Have you attempted to create a new listing on Amazon (or add an offer to an existing item), only to receive the following error message?
“Sorry, the ability to create a listing for this item is restricted.”
This issue can be frustrating and confusing, especially if it’s for an item you should be able to create a listing for.
In this article, we’ll first go over what causes this issue, and how you can fix it. We’ll also go over an example template you can send to Amazon Seller Support that can be used to successfully unrestrict certain listings from being created.
1. The Category Is Restricted
If you’re unable to create any new listing in a certain category, it’s likely that the category is restricted and requires ungating from Amazon.
Amazon restricts certain categories from allowing you to list freely. This is primarily due to liability issues. Amazon is strict to ensure only safe, authorized products are able to be listed for sale, and may restrict untrusted sellers from selling items in potentially dangerous categories, or items that are prone to counterfeiting.
For example, watches jewelry, and toys during the holidays are restricted to sellers that have not been manually approved by Amazon.
You can see the categories you’ve been ungated in within Amazon Seller Central.
2. The Brand Is Restricted
Like categories, brands may also be restricted for sale. When it comes to listing certain brands, only preapproved sellers will actually be able to make a listing.
This is most common with major household brands, such as Nike or Disney. These are companies that prone to counterfeiting and inauthentic items, being resold by unauthorized sellers.
So, Amazon and the brands that sell on there have gotten much more restrictive in recent years over who is actually allowed to sell their products.
Hundreds of different brands require preapproval in order to sell. Simply ordering wholesale from the manufacturer or one of their authorized distributors may not be enough to allow you to sell the product.
It is best to know which brands are restricted in advance when sourcing your product. This will prevent you from being stuck with the error message stating that creating a listing for that item is restricted, essentially leaving you with inventory that you’re unable to sell.
3. Parent / Child ASIN Errors
Sometimes, strange Amazon errors like this one can be caused by issues with the child ASINs in relation to the parent listing.
This is most common with listings created with a flat file. Amazon will begin the process of creating the listings, even if there were errors in the data when the file was uploaded.
This can leave listings that are broken, but are still technically part of the Amazon catalog.
The best thing to do in this situation is to update the listings using the PartialUpdate option within the spreadsheet. Alternatively, delete all the listings and upload again with the data fixed.
4. Temporary Error
It is also possible that Amazon is experiencing a temporary error with listing creation.
This happens more often than you might think, and is certainly noticeable if you create a lot of listings.
Unfortunately all you can do is wait for the error to be fixed, which can happen in a few minutes to a few hours. If this error is widespread, you’ll often find people mentioning it within the Amazon Seller forums.
So, this might be a good place to check to see if other people are experiencing the issue.
Fixing Listing Restriction Errors With Amazon Seller Support
Assuming you’ve already checked and applied the other fixes suggested, your last option is to contact Amazon Seller Support. If possible, try to reach the catalog team.
As many sellers can attest to, this can be a long and frustrating process. Therefore, the key is to explain your issue in clear terms and provide a straightforward solution. Highlight the reasons why you should be able to create a listing, and call attention to the issue.
Here is an example template to send to Seller Support if Amazon claims that the listing is restricted:
“Hello,
I am attempting to make a listing for ASIN ID (PUT ASIN HERE). I am able to list other products in the X category, and my account is not restricted for the X brand. I have been able to list other similar products in the past without issues.
I am receiving the error ‘Sorry, the ability to create a listing for this item is restricted’ despite the fact that my account should be able to list this item.
Could this please be looked into, so I can move forward with listing this product for sale?
Thank you,
Your Name”
Note that if you’ve recently been unrestricted for a brand or category, it can take up to 48 hours for this status to reflect within Amazon Seller Central.
Conclusion
If you receive an error message stating that the ability to create a listing is restricted, don’t worry.
If you’re truly able to list this item, the error should sort itself out before long. Even if it doesn’t, a message to Seller Support should put things in the right direction.