Decoding the Recent Amazon Handmade Email: Enhancing Product Discoverability for a Brighter Future

I know change can be a bit unsettling, especially when it comes to something as dear as your creative work. I've received your questions about the recent email (full email below in case you haven't seen it) from Amazon Handmade, and I'm here to guide you through the exciting (and confusing) changes that are about to unfold.

A Glimpse into the Changes: Elevating Discoverability

The Amazon Handmade team is embarking on an exciting journey to enhance the way customers discover Handmade products on the Amazon stores. This initiative involves reclassifying existing Handmade products from GUILD product types to standard product types. So, what does this mean for you?

1. Reframing Classification for Better Exposure

The main change you'll notice is the reclassification of your Handmade products. This involves moving from GUILD product types to standard product types. For instance, a lamp that currently falls under GUILD_HOME will transition to the LAMP product type. Please remember, even with this change, your Handmade products will still be nestled within Amazon's Handmade category.

2. Why the Change Matters

This reclassification brings forth a range of improvements aimed at boosting your products' visibility and appeal. Here's how:

• Wider Reach in Standard Categories: Handmade products will now appear when customers search and browse in standard categories. This highly requested feature bridges the gap between Handmade and other categories, helping more customers discover your work.  Before they had to just stay in their search terms search and if they started to mix you with regular listings and then they filtered to another color, etc, it dropped Handmade results.  Now they won't!

• Enhanced Product Detail Pages: Your Handmade products will benefit from more detailed and attractive product pages. This means larger images and category-specific features that will catch your customers' eyes and hold their interest.  There's a few things we've still been missing as a Handmade seller and they're working towards making us like the rest of the listings!

• Empowerment with Listing Quality Dashboard: Your Handmade products will be integrated into Seller Central's Listing Quality Dashboard (LQD). This tool will assist you in enhancing the quality of your Handmade products' listings, ultimately leading to better visibility and sales.

3. Frequently Asked Questions Addressed

We understand you might have a few questions swirling in your mind. Allow us to address them directly:

• Product Types Defined: Product types refer to groups of products sharing similar attributes. This helps in showcasing your products accurately and aiding customers in making informed choices.  Before we were under a whole different Type, so the search results could filter us out.  Trust me, we want this!

• Reclassification Details: Currently, Handmade products fit under nine broad GUILD product types. Through reclassification, they will be grouped into more specific standard product types. For example, Handmade sandals will shift from GUILD_SHOES to the SANDAL product type.

• Timeline and Actions: The reclassification will be carried out in phases throughout 2023 and 2024. Rest assured, we'll guide you through every step, and you'll receive notifications for required actions.

Embrace the Evolution for a Brighter Future

Change can be the pathway to progress, and these updates are designed to empower you as a Handmade seller. Your products will find their place in more eyes, leading to increased sales and recognition. While these changes might feel overwhelming, remember that you're not alone – the Handmade team is here to support you every step of the way.

Stay tuned for more insights, tips, and guidance as we embark on this transformative journey together!

 

The Original Email:

The Handmade team is making changes to improve customer discoverability of Handmade products in the Amazon stores!

What is changing?

We are beginning a multi-year project to reclassify existing Handmade products from GUILD product types to standard product types; for example, a lamp within the GUILD_HOME product type would move to the LAMP product type. A product type refers to a set of products that share similar attributes. Don’t worry— although we are reclassifying your existing Handmade products to standard product types, your existing Handmade products will remain within Amazon’s Handmade category, even after this change.

Why does this matter?

Reclassifying Handmade products into standard product types enables the following features:

• Handmade products will appear when customers search and browse in standard categories. This is one of the top feature requests from our Handmade community. As a reminder, Handmade products are already discoverable in all products search.

• Handmade products will receive enhanced detail page content including larger product images and category-specific detail page features.

• Handmade products will appear in Seller Central’s Listing Quality Dashboard (LQD), which you can use to improve your Handmade products’ listing quality.

These features may help improve discoverability of your Handmade products and increase sales.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a product type?

A product type refers to a set of products that share similar attributes. Each product type has a corresponding template that allows you to provide relevant information about the product. Product-specific attributes are tagged as recommended and providing data for these recommended attributes helps improve the overall shopping experience by helping customers make informed buying decisions. These attributes are used to improve the customer experience in search and on the product detail page.

What are the current product types for Handmade products?

Currently, Handmade products are classified under nine broad GUILD product types: GUILD_ACCESSORIES, GUILD_APPAREL, GUILD_BABY, GUILD_BEAUTY_GROOMING, GUILD_HOME, GUILD_JEWELRY, GUILD_PET_SUPPLIES, GUILD_SHOES, GUILD_TOYS_AND_GAMES.

To which standard product types will Handmade products be reclassified?

