While Amazon doesn’t expose a direct numerical IDQ score to most sellers, there are several tools that provide indirect visibility into how your listings are performing in terms of content quality.

1. Listing Quality Dashboard

Available in Seller Central, this dashboard highlights areas where product data is incomplete or non-compliant. It prioritizes high-traffic and high-visibility ASINs so you can focus on your most impactful listings first.

2. IDQ Scorecards via Account Managers

If you’re part of Amazon’s SAS Core program or work with an account manager, you might receive monthly reports that assign a numeric IDQ score to each listing, along with actionable suggestions.

3. Category Listing Report & Inventory Reports

These downloadable reports show field-level completeness. Comparing your data against Amazon’s recommended category templates can reveal missing attributes.

Let’s now explore the key sections of your Amazon listing and how each one contributes to your IDQ score.

1. Product Title

Importance: Critical for both SEO and shopper comprehension.

What Amazon Looks For:

• Title begins with the brand name
• Includes product type, size, color, material, model number (if applicable)
• Uses proper formatting (no all-caps, no promotional phrases)
• Stays within category-specific character limits (typically under 200 characters)

Example of a strong title:

Acme Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug, 16 oz – Blue, Spill-Proof Lid

A well-structured title tells the shopper exactly what they’re getting while helping Amazon’s search algorithm understand your product.

2. Categories and Attributes (Leaf Node Selection)

Importance: Essential for discoverability and proper indexing.

Amazon’s catalog is structured with "leaf nodes"—the most specific subcategory your product can be assigned to. If you choose a broad category (e.g., “Home” instead of “Coffee Mugs”), your product will be harder to find.

What You Should Do:

• Use Amazon’s Browse Node tool or Item Type Keywords to ensure correct placement
• Fill in all relevant attributes like size, material, color, power source, or fabric type
• Frequently check the “More Details” section during listing creation or editing

Listings with missing or incorrect attribute data are flagged in the Listing Quality Dashboard—and often perform worse in search.

3. Bullet Points (Key Product Features)

Importance: Helps answer customer questions and improves search indexing.

What Amazon Evaluates:

• Are all 5 bullets filled out? (5 is the standard maximum)
• Do they describe unique features or benefits?
• Do they include relevant keywords that are naturally placed?

Tips for Better Bullets:

• Start each bullet with a short descriptor in bold or capitalized text (e.g., “LEAKPROOF DESIGN:”)
• Focus on benefits as much as features
• Avoid ending with punctuation
• Keep each bullet under 500–1000 characters for readability

Example:

• Thermal Insulation: Keeps beverages hot for up to 8 hours and cold for 12, perfect for commutes or travel.

Each bullet should stand on its own and improve shopper confidence.

4. Product Description or A+ Content

Importance: Tell the story behind your product and your brand.

If you’re not brand registered, use the product description field to give detailed, keyword-rich information. Make sure to:

• Break content into readable paragraphs
• Include usage scenarios
• Mention care instructions or warranties

If you are brand registered, you can replace this section with A+ Content—modular visuals, lifestyle photos, comparison charts, and branded copy. A+ Content significantly increases conversion rates and is recognized as a quality indicator in Amazon’s algorithm.

Tip: Platforms like imagine.io make it easier to create stunning 3D lifestyle renders and branded visuals to use in A+ Content. With ready-to-use templates and AI-powered tools, imagine.io helps sellers quickly produce rich visuals that boost listing quality and shopper engagement.

5. Backend Search Terms (Hidden Keywords)

Importance: Expands your reach in search without cluttering your listing.

Located in the backend of Seller Central, the “Search Terms” section lets you add extra keywords not used in the title or bullets.

Best Practices:

• Do not repeat existing keywords
• Use variations, misspellings, and alternative phrases
• Avoid brand names, competitors, and subjective claims
• Stay within byte limits (usually ~250 bytes)

This field is one of the easiest ways to increase keyword coverage—especially for synonyms or long-tail searches.

6. Additional Fields That Impact Your Score

Amazon’s IDQ system also looks at backend data that may not appear prominently on your listing but plays a critical role in indexing, sorting, and buyer trust.

