Inventory file upload FAQ

Processing time will depend on the file size. Small files may load in minutes, while larger files (greater than 5 MB) may take up to eight hours to process. If a small file is not processed within an hour, it is potentially stuck. Likewise, if a large file is not processed within eight hours, it is potentially stuck. In the event that this occurs, contact Seller Support to cancel the inventory file upload so it can be resubmitted.

If you receive any errors after you upload an inventory file, refer to the processing report to obtain more information about each error. We recommend that you open your inventory file and processing report side-by-side, so you can determine which fields in your inventory file resulted in upload errors.

To download and review processing reports, see Review a processing report

There are several reasons why product information might not appear to upload successfully.

Has the inventory file been delayed?

To determine if a submitted inventory file has been processed, check the Monitor Upload Status section within the Add Products via Upload page in Seller Central. The status of submitted inventory files will appear as "Request Submitted," "In Progress," or "Done." Processing time will depend on the file size. Small files can load in minutes, while larger files (greater than 5 MB) might take up to eight hours to process. If a small file is not processed within an hour, it is potentially stuck. Likewise, if a large file is not processed within 8 hours, it is potentially stuck. In the event that this occurs, contact Seller Support to abort the inventory file upload so it can be resubmitted.

Did any records have errors?

To determine if a processed inventory file had any errors, visit the Monitor Upload Status section on the Add Products via Upload page in Seller Central. In the Upload Status column, you will see the number of records with errors, and you can find details in the Processing Report. To troubleshoot inventory file errors, please see the FAQ above: How can I fix inventory file upload errors.

Are any records suppressed?

It’s possible for you to submit an inventory file that processes without errors, but when you visit the associated product detail page, the listing cannot be found. This usually occurs when one or more detail pages lack product images. In this scenario, the SKU might be suppressed.

Do you have Detail Page Control?

It is possible that product data you upload will not be reflected in the catalog due to Detail Page Control. Detail Page Control rolls up contributions from multiple sellers into a single "reconciled" view for buyers in the catalog.

You can create variations in most product categories on Amazon. In inventory files, you use variation themes (i.e. Size, Color, SizeColor) to describe how your products vary. Variation themes differ by category. To view a list of available variation themes, go to Add products via Upload to download the inventory file template for your product’s category and refer to the Data Definitions tab; the Variation Information section will contain a list of available variation themes. You can also refer to the Valid Values tab of the inventory file template for a list of available variation themes.

When you create variations, you create a child SKU for each variation (Size, Color, etc.) of the product, and you create a single parent SKU that acts as a display case in the catalog for the child SKUs. For instructions on how to create variations after you’ve downloaded an Inventory File Template and chosen a variation theme for your product, see Create parent-child relationships.

Use the Shipping Settings feature in your account to customize your standard service levels, shipping regions, and shipping rates. To make product-level shipping exceptions, use the Shipping Overrides Template. Sellers typically use shipping overrides to offer free shipping on products and to set custom shipping rates for oversized or overweight items.

Yes, simply include URLs to your images in your inventory files. Watch the Product Images tutorial and see the Preparing Product Images Help page and for more information.

1. Confirm the UPC is valid; locate a check digit calculator online to check the validity of the UPC
2. If the UPC begins with a leading zero (e.g. 013803156881), format the standard product ID column to ensure the leading zero isn’t removed after you enter the UPC
3. If you received a UPC exemption in a category:
   
   1. Ensure the brand of the item is not included in one of the following lists:
      • Baby category brands that require UPCs
      • Beauty Major Brands Requiring UPCs
      • Clothing, Accessories & Luggage Brands Requiring UPCs
      • Health & Personal Care Major Brands Requiring UPCs
      • Sports & Outdoors UPC Required Brands
   2. Refer to the instructions in the email you received when you were granted the exemption for instructions on how to use it

You can update the price and quantity of your products by using:

• The Price & Quantity file (the easiest way)
• The Inventory Loader file
• The appropriate category-specific inventory file
  Note: you can update prices and quantities by modifying your existing inventory file, or you can upload a new inventory file that contains only SKUs, prices and quantities, and use the Partial-update feature.

Yes, you can. After you’ve configured your Tax Settings, you can use the Product Tax Code field in inventory files to add or remove product tax codes from SKUs and collect tax accordingly. Learn more about Tax Calculation Services.

You can change the category of a product by including the product in an inventory file for the category you prefer; however, the category must be appropriate for the product and the change is subject to Detail Page Control.