Amazon description: how to write a product description that sells
The Amazon description is the paragraph section of a product detail page where a product is explained in full. This guide covers Amazon's rules for it, what it does for search, how to structure one, how A+ Content changes it, and the separate rules for book descriptions on KDP.
Key takeaways
- Every ASIN must have a product description. It sits lower on the detail page than the title and bullets, and does the deeper explaining.
- Amazon's detail page rules ban contact details, prices, availability, reviews and testimonials, promotions and any code except line breaks.
- Descriptions are matched against searches, but Amazon may not use all of the text. Must rank keywords belong in the title and search terms.
- When a brand publishes Basic A+ Content, it appears in the Product Description section of the detail page.
- Book descriptions on KDP follow their own rules: up to 4,000 characters, HTML tags counted, and a few supported tags.
What the Amazon description is
The Amazon description, formally the product description, is a paragraph of text that describes the product on its detail page. Amazon's search glossary calls it a required catalog attribute: every ASIN must have one. It sits below the title, bullets and images, in the part of the page a customer reaches when they are seriously considering a purchase.
Amazon's discoverability page describes its role. Bullet points highlight key features for a quick read, while the product description elaborates on key features and uses, with room for usage, benefits, technical specifications and the best applications for the item. It should be concise, clear and engaging, and give the buyer what they need to decide.
So a good Amazon product description is not a longer copy of the bullets. Amazon's bullet requirements even say to minimize duplication between bullets and the description. The description is where the product is explained properly: how it works, what it is made of, what comes in the box, and how to care for it.
For brands in Brand Registry, the description area can also be taken over by A+ Content, which the sections below cover. The description is one field in a listing; the full set is in our Amazon listing optimization guide.
Amazon's rules for product descriptions
Amazon's product detail page rules apply to titles, descriptions, bullet points and images together. Breaking them can get content removed, and Amazon warns that listings which are purposefully inaccurate or deceptively described can lead to corrective action on the account, up to losing selling privileges.
Not allowed in an Amazon description
- Phone numbers, addresses, email addresses or website URLs
- Details of availability, price or condition
- Links to other websites, or offers such as free shipping
- Reviews, quotes or testimonials, and requests for reviews
- Adverts, promotional material, and time sensitive information
What Amazon asks for instead
- Accurate, trustworthy information that does not mislead
- Clear writing that helps customers understand the product
- Capital letters only at the start of words, never all caps
- No HTML or code, except line breaks in the description
- Any extra items essential to the product's function, spelled out
Two rules surprise many sellers. First, testimonials are banned: a quote from a happy customer, a magazine or an expert cannot go in the description, however real it is. Second, the rules for editing say you may only update a detail page to describe the product better or more accurately, such as adding details, clarifying or fixing grammar.
Claims deserve care too. Amazon's rules say information must not mislead about a product's qualities, and point to its prohibited product claims policy. Its bullet requirements list claims such as "eco-friendly" and "anti-bacterial" as prohibited, and the same caution applies to the description.
Does the Amazon description help SEO?
Yes, with a limit. Amazon's discoverability page says customers find products by searching keywords, which are matched against information such as the title and description. But it adds a note: Amazon reserves the right not to use all supplied content from the product description, including bullet points, for retrieving products in search results.
The reasons Amazon gives include search efficiency, attempts to manipulate results, irrelevant terms and offensive terms. The practical rule follows: words a product must be found for go in the title and the backend search terms, where they are matched reliably. The description adds secondary keywords, variations and context.
| Field | Keyword role | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Primary keywords, read first | The few terms the product must rank for |
| Bullet points | Features and uses, not always indexed | Keywords as they naturally describe a feature |
| Product description | Secondary keywords and variations; not all text used | Explain the product; each key phrase once |
| Backend search terms | Synonyms and other names, indexed | What the visible fields have no room for |
Amazon's seller blog gives a simple test for keywords in a description: if you use a key phrase once, you probably do not need to use it again. It warns that keyword stuffing, repeating keywords to rank, creates a poor customer experience and can hurt rankings. Use variations instead of repeats.