Key fields include:

• Item Dimensions & Weight: Crucial for shipping, FBA fees, and customer transparency
• What’s in the Box / Included Components: Prevents negative surprises
• Target Audience / Age Range: Especially important for toys and media
• Certifications & Compliance: Like FCC, FDA, CE, and safety warnings
• Special Features or Key Attributes: Such as wireless capability, waterproofing, material type, etc.
• Variation Data: Every child ASIN must have accurate size, color, and feature values

Even if not explicitly required, filling these fields improves your listing quality and protects against suppression during future Amazon updates.

7. Product Images and Video

Importance: Highly visual listings get more engagement and fewer returns.

Amazon requires at least one image, but high-performing listings include:

• 7–9 high-resolution images (1000px minimum)
• Pure white background for the main image
• Multiple angles and close-ups
• Infographics that explain features visually
• Lifestyle shots showing product use in real life

Bonus: Adding a product video (if you’re brand registered or approved) helps customers understand your product faster. While video isn’t yet a universal scoring factor, it greatly enhances conversion.

If you’re looking to create professional product visuals without expensive photoshoots, consider using imagine.io. It enables brands to generate photorealistic 3D images, lifestyle renders, and 360° spins from a single product model—perfect for meeting Amazon’s visual standards faster and at scale.

8. Reviews & Ratings

Importance: While not directly editable, reviews influence both buyer behavior and Amazon’s trust signals.

Amazon considers:

• Review count: A product with 0 reviews is seen as incomplete
• Average rating: Low-rated products may be down-ranked
• Recent activity: New reviews and customer Q&A show listing engagement

How to Improve:

• Use the “Request a Review” button in Seller Central
• Enroll new listings in Amazon Vine (brand registered only)
• Encourage honest feedback through follow-up emails (within Amazon’s policies)

Listings with at least 5–10 reviews and a strong average rating tend to convert better and are more likely to be promoted.

Achieving a high-quality Amazon listing is not a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process. Amazon constantly updates its requirements, algorithm preferences, and catalog structure. If you want to stay competitive and ensure long-term success, you must continuously monitor and improve your listings.

Here’s how to do that effectively:

1. Regularly Check the Listing Quality Dashboard

What it is:

The Listing Quality Dashboard in Seller Central provides a centralized view of your content quality issues. It flags missing or suboptimal information for each ASIN, prioritizing those with the highest traffic or sales potential.

Why it matters:
This is Amazon's way of saying: “Here’s what to fix first.” It can highlight missing fields (like fabric type or product weight), improper image specs, or even category-specific compliance issues. Ignoring these warnings could lead to lower rankings or listing suppression.

What to do:

• Go to Inventory > Improve Listing Quality
• Sort by highest traffic to fix the most important ASINs first
• Focus on red and yellow alert rows—these are the most urgent

Pro tip: Make it a habit to check this dashboard once a month, especially after uploading new products or catalog changes.

2. Cross-Check Your Listings Using Category Listing Templates

What it is:
Category listing templates are downloadable Excel sheets provided by Amazon that show all the required, optional, and recommended fields for listings in your specific product category.

Why it matters:
While some fields may appear optional in Seller Central, they might still influence your IDQ score or become mandatory in the future. Relying only on what’s visible in the listing editor means you could be missing backend attributes that matter.

What to do:

• Go to Inventory > Add Products via Upload > Download an Inventory File
• Select your product category and download the relevant template
• Open the file and identify fields marked as “Required”, “Recommended”, or “Conditional”
• Compare your existing listings and fill in any missing values

Pro tip: Updating attributes like “Material Type,” “Battery Life,” or “Target Audience” often improves both discoverability and conversion rates.

3. Monitor Suppressed or “At Risk” Listings

What it is:
Amazon suppresses listings that are missing essential content (like a title, main image, or key attribute). These listings become hidden from search results and will not be discoverable until the issues are corrected.

Why it matters:
Suppressed listings aren’t just bad for your IDQ score—they cost you traffic and sales. Similarly, “At Risk” listings are those nearing non-compliance and may soon be suppressed.

What to do:

• In Seller Central, go to Inventory > Manage Inventory
• Click the “Suppressed” tab to see any listings that are hidden
• Click “Fix Issue” on each product and follow the recommendations

Pro tip: Don’t just fix issues as they arise—proactively maintain listings to prevent suppression in the first place.

