How to Solve Amazon Listing Matching Errors

If you are reselling a product you purchased from the brand, manufacturer, or another reseller, chances are it's been listed on Amazon before. When setting up your listing, you'll be prompted to match your product with the existing listing so buyers can find it and see all their buying options.

But sometimes when you try matching to an existing ASIN, you'll get an error (such as Error 8541) because not all the details you put in exactly match the existing listing.

For example, you might try listing a product with the UPC code 123. Amazon will suggest matching it with ASIN ABC, which is the existing listing for UPC 123. However, Amazon also displays an error saying that not all the attributes you've provided about your product match ASIN ABC. Before proceeding, you'll need to resolve the discrepancy: either updating your own attributes to match the existing Amazon listing or finding any mistakes in the existing Amazon listing and getting them corrected.

Read on for instructions and examples of how to do both.

Existing Amazon Listing is Wrong

Let's say your product with UPC 123 is a stainless steel soup ladle. When you try matching it to the existing listing, Amazon gives you an error. Upon checking the suggested ASIN ABC that Amazon wants you to match with, you find that the images and description all look like the same product you have, but the material attribute on the existing listing says that the product is made of aluminum.

First, you should confirm the UPC you entered to make 100% certain this is the correct one. The UPC should be listed on the barcode of the product as it originally came from the manufacturer. Next, double-check all the documentation you have from the manufacturer about the material to determine which is correct.

If you've double and triple-checked and are confident this is the right UPC, but that the ladle is made of stainless steel, you'll need to contact Amazon Seller Support to have the material attribute corrected.

Amazon says, "When contacting Selling Partner Support, provide a copy of the error message, your SKU, the attribute you are trying to update, and proof that the existing Amazon value is incorrect. Accepted proofs include product manuals or links to manufacturer websites."

Matching Your Attributes to the Listing

Let's take a different example. Say you're listing UPC 456, which is an oven mitt. You attempt to list it with the color "dark purple," and the Amazon Product Reconciliation tool gives you an error, saying that the existing listing has a different color attribute: purple.

As long as it won't mislead customers, you should probably change your attribute to plain old "purple" to match the existing listing. Pictures will show shoppers the exact shade of purple, after all. Amazon should show you their suggested value and allow you to update your value to match it in one click.

What if I Want to Improve the Listing?

Maybe the existing listing isn't exactly wrong, but you want to improve it to give shoppers a better experience. For example, you know that the manufacturer has a different oven mitt in a lighter shade of purple, and you want to clarify for buyers that this is the dark purple one. Or, you think the title of the listing should be tweaked to be more appealing to shoppers.

In this case, brand owners and authorized resellers (who have an official relationship with the brand) can make the update through the listing and matching process. If the changes don't go through after a day or two, contact Seller Support.

If you are not a representative or authorized reseller of the brand, Amazon won't allow this type of change. If you think the existing details would be misleading to customers, you can use the first process to ask Amazon to correct the issue and provide documentation and an explanation for why it should make the change.

It's All About the Buyer

Amazon provides more information about error codes, matching issues, and how to solve them in Seller Central. Whenever you're in doubt about how to proceed, check the Amazon documentation and follow the instructions carefully.

Remember that, in the eyes of Seller Support, you're just one seller of the product, so it can't comply with every request to change the listing--it needs concrete evidence that the listing is wrong in a way that will impact the Amazon buyer's experience. Prove that your changes will be better for buyers than the old way, and you'll have a much better chance of getting the listing updated.