How search matching works across all these fields is covered in our Amazon SEO guide, and the hidden field in our guide to Amazon backend keywords.
How to write an Amazon product description
Amazon's seller blog lists the details worth covering: materials, colors, quantities, sizes, dimensions, care instructions and warranty information. A useful description turns that list into a short explanation that answers the questions a buyer still has after reading the bullets.
- Open with one sentence that says what the product is and who it is for.
- Explain how it works or how it is used, in the setting the buyer has in mind.
- Give the specifications: materials, dimensions, weight, capacity, compatibility.
- List exactly what comes in the package, including anything sold separately that it needs.
- Cover care, setup or maintenance in plain steps.
- State warranty terms accurately, without guarantee language such as "full refund".
- Read it once for repeated phrases, claims you cannot support, and anything banned.
- Paragraphs
- ShortSeparated with line breaks, the only formatting allowed
- Each key phrase
- OnceAmazon's blog: no need to repeat it
- Testimonials
- NoneReviews and quotes are banned in descriptions
- Length
- TemplateCheck the character limit in your category template
Write for the buyer who has scrolled this far, because that buyer is close to deciding. Amazon's rule that the page must outline any additional items essential to the product's function is the one to check twice: a missing battery or adapter mentioned nowhere is a return waiting to happen.
An example, before and after
Before
BEST BOTTLE ON AMAZON!!! Our customers LOVE it: "Changed my life!" Buy today, on sale this week only, free shipping. Visit our website for more colors. Best bottle, best price, best quality bottle.
- All caps and a testimonial, both against the detail page rules
- Price, a time limited offer and free shipping: banned details
- A website mention, and "bottle" and "best" repeated with nothing explained
After
This insulated water bottle is made for a full day away from a tap. Two stainless steel walls with a vacuum between them keep drinks cold, and the outside stays dry in a bag. The straw lid opens with one hand; a spout lid is included for hot drinks.
Capacity: 32 oz. In the box: bottle, straw lid, spout lid, cleaning brush. Hand wash the lids; the body is dishwasher safe.
- What it is and who it is for, in the first sentence
- How it works, the specification, and what is in the box
- Care instructions, with no claims that cannot be checked
An illustrative product, not a real listing. The after version uses the primary keyword once, adds variations such as straw lid and spout lid, and leaves the must rank terms to the title and search terms.
A+ Content and the product description
Brands in Brand Registry can replace the plain look of the description with A+ Content. Amazon's A+ page says Basic A+ Content appears in the Product Description section of the detail page, with modules of images, text, comparison charts and feature lists. Premium A+ appears there too, with larger images and video.
A+ Content adds what plain text cannot: images next to each feature, comparison charts across a product line, and a brand story. Amazon says it may raise conversion rates, reduce negative reviews and reduce returns. Basic A+ is free for Brand Representatives and Resellers.
| Question | Plain product description | Basic A+ Content |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Every seller; required on every ASIN | Professional sellers with a Brand Representative or Reseller role |
| Formatting | Text with line breaks only | Modules with images, headers, lists and comparison charts |
| Where it shows | Product Description section | Product Description section |
| Rules | Product detail page rules | A+ content guidelines, including unique images |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Keep the plain description complete even when A+ is published. It is a required attribute, Amazon's discoverability page describes it as matched against searches, and it is what remains if the A+ project is ever removed. The A+ rules, from unique images to dated award claims, are covered in our listing optimization guide.
Book descriptions on Amazon KDP
Books published through Kindle Direct Publishing follow different rules. KDP's help page says the book description appears on the book's Amazon detail page and is often a reader's first experience of its content. It recommends three qualities: simple, compelling and professional, with a first sentence that draws the reader in. Publishing on KDP is also one of the Amazon side hustles that fit around a job.
