Attention! Amazon Handmade Category Shake-up: How Sellers Should Respond

Amazon’s Handmade category is undergoing major changes! Handmade products will be fully migrated from the original "GUILD" category to the "Standard" category, with the transition expected to be completed by the end of this year. This change was initiated in 2023, with detailed rules announced in October 2024, and is now being gradually implemented. Some sellers have already received migration notifications.

For sellers, this category migration means handmade products will be placed into more specific standard categories. For example, handmade pillows will move from GUILD_HOME to "PILLOW," while handmade necklaces will shift from GUILD_JEWELRY to "NECKLACE." Amazon will add a "Handmade Classification" attribute to these products to ensure they continue to appear in Handmade-exclusive sections and site-wide search results.

This change brings several long-term benefits:

• Handmade products will gain exposure in standard categories, increasing their discoverability;
  

• Product pages will support larger images and category-specific features, improving the user experience;
  

• The same ASIN can be shared across eight marketplaces, simplifying cross-site operations.

However, it is important to note that after the migration, products will retain their existing reviews and sales history, but their sales rankings will shift to standard category rankings, altering the competitive landscape

Currently, many sellers have reported insufficient platform notifications during the migration process, leading to significant order fluctuations. Some sellers claim their sales "dropped from a daily average of $100 to almost zero" without any prior warning.

If your products have not yet been migrated, you should prepare in advance: after the category adjustment, you will need to fill in new required attributes for existing products. For example, shoe products will require detailed size attributes, variants will need CPSIA warning declarations, and FBA products will also need to provide fulfillment-related information.

Amazon explicitly warns that failure to update attributes in a timely manner may result in products being misclassified or even becoming unsellable. Once you receive migration confirmation (no later than October 31), be sure to:

• Verify whether the new category and keywords are correct;
  

• Manually select an appropriate handmade classification name for each product;
  

• Complete all required attributes.
  

  It is recommended to use the Seller Central "Listing Quality Dashboard" to review attributes and ensure a smooth transition.
  

      This adjustment presents both challenges and opportunities. While short-term ranking fluctuations may occur, it will ultimately help improve exposure and advertising precision in the long run. Handmade sellers are advised to closely monitor platform notifications, prepare in advance, and strive for a stable transition and steady growth.

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