Can I sell it? Know before you list

If your Amazon account is connected, every item you haven't listed yet now tells you whether Amazon will let you sell it.

What's new

Seller Oracle asks Amazon about each item you buy, by its ASIN, and shows the answer as one of four labels.

• Can sell. Nothing stops you listing it.
• Needs approval. You're gated. The line under it has a Request approval on Amazon link that opens Amazon's own page to apply.
• Can't sell. Amazon doesn't let you sell it new, and there's no approval to ask for.
• Not on Amazon UK. Amazon UK has no product with that ASIN, so it's worth checking the ASIN.

You'll see the labels on the order page, on the Action Centre's Ready to list tab and in the List on Amazon pop-ups. The Orders list shows only Needs approval and Can't sell, so the problems stand out. Hover over one, or tap it on a phone, to see what it means and Amazon's own reason.

New items are checked within a couple of minutes, and Seller Oracle keeps checking until the item is listed. Once it's listed, the label goes.

Why we built it

Most of us find out we're gated at the worst moment, when the listing fails. By then the stock has often gone to the prep centre and the return window may have closed.

Checking every ASIN in Seller Central by hand is slow, so it rarely happens. Seller Oracle already knows the ASIN of everything you've bought, so it checks them for you.

Where to find it

Connect Amazon in Settings > Connections > Amazon with Connect Amazon Account. Only the account owner or an admin can connect it. After that the labels show on every unlisted item with an ASIN, for everyone on the account.

The listing on Amazon help article explains each label.