KDP suggests aiming for about a 150 word paragraph with sentences that are easy to scan, and describing only the main plot, theme or idea. Unlike seller product descriptions, book descriptions can use basic HTML for formatting.
| KDP rule | What the KDP help page says |
|---|---|
| Length limit | 4,000 characters, counting HTML tags: bold "test" counts as 11 characters |
| Supported tags | Line break, paragraph, bold, italic, emphasis, underline, lists, and headings h4 to h6 |
| Not supported | Headings h1 to h3, and stray or doubled angle brackets |
| Spacing | Double spaces between words do not show on the detail page |
| Where to edit | Bookshelf, the ellipsis next to the book, Edit Details, Description |
Description mistakes to avoid
Copying the bullets
Amazon asks to minimize duplication. The description should explain what the bullets only name.
Adding testimonials
Reviews, quotes and testimonials are banned in descriptions, even real ones.
Mentioning price or shipping
Price, availability, condition and offers such as free shipping are not allowed.
Stuffing keywords
Amazon's blog says stuffing can hurt rankings. Use each key phrase once.
Using HTML in a product description
Only line breaks are allowed. Formatting tricks belong in A+ Content.
Leaving out what the product needs
Amazon's rules require the page to outline items essential to the product's function.
If you want a description written against these rules, or a full listing rewrite, our Amazon listing optimization service starts with a free audit of one listing.
Amazon description FAQ
What is an Amazon product description?
It is the paragraph section of an Amazon detail page that describes the product in depth: how it works, its uses, benefits and specifications. Amazon's search glossary calls it a required catalog attribute, so every ASIN must have one.
How long should an Amazon description be?
Long enough to answer the questions the bullets leave open, and no longer. The character limit is set by your category's inventory template, so check it there. For books on KDP, the limit is 4,000 characters including HTML tags.
Can I use HTML in an Amazon product description?
No, apart from line breaks. Amazon's product detail page rules say not to use HTML, JavaScript or other code, with line breaks in the description as the one exception. Book descriptions on KDP are different and support basic HTML.
Does the product description affect Amazon SEO?
It can. Amazon matches search keywords against information such as the title and description, but says it may not use all description content for search. Put must rank keywords in the title and search terms, and use the description for secondary keywords and variations.
What should an Amazon description include?
Amazon's seller blog lists materials, colors, quantities, sizes, dimensions, care instructions and warranty information. Add how the product is used, what is in the box, and any extra items it needs to work.
What is not allowed in an Amazon description?
Contact details and URLs, price, availability or condition, links to other sites, free shipping offers, reviews, quotes, testimonials, requests for reviews, promotional material and time sensitive information, according to Amazon's detail page rules.
Does A+ Content replace the product description?
On the page, largely yes: Amazon says Basic A+ Content appears in the Product Description section. Keep the plain description complete anyway, since it is a required attribute and is described by Amazon as matched against searches.
Can I put customer reviews in my Amazon description?
No. Amazon's product detail page rules ban reviews, quotes and testimonials in titles, descriptions, bullets and images, and also ban requests for positive reviews.
How do I write a book description on Amazon?
KDP recommends a simple, compelling and professional description of about 150 words, focused on the main plot, theme or idea, with a strong first sentence. You can use basic HTML such as bold and lists, within 4,000 characters.
How do I edit my Amazon description?
In Seller Central, edit the listing and update the product description field; the change must describe the product better or more accurately. For KDP books, go to the Bookshelf, select Edit Details, and update the Description.
Sources
- Product detail page rules, Seller Central helpLast verified September 24, 2026.
- Optimize your product discoverability, Seller Central helpLast verified September 24, 2026.
- Amazon search glossary, Seller Central helpLast verified September 24, 2026.
- Product bullet point requirements, Seller Central helpLast verified September 24, 2026.
- A+ Content, Seller Central helpLast verified September 24, 2026.
- Amazon SEO: 7 ways to improve your product's search rankings, Sell on Amazon blogLast verified September 24, 2026.
- Write a Book Description, KDP helpLast verified September 24, 2026.
Get a free review of one Amazon description
Send one ASIN. You get a written check of its description against Amazon's rules, with a rewritten version and notes on what belongs in the title, bullets or A+ Content instead.
See the Amazon listing optimization service