4. Keep an Eye on Performance Notifications

What it is:
Amazon’s Performance Notifications are alerts sent to you when something is wrong with your account or listings. These include content policy violations, intellectual property claims, listing removals, and other important updates.

Why it matters:
You may not receive a direct warning about a low IDQ score, but content-related violations often start here. Ignoring these can lead to suspended ASINs or even account restrictions.

What to do:

• Go to Performance > Performance Notifications
• Look for any recent notices that mention content errors, image policy breaches, or compliance problems
• Address any flagged issues promptly and document what changes you made

Pro tip: Assign someone on your team to review this dashboard weekly if you manage a large catalog.

5. Review and Update Listings After Policy Changes

What it is:
Amazon frequently updates its style guides and category-level requirements, often without fanfare. A compliant listing today might be flagged next month if a policy changes.

Why it matters:
Not staying updated means your listings could be penalized, suppressed, or left out of filters—hurting your sales without you even realizing why.

What to do:

• Bookmark your category’s style guide in Seller Central Help
• Review Amazon’s newsletters and Seller Central Announcements regularly
• Whenever you hear about a new policy (e.g., “Country of Origin now required”), audit your listings to ensure compliance

Pro tip: Always check new requirements during Q4 prep—Amazon tightens enforcement during peak seasons.

6. Track Listing Performance with Analytics Tools

What it is:
Amazon offers analytical tools that allow you to track the impact of your listing changes, including conversion rates, session views, and keyword rankings.

Why it matters:
Making content updates is one thing—but measuring their effectiveness is how you optimize at scale. Watching the numbers helps you understand what’s working (and what isn’t).

What to do:

• Use Business Reports for conversion rates and sales metrics
• If brand registered, access Brand Analytics for keyword performance and demographics
• Monitor the unit session percentage to gauge how well your content converts viewers into buyers

Pro tip: If conversion improves after adding A+ Content or extra images, replicate the strategy across your catalog.

7. Audit New Listings Immediately After Upload

What it is:
Many sellers create new listings, publish them, and move on—only to find later that they’ve missed vital fields.

Why it matters:
Launching with incomplete content not only gives your listing a lower IDQ score—it could also mean you’re losing out on keyword ranking from day one.

What to do:

• After uploading new listings (manually or via flat file), view each product page as a customer would
• Use the Listing Quality Dashboard to spot missing attributes
• Run a manual checklist (or spreadsheet tracker) to ensure titles, bullets, images, and backend fields are all in place

Pro tip: Create a standard operating procedure (SOP) or template for listing creation so no critical field is overlooked.

8. Maintain a Change Log for Content Updates

What it is:
A change log is a simple record of what edits were made to your listings and when—titles, bullets, images, keywords, or category changes.

Why it matters:
If you make an update and performance drops, you’ll want to know exactly what changed. This also helps resolve disputes or reversion issues when Amazon automatically overwrites content due to compliance.

What to do:

• Use a Google Sheet or project management tool (like Trello or Notion)
• Record listing changes by ASIN with the date, the person responsible, and a brief description of the edit
• Review before/after metrics over time to analyze the impact

Pro tip: Track all changes to high-performing ASINs more carefully—they often respond strongly to even small tweaks.

Here’s a recap of your routine for keeping your IDQ score—and your listing performance—in peak shape:

Your Amazon product listing is more than just a digital shelf—it’s your first impression, salesperson, and support system all rolled into one. By understanding how Amazon measures listing quality through the IDQ score, you can optimize each component of your product detail page to drive higher traffic, better conversions, and long-term success.

And when it comes to creating the visual content that drives engagement and boosts your IDQ score, tools like imagine.io are a game-changer. They remove the need for physical photography, enable rapid A/B testing with new visuals, and help sellers create premium-quality 3D content at scale.

Remember, this isn’t just about compliance—it’s about competitive advantage. In a crowded marketplace, the better-presented product often wins, even if the underlying product is identical. Ready to transform your Amazon listings with stunning 3D visuals, lifestyle imagery, and product spins—without the cost of a photoshoot?

Book a free demo with imagine.io and see how easy it is to elevate your product content.