Amazon prohibited and restricted words: the 2026 list, with sources
Amazon doesn't publish one banned words list. The restrictions are spread across several Seller Central help pages: title rules, bullet point rules, detail page rules and the claims policy. This page collects the words and phrases Amazon names itself, quotes the page each one comes from, and shows which ones CopyForge AI's checker flags and which it doesn't.
We read every source below on 21 October 2026. Amazon edits these pages without notice, so check the linked page before you rely on a line here.
Words and characters Amazon restricts in titles
Source: Amazon, Product title requirements and guidelines (US). Seller Central title requirements
| Restricted | What Amazon's page says |
|---|---|
| Promotional phrases | Titles must not contain promotional phrases, such as "free shipping" or "100% quality guaranteed." |
| Special characters | Titles must not use the following special characters: !, $, ?, _, {, }, ^, ¬, ¦. |
| Subjective commentary | Subjective commentary examples are "Hot Item" or "Best seller". |
| Restricted phrases | Do not include restricted phrases, such as "FSA/HSA eligible." |
| Word repetition | Titles must not contain the same word more than twice. |
| Length | Titles must not exceed 75 characters, including spaces. (All stores except Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and the UAE, and except media product types.) |
The same page says a non-compliant title "might be automatically corrected or it might not appear in our search results", and its troubleshooting table lists "Title suppression".
Words Amazon lists as prohibited in bullet points
Source: Amazon, Product bullet point requirements (US). Seller Central bullet point requirements. Amazon's "Prohibited content" table says bullets containing these "may be removed or updated":
- Prohibited claims: "eco-friendly," "environmentally friendly," "ecologically friendly," "anti-microbial," "anti-bacterial," "made from bamboo," "contains bamboo," "made from soy," "contains soy."
- Guarantee information: "Full refund," "If not satisfied, send it back," "Unconditional guarantee with no limit"
- Placeholder text: "not applicable," "NA," "n/a," "N/A," "not eligible," "yet to decide," "to be decided," "TBD," "copy pending"
- Special characters and emojis: ™, ®, €, …, †, ‡, ¢, £, ¥, ©, ±, ~ and emojis such as ✅ and ❌
- External information: "Company information, website links, external hyperlinks, contact information"
- All caps ("ELEGANT DESIGN") and abbreviations ("qty," "pkg," "w/," "approx.")
The same page also says: "Avoid subjective, performance, or comparative claims unless they're verifiable on packaging."
Content banned anywhere on the detail page
Source: Amazon, Product detail page rules (US). Seller Central detail page rules. Amazon says "None of the following are allowed in product detail page titles, descriptions, bullet points, or images", including:
- "Phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, or website URLs."
- "Details of availability, price, or condition."
- "Reviews, quotes, or testimonials."
- "Requests for positive customer reviews."
- "Restricted phrases such as 'FSA/HSA eligible'"
The same page warns against repeatedly adding and removing prohibited claims: sellers who do that "may be subjected to corrective actions, including but not limited to the immediate termination of selling privileges."
Claim words that need proof, or approval
Source: Amazon, Misleading and prohibited claims (US). Misleading and prohibited claims. These words aren't banned outright. Amazon says they need evidence or official approval:
- Certifications: "making false or misleading claims about product certifications, such as 'FDA Approved' or 'CE Certified'."
- Superlatives: "best", "100% pure", or "guaranteed" should only be used when supported by verifiable and objective proof.
- Disease claims: Amazon "prohibits the sale of products that imply or claim to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent diseases in humans or animals without approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)." Its list of examples includes "Anti-Bacterial", "Anti-Fungal" and "Anti-Microbial" alongside diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
- Pesticide wording: see Amazon pesticide and antimicrobial claims.
For the full claims policy, see Amazon prohibited product claims.
Which of these CopyForge AI's checker flags
The checker runs ruleset v2026.11.01 (19 documented rules, reviewed 1 November 2026; full list at /about#rules). It's a wording check. Here's how it lines up with the lists above.
| Amazon restriction | Flagged by the checker? |
|---|---|
| "anti-bacterial", "anti-microbial", "antiviral", "disinfects", "sanitizes", "kills 99.9% of germs", plus "mildew resistant", "prevents mold" and "repels insects" | Yes: pesticide or antimicrobial rule |
| "cures", "treats", "prevents" + a condition (for example "relieves joint pain") | Yes: regulated health claim rule |
| "FDA approved", "FDA cleared", "FDA registered" | Yes: regulatory approval rule |
| "best seller", "#1", "top rated", "most popular" | Yes: ranking claim rule |
| "money-back guarantee", "risk-free", "100% satisfaction", "lifetime guarantee" | Yes: absolute guarantee rule |
| "eco-friendly", "environmentally friendly", "carbon neutral" | Yes: environmental claim rule |
| "CE certified", "BPA-free", "non-toxic", "food grade" | Yes: certification claim rule (keep your evidence) |
| URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, "WhatsApp" | Yes: off-platform contact rule (Amazon channel) |
| Star ratings or review counts in copy ("rated 4.9 stars") | Yes: social-proof rule |
| Title over 75 characters | Separate tools: Amazon title checker and listing limits checker |
| "free shipping", special characters, emojis, placeholder text, word repetition, "made from bamboo/soy", "FSA/HSA eligible", all caps | Not covered today. Check these by hand against Amazon's pages above. |
| Images, A+ content, packaging | Not covered. The scan reads text only. |
A clean result means no configured rule matched. It isn't Amazon approval or legal advice. Use the Amazon listing compliance checker to check your listing against these rules. The Listing Score highlights risky wording in a pasted listing and explains why.
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Questions
Does Amazon publish an official list of prohibited words?
Not as one list. The restrictions sit in separate Seller Central help pages: title requirements, bullet point requirements, product detail page rules and the misleading and prohibited claims policy. This page quotes each one.
Is "antibacterial" banned on Amazon?
It's on Amazon's prohibited-claims list for bullet points, and Amazon's pesticide page says antibacterial claims can make a product count as a pesticide in the US. Products with valid EPA registration or a qualifying exemption are treated differently. See Amazon pesticide and antimicrobial claims.
Can I write "best seller" in my title?
Amazon's title page gives "Best seller" as an example of subjective commentary not to use in titles. Elsewhere, its claims policy says superlatives need "verifiable and objective proof".
Can I put my website or WhatsApp number in a listing?
No. Amazon's detail page rules don't allow "Phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, or website URLs" in titles, descriptions, bullet points or images.
What happens if my listing uses a restricted word?
According to the pages above, Amazon may correct or suppress the title, remove or update bullets, or, for prohibited claims, take "product removal, listing restrictions, and account penalties". What actually happens depends on the case.
Does a clean CopyForge AI scan mean my listing is compliant?
No. It means none of the 19 configured rules matched. The scan doesn't read images, check your product facts or cover every category rule.
Sources
Opened 21 October 2026. Seller Central pages are public but JavaScript-rendered, and were read with a headless browser.