Policy Guide•December 29, 2024•12 min read

Amazon Restricted Keywords: The Ultimate Guide for Merch by Amazon Sellers

If you're selling on Merch by Amazon, your success doesn't just depend on great designs — it also depends on compliant listings. Many sellers face frustrating rejections because of restricted keywords. These rules apply across all niches, whether you're designing for fishing, gaming, AI, sports, or any other theme.

Important: This guide helps you avoid common keyword violations that can lead to listing rejections or account suspensions.

🚫 Why Amazon Restricts Certain Keywords

Amazon's main goal is to protect customers from misleading, exaggerated, or low-quality listings. That means your titles, bullets, and descriptions must stay clean and descriptive.

Amazon flags:

• Promotional claims (best seller, free shipping, new product, 100% quality guaranteed)
• Subjective terms (perfect, great for, high quality)
• Medical/health claims (cure, safe, eco-friendly, natural, organic)
• Amazon-specific references (Amazon choice, top rated)

📋 Comprehensive Restricted Keyword List

Below is the list of keywords extracted from compliance references that are known to cause listing rejections on Amazon. This list combines promotional terms, banned claims, and subjective words flagged in Merch policies:

• 100% natural

• 100% quality guaranteed

• 100% value

• acquired immune deficiency syndrome

• add

• added value

• adhd

• aids

• all natural

• als

• alzheimers

• amazon choice

• amazon suggested

• antibacterial

• anti-bacterial

• antifungal

• anti-fungal

• anti-microbial

• anxiety

• approved

• arrive faster

• attention deficit disorder drug

• authentic

• award winning

• bacteria

• best deal

• best price

• best seller

• best selling

• big sale

• biodegradable

• biological contaminants

• bpa free

• brand new

• buy now

• buy with confidence

• cancer

• cancroid

• cataract

• cells

• certified

• cheap

• chlamydia

• closeout

• close-out

• cmv

• compostable

• concusuion

• coronavirus

• cost

• covid

• covid-19

• crabs

• crystic fibrosis

• cure

• cytomegalovirus

• decomposable

• degradable

• dementia

• depression

• detoxification

• detoxify

• diabetes

• diabetic

• diabetic neuropathy

• discounted price

• disease

• diseases

• don't miss out

• dotoxifying

• eco friendly

• ecofriendly

• eco-friendly

• environmentally friendly

• etc.

• fall sale

• fast relief

• fda

• fda approval

• fedex

• feedback

• filter

• flawless

• flu

• free gift

• free shipping

• free shipping guaranteed

• fungal

• fungicide

• fungicides

• fungus

• gift idea

• glaucoma

• gororrhea

• great as

• great for

• green

• guarantee

• guaranteed

• hassle free

• heal

• hepatitis a

• hepatitis b

• hepatitis c

• herpes

• herpes simplex virus 1

• herpes simplex virus 2

• highest rated

• hiv

• hodgkins lymphoma

• home compostable

• hot item

• hpv

• hsv1

• hsv2

• huge sale

• human immunodeficiency virus

• human papiloma virus

• imported from

• indian

• inflammation

• influenza

• kidney disease

• laser

• lasting quality

• lgv

• limited time offer

• liver disease

• lupus

• lymphogranuloma venereum

• lymphoma

• made in

• mail rebate

• make excellent

• makes awesome

• makes great

• makes perfect

• makes spectacular

• makes the best

• makes wonderful

• marine degradable

• massive sale

• meningitis

• mildew

• money back guarantee

• mono

• mononucleosis

• mould

• mould resistant

• mould spores

• multiple sclerosis

• muscular dystrophy

• mycoplasma genitalium

• nano silver

• native american

• native american indian or tribes

• natural

• newest version

• ngu

• non toxic

• noncorrosive

• nongonococcal urethritis

• non-toxic

• now together

• no.1 product

• on sale

• over- stock

• overstock

• parasitic

• parkinson

• parkinsons

• patented

• peal

• pelvic inflammatory disease

• perfect for

• perfect gift

• pesticide

• pesticides

• pid

• platinum

• plus free

• professional quality

• proven

• public lice

• quality

• ready to ship

• recommended by

• remedies

• remedy

• retail box

• reviews

• sad

• sanitize

• sanitizes

• satisfaction

• save $

• save cash

• save money

• scabies

• seasonal affective disorder

• seen on tv

• ships faster

• shop with confidence

• special offer

• special promo

• spring sale

• stroke

• summer sale

• super sale

• supplies won't last

• tbis

• tested

• top notch

• top quality

• top rated

• top selling

• toxic

• toxin

• toxins

• traumatic brain injuries

• treat

• treatment

• tribes

• trich

• trichomoniasis

• tricht

• tumor

• unbeatable price

• ups

• used

• validated

• viral

• virus

• viruses

• warranty

• weight loss

• wholesale price

• winter sale

• within hours

• world's best

✅ Safe Alternatives You Can Use

Instead of using restricted words, reframe your listing with neutral descriptive language:

perfect gift for anglers→designed for anglers and outdoor lovers

great for birthdays→suitable for birthdays and Father's Day

best fishing shirt→retro fishing themed design

high quality print→(remove entirely, Amazon handles quality)

This way, your listings stay SEO-rich and compliant.

💡 Pro Tip

Always focus on describing your design's theme, style, or target audience rather than making promotional claims. Let your design quality speak for itself!

Published on

December 29, 2024

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