Amazon advertising & seller updates you shouldn’t miss! (May 2025)

Running Amazon Ads today is less about media buying and more about managing complexity. Between fragmented buyer journeys, B2B vs. B2C targeting mismatches, and limited data visibility, campaign managers are often flying blind despite rising spend.

You’re likely wasting impressions on the wrong shoppers, bidding blind without lifecycle data, or missing market expansion opportunities simply because your tools don’t talk to your goals. Worse?

Many sellers still operate as if Amazon advertising is static, while Amazon continues to evolve at an aggressive pace. Specifically, layering in incredible precision tools that most advertisers don’t even realize exist.

May 2025 marks a pivotal shift. Amazon rolled out sharper segmentation, deeper purchase insights, and smarter automation giving brands more surgical control across Sponsored Products, Brands, AMC, and even logistics. Ultimately, these updates can help you move from managing campaigns to scaling outcomes.

Let’s break them down.

Amazon Advertising Updates: May 2025

Amazon Ads in May were all about precision.

Whether you’re targeting high-value business buyers, trying to win over new customers, or making every ad dollar work harder, this month provided campaign managers better control where it matters most.

With Smarter segmentation, deeper purchase insights, and more flexible bidding tools, Amazon launched upgrades that can help marketers shift from managing campaigns to actively steering growth.

Let’s break it down:

1. Reach Only Business Buyers with Amazon Business Exclusive Sponsored Product Campaigns

On May 5th, 2025, Amazon rolled out one of its most focused tools for B2B advertisers: Amazon Business exclusive campaigns.

For the first time, you can run Sponsored Products campaigns that appear only on the Amazon Business store (excluding regular retail placements and off-Amazon sites).

It’s a dedicated lane for reaching high-intent business buyers with greater control over how and where your ads appear.

With this update, you can:

Set a B2B-specific budget

Use B2B-relevant keywords

Promote select ASINs for business shoppers

Tweak bids and strategies to optimize exclusively for organizational buyers

Here’s why this matters:

It’s important to note that business shoppers are 3x more likely to purchase after viewing a product page,

This feature can ensure 50% lower return rates, and

You can expect 80% more units per order compared to B2C shoppers.

Where it’s live

United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, UK, India, Japan

Who gets access

Eligible sellers, vendors, agencies, partners, and authors. (If you don’t see the option, ask your account manager to enroll you.)

Where to run it

Advertising Console, Amazon Ads API

This is a clean, strategic way to stop wasting B2B ad dollars on B2C impressions and get down to business. This feature is best for B2B-focused sellers, bulk suppliers, and office product brands.

2. Sponsored Brands Now Supports Bid Boosting for New-to-Brand Shoppers

The war for attention just got a little more precision-guided. On May 6th 2025, Amazon is introducing a new-to-brand (NTB) audience for Sponsored Brands campaigns, letting you boost bids specifically for shoppers who haven’t bought from your brand in the past 12 months.

Whether you’re setting up a new campaign or modifying an existing one, you’ll now see:

A Bid Adjustments tab to apply bid boosts at the audience level

Clear performance insights to track how NTB shoppers are converting

A smoother way to scale acquisition campaigns within Sponsored Brands

And it’s incredibly effective. Advertisers who increased their bids by 100%+ saw 2x more NTB orders than those who didn’t. This feature is best for brands focused on customer acquisition and market expansion.

Where it’s live:

U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, major EU markets, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Australia, India, Japan, Singapore

Who gets access

All Sponsored Brands advertisers

Growth isn’t just about ROAS anymore. These days, it’s specifically about who you’re acquiring. NTB targeting lets you prioritize quality over clicks.

3. Amazon Marketing Cloud Adds 5-Year Retail Purchase Data (Yes, Five)

Amazon Marketing Cloud just got a serious upgrade. On May 23, 2025, Amazon rolled out the Amazon Retail Purchases dataset, giving advertisers access to five full years of detailed retail purchase history, up from the previous 13-month limit.

Part of the AMC Paid Features suite (with a 60-day free trial, then $500/month for measurement), this dataset unlocks deeper insights into customer behavior, lets you model lifetime value with more accuracy, and helps you build smarter, high-impact audiences.

So what’s in the dataset?

Item-level order info across five years

Tools to build lifetime value models

The ability to define “upgrade-ready” audiences

Enhanced new-to-brand measurements

Rich customer journey insights across seasons, categories, and replenishment cycles

For custom audiences: It’s free.

For measurement and advanced analytics, you’ll need to subscribe.

Why it matters:

Previously, AMC only gave you 13 months of signal. With 5 years of history, your strategies can finally reflect real purchase cycles, especially if you sell seasonal, high-ticket, or repeat-use products.

Where is it live?

Measurement use: U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain

Audience use: U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia

Who gets access?

AMC customers with selling-linked ad accounts (Seller Central or Vendor Central)

This feature is perfect for Analysts, data-driven advertisers, and brands selling durable/replenishable goods. Ultimately, it’s for advertisers who think in terms of cohorts, not campaigns.

4. Sponsored Ads & Stores Launch in Ireland

Ireland just became a lot more interesting for advertisers. As of May 28, 2025, Amazon.ie, now supports Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Stores. This essentially enables sellers and vendors access to a brand-new audience in Western Europe.

It’s especially useful for brands already operating in the UK or looking to expand across the EU. You can now:

Launch Sponsored Product campaigns directly on Amazon.ie

Build out custom-branded Stores for deeper engagement

Use Sponsored Brands video to stand out in search

Target by keyword, product, or interest. Just like you do elsewhere.

