Review your buyer-message templates before one small line creates a policy problem.
The Amazon Seller's Messaging Rulebook gives you seven buyer-message checks, safer and risky examples, and a practical way to review review requests, VA templates, agency scripts, inserts, and support messages.
Get the PDF rulebook
We will email the PDF rulebook. Policy guidance can change.
What you receive
One PDF rulebook: The Amazon Seller's Messaging Rulebook.
Seven buyer-message rules with compliant and risky examples side by side.
A review workflow for buyer-message templates, review requests, agencies, VAs, inserts, and support scripts.
✓ 7 message rules
✓ Compliant vs risky examples
✓ VA and agency template checks
✓ Review request cleanup
Messaging rules reviewed: September 2026
✦ What's inside
Seven rules that turn buyer messaging into a checklist.
The rulebook is for sellers who want more reviews without creating review manipulation risk through message content, timing, templates, inserts, blocked messages, accessibility issues, or third-party workflows.
01
Every message needs a real reason.
Check whether each proactive message is tied to completing an order or answering a real service issue.
02
Every message needs the order ID.
Catch the missing 17-digit order ID that can make an otherwise simple message noncompliant.
03
Never name a rating or offer anything.
Remove star-rating language, coupons, refunds, gifts, or anything that could influence the review.
04
One request per order.
Prevent repeat follow-ups that feel polite but create review-request risk.
Check emojis, GIFs, extra line breaks, centered text, custom fonts and colors, and oversized images, even when the wording is fine.
07
Timing and language matter.
Send within 30 days of order completion and in the buyer's language of preference.
✦ Why good sellers get flagged
Intent does not clean up the message after it is sent.
Most sellers who create review risk are not trying to manipulate buyers. They are using old templates, asking a VA to follow up, copying a brand-friendly script, or adding a small insert that sounded harmless.
Amazon messaging rules are strict because message content, timing, incentives, and account-wide patterns can all matter. A seller is still responsible when a third party sends the message on their behalf.
The rulebook gives you the language-level checks your team needs before the next review request, support reply, or insert card goes live.
✦ How to use it
Audit every message your buyer might see.
01
Collect templates.
Gather buyer-seller messages, Request a Review language, support macros, insert cards, warranty cards, and agency scripts.
02
Apply the seven rules.
Compare each template against the rulebook and mark exact lines that need removal or rewriting.
03
Rewrite risky lines.
Remove rating language, incentives, repeat requests, external links, and anything that could move the buyer off Amazon.
04
Lock the approved version.
Give your VA, agency, or support team one approved template set and a review date.
Do not let an old template keep running on autopilot.
Use the seven checks to review your live buyer-message templates, then verify current requirements in Seller Central before making a final decision.
We will email the PDF rulebook. Policy guidance can change.
✦ FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is asking for an Amazon review still allowed?
Yes, but the request has to follow Amazon's communication rules. The rulebook helps you avoid language that names a rating, offers an incentive, repeats the request, or moves the buyer off Amazon.
Can I offer a discount for a review?
No. Do not offer coupons, refunds, gifts, warranties, or other compensation in exchange for a review or a positive rating.
Can my VA or agency use their own message template?
They should not use unapproved templates. If a VA or agency sends messages on your behalf, your account can still absorb the policy risk.
What if my message only says thank you?
A thank-you message with no order-related reason can still be a problem. The rulebook helps you check whether a message has a permitted purpose.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is an educational guide for Amazon sellers. Always verify current Amazon Communication Guidelines before publishing or sending buyer messages.
