Account Health Tips

Q: What is the Account Health Rating (AHR)?

AHR is a 0-1,000 score: 200+ is Healthy, 100-199 is At risk, below 100 is Critical and the account can be deactivated.

Q: What should I do if I get a policy violation?

Address it within 24-48 hours. Use Account Shield's POA Generator to create a compliant Plan of Action.

Keep your Amazon seller account safe with these daily, weekly, and monthly checks. Based on 9+ years of selling experience and Amazon's 2026 policy requirements.

Daily Checks Critical

Order Defect Rate (ODR)
Monitor your ODR in Account Health dashboard. A-to-Z claims, chargebacks, and negative feedback all contribute.
Threshold: below 1%
Late Shipment Rate
Ship all orders before the expected ship date. FBA handles this automatically - FBM sellers must track manually. FBM: also keep On-Time Delivery Rate at or above 90%. Since June 29, 2026 Amazon also checks that each SKU's handling time matches how fast you actually ship.
Threshold: below 4%
Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate
Don't cancel orders due to stock-outs. Keep inventory synced across all channels.
Threshold: below 2.5%
Voice of Customer (VoC)
Check the VoC dashboard daily for "CX Health" flags. Amazon silently suppresses listings based on VoC data - you won't get a notification.
Action: Fix any yellow or red flags immediately
New Reviews
Monitor new reviews for policy violations (fake, off-topic, competitor attacks). Report violations within 24 hours for best results.
Tool: ReviewShield
Suppressed Listings
Check Manage Inventory → Suppressed tab. Suppressed listings get zero traffic. Fix title, images, or compliance issues immediately.
Tool: Listing Studio

Weekly Checks Important

IP Complaints
Check Performance → Policy Compliance for intellectual property claims. Respond to every claim, even frivolous ones. Document your supply chain.
Product Authenticity
Keep invoices and Letters of Authorization on file for all ASINs. Amazon may ask for proof at any time - have it ready within 24 hours.
Product Safety Notifications
Check for safety complaints. Respond within 24 hours. One unresolved safety complaint can trigger immediate ASIN deactivation.
Listing Compliance Audit
Review titles, bullets, and images for policy compliance. Check for prohibited words, overclaiming, and missing required attributes.
Tool: Listing Studio
Return Rate Monitoring
Monitor high-return ASINs. When an ASIN's return rate is above its category threshold (from 2.9% in Grocery to 12.8% in Luggage, measured over a rolling 3 months), Amazon charges an FBA returns processing fee on each return above it; apparel and shoes pay on every return. Investigate root causes - packaging, product quality, listing accuracy.
Account Health Rating (AHR)
Check your AHR score. Keep it above 200 points. Each violation category deducts differently - IP complaints are the heaviest.
Threshold: above 200 points

Monthly Checks Maintenance

GPSR Compliance (EU sellers)
EU General Product Safety Regulation requires responsible person info and safety documentation. Non-compliance = listing removal in EU.
Documentation Audit
Verify all invoices, compliance certificates, and LOAs are current. Replace expired documents before Amazon asks.
Keyword & SEO Audit
Re-audit listings for Alexa for Shopping (formerly Rufus) and COSMO Knowledge Graph readiness. Amazon's search algorithm evolves constantly.
Tool: Listing Studio
Fee Structure Review
Amazon changes fees quarterly. Run Profit Calculator with updated costs to ensure margins are still healthy.
Tool: Profit Calculator
Account Data Backup
Export product data, order reports, and inventory snapshots. If your account is suspended, you'll need this data for reinstatement.
Policy Updates Review
Read Amazon Seller News for policy changes. New restricted product categories, compliance requirements, and fee structures appear regularly.

Need account protection?

Account Shield writes a Plan of Action from Amazon's notice and your answers, then checks the dates, numbers, IDs and names in the letter against your facts before you copy it. It also counts title, bullet and Search Terms limits exactly and keeps this list as an interactive checklist.

Try Account Shield →

Already wrote a Plan of Action? Check it free in your browser →

Why Amazon Account Health Matters More Than Ever in 2026

The Account Health Rating (AHR) is a 0-1,000 score: 200 and above is Healthy, 100-199 is At risk, below 100 is Critical. A single policy violation can push it below 200 and put the account at risk. Most sellers only check their Account Health Dashboard when something goes wrong - by then, it's often too late.

This checklist covers 18 essential daily and weekly checks that keep your metrics in the green zone. Each item maps to a specific Amazon policy or metric threshold. Completing them regularly prevents the slow drift that leads to sudden account actions - no software or API connection required.

Key Metrics to Monitor

Order Defect Rate must stay below 1% (A-to-Z claims, chargebacks, negative feedback). Late Shipment Rate under 4% for FBM orders. Valid Tracking Rate above 95%. Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate below 2.5%. Voice of the Customer (VoC) - check weekly for any "CX Health" alerts on individual ASINs. Intellectual Property complaints - even one unresolved complaint can trigger review. Product Authenticity - respond to any complaint within 48 hours. Policy Compliance - check for listing suppression or ASIN-level restrictions daily. On-Time Delivery Rate for seller-fulfilled orders must stay at or above 90% (rolling 14 days); since February 28, 2026 Amazon deactivates the listings that pull it down most, and the whole seller-fulfilled catalog only if OTDR is far below 90% or keeps failing. To protect OTDR, Amazon recommends Shipping Settings Automation, Automated Handling Time and OTDR-protected labels bought through Buy Shipping or Veeqo. Since August 31, 2026 a single FBM offer that puts Account Health at risk (cancellation, late shipment, order defect or on-time delivery) is temporarily deactivated on its own (instead of putting the whole account at risk) after a warning email - reactivate it under Account Health > Other Policy Violations. Since June 29, 2026 each FBM SKU's handling time must match how fast it really ships: SKUs that consistently ship at least a day faster get flagged, and if they aren't fixed within 30 days Amazon sets the handling time itself. Since September 30, 2026, FBM sellers who ship to Amazon Business customers (US store) must also keep a Business Hour Delivery Rate - delivery during the customer's business hours - of at least 90% over a rolling 14 days; if it is still below 90% after October 30, 2026, their FBM offers can be deactivated for Amazon Business customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I check my account health?

Daily for critical metrics (ODR, VoC, IP complaints) and weekly for everything else. The checklist above separates items by frequency so you know what to check when.

What is the Account Health Rating (AHR)?

AHR is Amazon's 0-1,000 score of how well your account follows its policies. 200 and above is Healthy, 100-199 is At risk, and below 100 is Critical, where the account can be deactivated. Each policy violation lowers the score.

What should I do if I get a policy violation?

Address it immediately - within 24-48 hours. Use Account Shield's POA Generator to create a compliant Plan of Action. The faster you respond with a well-structured appeal, the better your chances of resolution without account impact.

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