Bullet point optimization checklist

Five bullets. Each one answers a different question the shopper hasn't asked out loud yet. Amazon audits them for compliance, Rufus reads them for intent-matching, and your conversion rate is the ultimate report card.

Amazon enforced a new bullet format in August 2024 — capitalized header + colon + sentence fragment, no end punctuation. Non-compliant bullets get AI-rewritten by Amazon into generic, brand-free copy. Proactively fix them or lose control of your content.

Recommended bullet order

Per-bullet checklist

Apply this checklist to every bullet before upload:

1. Format: Header + colon + description

   Must start with a capitalized header word (or phrase) followed by a colon. Write as a sentence fragment — no complete sentences, no end punctuation. Use semicolons to separate multiple elements within one bullet.

   Gentle exfoliation: PHA-based toner pads remove dead skin cells and unclog pores without stripping moisture; suitable for sensitive skin

   NOT: ✓ BEST KOREAN SKINCARE – Our premium toner pads are the #1 choice for glowing skin!

2. Character budget: 200 characters target, 500 characters maximum

   Target 200 characters per bullet for optimal indexing and mobile readability. Amazon indexes roughly the first 1,000 bytes total across all five bullets — five bullets at 200 characters each sits comfortably within that budget.

   At 70%+ mobile usage, only the first 3 bullets are visible without tapping to expand, and each truncates at around 70-80 characters. Front-load every bullet with the keyword and the most important claim.

3. Include a secondary keyword not in your title

   Each bullet should carry at least one secondary keyword (1K-10K monthly searches) that does not appear in your title. Amazon indexes bullets independently. Repeating title keywords here wastes bullet real estate without adding indexing coverage.

4. Lead with the benefit, support with the feature

   BAD: "Triple-layer waterproof coating" (feature) GOOD: "Keeps electronics dry during rain or spills — triple-layer waterproof coating prevents costly damage to laptops and tablets" (benefit + feature + specific stakes)

   Write for humans first. Rufus evaluates natural language, not keyword density.

5. Specific, factual language only

   Replace vague adjectives with named specs. "18/10 stainless steel" not "premium quality." "Dermatologist-tested" not "clinically proven." "PHA (Capryloyl Salicylic Acid)" not "gentle acid formula." Named facts are indexed and trusted; vague adjectives are neither.

6. Verify no prohibited content

   Remove all:

   • Promotional phrases: "Best Seller," "Hot Item," "#1," "Top Rated," "Award-Winning" (unless verifiable with citation + date on packaging)
   • Guarantees: "Money-back guarantee," "100% satisfaction," "Full refund"
   • Shipping/pricing: "Free Shipping," "On Sale," "Limited Offer"
   • Brand origin stories, mission statements, taglines (these belong in A+ Content / Brand Story)
   • External references: URLs, phone numbers, email addresses, social handles
   • Placeholder text: "N/A," "TBD," "Coming soon"
   • Banned symbols: ™ ® © € £ ¥ … ~ and all emojis

   Unverified health claims ("eco-friendly," "antibacterial," "hypoallergenic") must appear on your physical packaging and be substantiated before you can use them.

7. Each bullet contains unique information

   No bullet should overlap in content with any other bullet, the title, or the description. Each slot is a separate question answered for a separate shopper concern. Redundancy wastes indexing real estate and reads as lazy copy to both humans and Rufus.

8. Numbers and capitalization rules

   Spell out numbers one through nine (except measurements and model numbers). Use numerals for 10 and above. Include a space between digits and units: "60 ml" not "60ml." Title Case for the header words only — no ALL CAPS anywhere in the bullet.

Rufus and COSMO alignment

After compliance, optimize for Rufus:

• Each bullet communicates what the product IS, who it's FOR, and what problem it SOLVES.
• Claims are consistent across the title, bullets, A+ Content, and images. Rufus reads all four together. Inconsistencies — "stainless steel" in copy, plastic-looking image — get resolved against you.
• Fill every flat file attribute column (material, target_audience, item_form, specific_uses, etc.). Rufus uses two-stage retrieval: Stage 1 filters by attributes, Stage 2 evaluates your copy. Great bullets with empty attribute columns means Rufus may never read the copy.

Keyword research for bullets

Before writing or revising bullets, identify which secondary keywords belong in them. Three data sources feed this decision:

Search Query Performance (SQP): Pull the SQP report for your top ASINs (Seller Central → Brands → Brand Analytics → Search Query Performance). Identify terms where you have impressions but low click or purchase share. Map each term to where it currently appears — title, bullets, backend, or nowhere. Any relevant converting term that appears nowhere in your listing is a priority bullet keyword.

Search Term Report (PPC): Pull the last 60 days of your advertising Search Term Report, sorted by conversions (not clicks). Converting search terms that don't appear anywhere in your listing belong in bullets. Cross-reference with SQP: terms that convert in PPC and show high impression volume in SQP are the highest-value targets. See Search term reports for how to upload and analyze this data.

Top Search Terms (TST): Check the Top Search Terms report for high-volume terms where your ASIN has zero impressions — TST fills SQP's blind spot by showing you terms you're not appearing for at all. Study the top 3 clicked ASINs for those terms and examine their bullet structure for keyword patterns you're missing.

Test, measure, iterate

A/B testing

If you have Brand Registry, use Manage Your Experiments (Seller Central → Brands → Manage Your Experiments) to A/B test bullet changes on your top ASINs. Test one variable at a time — changing all five bullets simultaneously tells you nothing about which change drove the result. Run each test for the full recommended duration (4-8 weeks) for statistical significance. Adopt the winner, then move to the next variable.

Baseline recording

Before making any changes, record baseline metrics from Business Reports (Seller Central → Reports → Business Reports → Detail Page Sales and Traffic):

• Sessions
• Page Views
• Unit Session Percentage (CVR)
• Buy Box Percentage

Compare at 2 weeks and 4 weeks post-change.

Interpreting results:

• Sessions up and CVR down — you're attracting the wrong traffic. Revisit keyword intent alignment; the new keywords may be bringing shoppers who want something different.
• CVR up and Sessions down — you may have lost a search keyword. Check SQP for impression drops on terms that were previously driving traffic.

Monitoring for auto-edits

Amazon uses AI to rewrite non-compliant bullets. The rewrite happens silently — your submitted text stays in Seller Central but the live listing shows Amazon's version. The rewritten copy is generic and strips your brand voice.

Check your top listings weekly by comparing live detail page copy against what you submitted in the flat file. If Amazon has rewritten your bullets, re-submit your corrected version via flat file immediately. Repeated non-compliance can lead to Amazon taking editorial control of the listing permanently.

Related guides

• Writing titles that rank — the same optimization principles applied to the title field
• Backend and generic keywords — where secondary keywords that don't fit in bullets belong
• Import Category Listing Report — getting your current listing data into RankASIN