Amazon has cut the title limit for almost every category. If your titles were written for the old 200-character limit, most of them are now too long. This guide covers what the rule says, what still applies from 2025, and a simple way to rewrite titles without losing the details shoppers need.
What changed on July 27, 2026?
Amazon told sellers that starting July 27, 2026, titles in all categories except media must be 75 characters or less, including spaces. Media (books, music, video) keeps the older limit of up to 200 characters.
| Rule | What it says | In effect since |
|---|---|---|
| Title length (all categories except media) | 75 characters or less, including spaces | July 27, 2026 |
| Title length (media) | Up to 200 characters, including spaces | January 21, 2025 |
| Special characters | No ! $ ? _ { } ^ ¬ ¦ unless they are part of the brand name | January 21, 2025 |
| Repeated words | The same word can appear at most twice (articles, prepositions and conjunctions excepted) | January 21, 2025 |
Source: Amazon Seller Central announcements “New product title requirements effective January 21, 2025” and the July 27, 2026 title length notice, checked September 2026.
Which 2025 title rules still apply?
All of them. The 75-character limit is added on top of the January 2025 requirements. A short title can still break the rules if it repeats a word three times or uses a banned character like an exclamation mark.
- Banned characters: ! $ ? _ { } ^ ¬ ¦, unless your registered brand name contains one.
- Word repeats: no word more than twice. “Water bottle for kids, kids water bottle, leak proof bottle” repeats “bottle” three times.
- Product facts only: keep the title about what the product is. Save selling points for bullets and the description.
Why shorter titles matter more now
Most shoppers see a cut-off title on a phone screen, so the first 75 characters were already doing most of the work. Shopping assistants are the second reason. In 2026 Amazon launched Alexa for Shopping, which Amazon says brings together Rufus’s product expertise with Alexa+ and is free for US customers in the Amazon Shopping app, on the website and on Echo Show devices. An assistant answers questions from your whole listing: the title, bullets, description, attributes and reviews.
That changes how you should think about the details you cut. A detail you remove from the title shouldn’t disappear. It should move to a bullet or the matching attribute field, where shoppers and assistants can still find it.
How to rewrite a title in 5 steps
- Find titles over 75 characters. Download your active listings report from Seller Central and add a character count column in a spreadsheet (
=LEN(cell)). Sort longest first and start with your best sellers. - Use one pattern for the whole catalog. Brand + product type + the one detail shoppers filter by + size, count or color. For example: “Brand Insulated Water Bottle with Straw Lid, 32 oz”.
- Cut in this order. Remove repeated words first, then marketing words (“premium”, “best”, “perfect gift”), then long lists of compatible models or uses. Move each removed fact to a bullet or attribute.
- Keep variations consistent. The size or color in the title should match the variation attribute. A title that says “32 oz” on a 24 oz child listing confuses shoppers and can cause listing errors.
- Check, then update. Paste each new title into our free Amazon & Walmart Title Checker. Then update it in Seller Central (edit the listing, or use a flat file for many listings). Check the listing a day later to confirm the change went through and nothing was suppressed.
Example: before and after
| Title | Characters | |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Brightline Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle 32 oz Leak Proof Water Bottle with Straw Lid, BEST Gift! | 106 |
| After | Brightline Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw Lid, 32 oz | 71 |
The example uses a made-up brand. What moved: “leak proof” went to the first bullet, “gift” went to the description, the repeated “water bottle” and the exclamation mark were removed.
Common mistakes
- Cutting from the end without reading. The size or count is often at the end, and it’s the detail shoppers need most.
- Deleting keywords instead of moving them. Put them in bullets, the description and backend search terms.
- Changing titles on listings you don’t own. If another brand owns the listing, your changes may not be accepted. Brand owners have the most control through Brand Registry.
- Using the same title on Walmart. Walmart’s product detail policy allows up to 150 characters and has its own banned words, so check each marketplace’s rules separately.
USA vs Canada
The July 2026 notice was posted for Amazon.com sellers. Before you edit Amazon.ca titles, check Seller Central Canada’s news for a matching notice. If you sell in Quebec, remember that French listing content has its own character counts.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 75-character limit apply to existing listings?
Amazon’s notice says titles in all categories except media need to be 75 characters or less, so review your existing listings too, not only new ones. Start with your top sellers.
Do spaces count?
Yes. The limit is 75 characters including spaces.
Can I use an exclamation mark if it’s in my brand name?
Yes. The banned characters are allowed when they are part of the brand name.
Where do the details I cut go?
Into bullets, the description, the matching attribute fields and backend search terms. That keeps them visible to shoppers and to Amazon’s shopping assistant.
How RetailerBox helps
Our listings team rewrites titles, bullets and descriptions for Amazon and Walmart, and fills in missing attributes, usually within 1–2 business days per listing. We work through user permissions you control and never ask for your password. We can’t promise rankings or sales, but we can get your catalog within the new rules quickly. Message us your store link to start.