The Recap: Amazon Seller Updates Summer 2025 | Edition 21

Key Changes Every Seller Must Know

If you sell on Amazon, staying ahead of policy changes isn’t optional — it’s essential for protecting your Buy Box, maintaining margins, and keeping sales strong. This year, Amazon has introduced updates that affect feedback ratings, product listings, storage capacity, and more.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most important Amazon Seller Updates in 2025, explain what each one means for your business, and share our expert recommendations to help you adapt quickly.

1. Star-Only Seller Feedback Launches (August 4, 2025)

What it is: As of August 4, buyers can now leave 1–5 star ratings for sellers without writing a comment. For ratings under 4 stars, buyers must still select a reason, and Amazon may filter out issues not related to seller performance (such as product defects).

What it means for sellers: This change is designed to increase feedback volume but can make it harder to understand — and address — low ratings. Star-only ratings also disable the Feedback Manager appeal feature, leaving “Report a violation” as the only removal option. FBA sellers are particularly concerned about low-star feedback for delivery problems outside their control.

Recommendation: Monitor seller feedback closely, especially new star-only ratings, and act quickly to report violations.

2. Product Title Policy Changes (Effective January 21, 2025)

What it is: Amazon updated its product title guidelines to reduce redundancy and length, aiming to create more standardized, shopper-friendly listings.

What it means for sellers: Titles that don’t comply risk suppression, which can hurt discoverability and sales. On the flip side, compliant, concise titles can boost search rankings and conversion rates.

Recommendation: Audit all product titles now to ensure compliance with Amazon’s new standards.

3. FBA Storage Capacity Tightened (May–July 2025)

What it is: Between May and July — including the lead-up to Prime Day — Amazon reduced storage limits from roughly six months to five months of forecasted sales. Sellers with low IPI scores or slow-moving inventory saw cuts as high as 75%.

What it means for sellers: These limits can lead to stockouts during peak demand, making IPI score management and inventory turnover more crucial than ever.

Recommendation: Prepare months in advance for major sales events, optimize your IPI score, and move excess inventory before capacity changes take effect.

4. Project Starfish: AI-Powered Product Data

What it is: Amazon’s Project Starfish uses AI to auto-generate product descriptions, images, and video ads from aggregated data sources, creating more consistent and enriched product listings.

What it means for sellers: Expected to drive $7.5 billion in additional GMV, Project Starfish could help sellers quickly upgrade listing quality. However, generic or inaccurate AI-generated content can still hurt conversions if left unchecked.

Recommendation: Use AI-enhanced content as a foundation, but review and refine it to protect brand voice and accuracy.

5. “Bend the Curve”: Massive ASIN Cleanup

What it is: Amazon’s Bend the Curve initiative aims to reduce total active ASINs from 74 billion to under 50 billion, focusing on removing inactive, duplicate, or outdated listings.

What it means for sellers: Long-tail or seasonal products are at higher risk of removal. Sellers must ensure listings are active, compliant, and regularly updated to avoid being purged.

Recommendation: Monitor ASIN status regularly and refresh low-traffic listings to maintain catalog visibility.

6. Macro Trends Reshaping Seller Strategy in 2025

Not all changes are coming from Amazon’s policy team — broader e-commerce trends are also influencing how sellers should plan their year.

The role of Prime Day is shifting. Rising tariffs, especially on goods from China, have led some sellers to scale back or skip the event entirely due to tighter margins. For some, the cost of stocking and discounting inventory for Prime Day no longer guarantees a profitable return.

Meanwhile, live commerce and social selling are gaining traction fast. Platforms like TikTok Shop, Amazon Live, and livestream events are reshaping how customers discover products, merging entertainment with instant buying opportunities. These formats provide sellers with new ways to engage audiences and diversify their revenue streams beyond Amazon search traffic.

What it means for sellers: Relying solely on Amazon or a single event like Prime Day is riskier than ever. Sellers who diversify channels and embrace new formats will have a competitive edge in both customer reach and sales stability.

Recommendation: Experiment with emerging sales channels such as TikTok Shop and livestream commerce while reassessing the ROI of major events like Prime Day in your broader sales plan.

Final Takeaway

From star-only feedback to AI-powered listings and changing event dynamics, the Amazon Seller Updates in 2025 are reshaping the e-commerce landscape. The sellers who win this year will be the ones who stay informed, adapt quickly, and diversify their approach.

At Sellozo, we help you cut through the noise and focus on strategies that protect margins, grow sales, and keep your business future-ready — no matter what Amazon changes next.

Looking to apply these ideas to your own business? Sellozo’s tools and team can help you put them into action.

Let’s talk.