Handmade products will be reclassified into hundreds of more granular product types. For example, Handmade sandals will be reclassified from the GUILD_SHOES product type to the SANDAL product type; Handmade necklaces will be reclassified from the GUILD_JEWELRY product type to the NECKLACE product type; Handmade pillows will be reclassified from the GUILD_HOME product type to the PILLOW product type; and so on.

When will my Handmade products receive the new experience?

Handmade will be reclassifying existing products in phases in 2023 and 2024, and we will send additional communications when we require you to take any actions. We are starting with reclassifying products from the GUILD_SHOES product type to the standard FOOTWEAR product types SHOES and SANDAL in 2023.

How can I tell if my existing Handmade listings have been reclassified?

You are not currently able to view the standard product type to which your listing has been reclassified. However, when you edit your product, you will see additional attributes that you are able to provide for your reclassified listing. In addition, your reclassified products will be eligible to appear in Seller Central’s Listing Quality Dashboard, which is accessible from the top of Seller Central’s Manage All Inventory page.

How does reclassification impact the customer shopping experience for Handmade products on the Amazon stores?

Customers can now more easily discover and learn about Handmade products on the Amazon stores in nearly every category without specifically navigating to Amazon’s Handmade store or using all products search.

Does this mean that my products will no longer be part of Amazon’s Handmade category?

No. Your products will continue to belong to Amazon’s Handmade category, Handmade store, Handmade search, and all products search, even after they are reclassified to standard product types.

Does reclassification impact new Handmade product creation and listing?

No. Reclassification currently only impacts existing products. We plan to enable new Handmade products to be listed in standard product types in 2024, and we will send additional communication prior to that launch.

Will reclassification change my Handmade products’ fees?

No. There will be no impact to your Handmade products’ fees as a result of reclassification to standard product types.

Will my existing Handmade products lose their reviews or sales history?

No. Reclassification does not impact reviews or sales history.

What countries are impacted?

Handmade listing reclassification will begin with the US and UK. Reclassification in other countries will occur at a future date.

Am I required to update my products?

Yes. You will be required to provide new required attributes when you update your existing listings. The specific attributes that are required will vary based on your listings’ standard product types. For example, for listings in the SHOES product type, you will be required to provide the footwear_size attribute. As another example, in order to save changes to your products that are variation parents, you will need to provide: CPSIA attribute (cpsia_cautionary_statement.value), Supplier Package Type attribute (supplier_package_type.value), and for Fulfiled by Amazon (FBA) products, the fulfilment center receiving and fulfilment center storage attributes.

To view new required attributes, navigate to Seller Central’s Listing Quality Dashboard where you can update your products.

How do I use the Listing Quality Dashboard (LQD) tool?

The following Seller University video and Seller Central help page contains instructions on how to use the LQD:

LQD Seller University video

LQD Seller Central help page

My Handmade products are in Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA); are they still eligible for reclassification?

Yes! FBA does not impact whether or not products are eligible for reclassification. However, products in FBA will require you to populate the fulfillment center receiving and fulfillment center storage attributes when editing your existing FBA listings.

My Handmade products are customizable; are they still eligible for reclassification?

Yes! Customization does not impact whether or not products are eligible for reclassification.

Some of my listings have been reclassified but others have not. What should I do?

Nothing. Handmade plans to reclassify products from 2023 to 2024. If you don’t see your Handmade products in Seller Central reclassified right away, rest assured, it’s coming.

May I request Amazon to reclassify my Handmade products?

No. We plan to reclassify products from 2023 to 2024. Selling Partner Support cannot manually move your Handmade products to standard product types.

How can I improve discoverability of my Handmade products before they’re reclassified into standard product types?

There are several steps you can take to improve discoverability of your Handmade products before they’re reclassified into standard product types:

Ensure your listings have bullet points, keywords, and optional attributes populated.

Update your products to use variations instead of customizations, where applicable (e.g., for different colors and sizes).

Enroll your products in Sponsored Advertisements. Learn more about Sponsored Ads here.

Enroll your products in Fulfilled by Amazon so they qualify for Prime shipping.

Can I copy listings for Handmade products that are already reclassified in order to list new Handmade products in standard product types?

No. Copying existing reclassified Handmade listings will cause those new product copies to not be part of the Handmade program. You should continue creating new listings in GUILD product types rather than copy existing listings.

What happens when I need to add a new variational child to a listing that has already been reclassified to a standard product type?

If you add a new variational child to a listing that has already been reclassified to a standard product type, then the new variational child will be listed in the standard product type.

How does reclassification impact variation families?

Reclassifying variation families may require additional actions from you to update your listings. If so, we will communicate additional information on required actions.

What if I edit my existing listings using a feed/inventory file?

You will need to download a new feed template for your products’ categories. Then you will need to provide attributes into the new template and upload the file.

What’s next?

Look out for future emails on Handmade product type reclassification. We will be sharing out more tips and best practices to help you make the most of your Handmade products being discoverable in standard categories.

Warm regards,

The Handmade Team