly add a product on Seller Central.

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6. Browse Data

The Browse Data tab shows the browse node and path of your selected product type.

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7. Valid Values

The last tab Valid Values outlines all the valid information for the type of data you want to enter into the template.

After completing the inventory file, you have to upload it on the next tab on the Add Products via the Upload page. Your product listing will go online on the mentioned launch date if the upload is successful. 

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You can see the upload status in the next section.

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What Makes an Optimal/Good Amazon Listing?

After taking care of all the essentials discussed above, don’t forget to consider the following points for acing your listing work.

Supercharge Your Listing with ZonGuru's New Listing Optimizer

While mastering the art of Amazon listing is crucial, wouldn't it be great if you could optimize your listings effortlessly and effectively? That's where ZonGuru's new Listing Optimizer comes into play. Backed by the powerful ChatGPT-4 AI technology, this tool is a game-changer for Amazon sellers.

The Listing Optimizer can either auto-generate new product listings or rewrite existing ones using data from the best keywords in your category. It even allows you to import keywords directly into your listings to enhance their sales potential. What sets it apart is its real-time Optimization and Listing Strength scoring system, letting you know just how well-optimized your listing is. Plus, it offers competitive analysis against up to 8 ASINs, giving you a comprehensive view of where you stand in the market.

So, if you're looking to make your product more visible to your target audience without the usual hassles and glitches, ZonGuru's Listing Optimizer is the tool you've been waiting for.

Search Engine Optimized-Listing 

Shortlist the right set of targeted and relevant keywords and incorporate them throughout the content of the listing i.e. title, product description, key features (bullet points). Having an SEO-savvy listing will always give you an edge over your competitors.

Address Customers’ Pain Points through Product Description

When writing a product description, always link a feature/spec of your product to how it is providing value to the consumer. Writing down just the product's features in the product description won’t affect a similar response. For instance, if it is a women’s handbag, highlight how it offers value in terms of fashion as well as utility.

Keep It Easy On the Eyes

Most visitors don’t read through a product listing from top to bottom. Instead, they will quickly scan it for the chunk of product details they are looking for. Moreover, customers today are more receptive to visual content.

Therefore, your product listing should be easily scannable and easy on the eyes. Add bullets that are short and easily give away the most fundamental features and USPs of the product. Moreover, add product images that don’t just express the functional details of the product but also do well on the aesthetics front. 

Visually exciting and easily scannable content makes for better audience engagement. If you are a brand owner under Amazon’s Brand Registry program, you can leverage the A+ Content option to make your product listings more visually appealing and scannable.

Final Words

We hope that the above discussion helps you add Amazon product listings without hassle. Make sure you thoroughly study the sections you need to fill and acquire the relevant information. Also, you must have top-quality images of your products in line with Amazon guidelines. Lastly, write the product description and bullet points that link your product to customers’ wants and needs.

Adding a listing without any gaffes ensures the right beginning of your selling journey on Amazon. 

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