Ireland may be small in population, but it’s strategically placed—and underserved. For many brands, this rollout opens up an entirely new pocket of ROI with very little lift.

Where it’s live:

Ireland

Who gets access?

Sellers and vendors

Where to run it?

Amazon Ads Console, API

Ireland may be small in population, but it’s strategic for EU growth and for many brands, this unlocks a whole new layer of advertising ROI.

Amazon Seller Updates: May 2025

Amazon has gone all out in May with new tools launches, policy shifts, and optimization tips to help prep your account for Q3 and Q4.

Between compliance migrations and changes to buyer communication, May’s updates are less about bells and whistles and more about foundational clarity. Think of it as Amazon tightening the screws so you don’t come loose when volumes spike later in the year.

Now, here’s a list of what’s changing and how to use it to your advantage:

Amazon Seller Update 1: Compliance now lives in Account Health

If you’ve been bouncing between dashboards to manage product or food safety compliance, that’s about to get easier. Well, eventually.

On May 29th, Amazon officially began migrating all product and food safety requirements to the Account Health dashboard, phasing out the separate Manage Your Compliance page.

What this means:

You’ll now view violations, submit documentation, and appeal enforcement actions in one place.

Need lab testing or certifications? You’ll also be able to manage that from the same dashboard. There’s no need to chase external workflows.

Transition period: During the migration (expected to wrap by July), you’ll need to check both dashboards to stay fully compliant. Amazon plans to roll out tutorials and help guides once the switch is in full effect.

Amazon Seller Update 2: Tighter Messaging Rules: No More [Important] Subject Lines

Amazon has quietly rolled back your ability to flag buyer messages as “[Important]”. This change, which was rolled out in mid-May, affects how (and when) you can reach opted-out customers.

The update tightens up Buyer-Seller Messaging to protect buyer inbox preferences.

Here’s what changed:

The subject line flag “[Important]” has been removed.

You can no longer override opt-out settings unless the message is directly related to fulfilling the order.

What does this mean exactly?

Your only path through is utility. Meaning, if your message is essential to the order, it gets delivered. If not, it gets filtered.

What still works:

Use Amazon’s message templates. These templates:

Auto-flag messages as important when necessary

Include order details automatically

Translate into the buyer’s preferred language

We recommend you get reacquainted with what qualifies as critical comms. Check Amazon’s Communication Guidelines.

Amazon Seller Update 3: Following the latest A+ Content best practices = better conversion science

If you’ve been phoning it in with your A+ Content, it time to up your game. Amazon just released a new wave of A+ Content best practices and tied them directly to sales lift metrics.

Some highlights worth reworking your listings for:

Storytelling wins. Show your product in action. Context outperforms clutter. Think: lifestyle images with a narrative, not flat lay stock photos.

Shoppable comparison tables always tend to drive higher AOV. Customers use them to compare variations and buy more than one.

Text matters more than you think. Alt-text for every image. Text over image-embedded blurbs. Descriptive, useful words—not filler.

Avoid reusing creatives. Duplicate lifestyle shots across ASINs dilute perceived value. Use the A+ generative AI tool to refresh your creatives without burning your budget.

Here’s a tip from the trenches: If your ASIN is showing signs of ad fatigue or declining conversion, check your A+ visuals. Chances are, it’s time for an overall. You can always reach out to our listing optimization specialists for an audit.

Amazon Seller Update 4: Streamlined Shipment Management with Enhanced Send to Amazon Workflow

Amazon has upgraded the Send to Amazon workflow with two key changes designed to reduce friction and improve cost control during shipment creation:

1) Real-Time Eligibility for Optimized Splits

As you create domestic or international shipments, the system will now indicate whether your shipment qualifies for Amazon-optimized splits. Visibility includes requirements for individual units, case packs, and pallet templates. This upgrade will now allow for better planning and compliance.

2) Upfront Cost Transparency

Step 2 now shows estimated inbound costs, including FBA placement service fees and shipping estimates via Partnered Carrier Program (PCP) or SEND. These are comparison-only estimates and carry no obligation unless you proceed with PCP.

Additionally, for domestic shipments, the system auto-compares small parcel vs. less-than-truckload rates and preselects the lower-cost option. Ultimately, this helps you avoid manual guesswork and improve logistics efficiency.

It’s important to note that rates shown may differ from what non-PCP carriers charge. Use this workflow as a strategic benchmark, not a final quote.

Amazon Seller Update 5: New Control Over Auto-Replenishment with AWD Threshold Settings

As of May 2025. you can now define minimum and maximum inventory thresholds for FBA replenishment directly through Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD). This gives you precision control over how much stock flows into FBA, aligned with sales patterns and cash flow priorities.

Once thresholds are set per SKU, AWD auto-initiates replenishment shipments to maintain stock levels, considering both on-hand and in-transit inventory.

This is particularly beneficial for:

Steady-moving ASINs

Seasonal SKUs requiring strategic buffers

Launch-phase inventory control

Buy with Prime-enabled items

High-value or signature products

Caution: It’s important to note that SKUs with minimum thresholds set become ineligible for storage fee waivers for 90 days. You take full ownership of inventory planning and associated FBA costs.

To update thresholds:

Go to Inventory > Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) → View or Move inventory → Select SKUs → Set thresholds under FBA replenishment.

Amazon Seller Update 6: New Fee Adjustment Logic for Carrier Shipment Measurement Discrepancies

From June 12th 2025, Amazon will issue fee adjustments based on discrepancies between the weight and dimensions you submit during shipment creation and the actual measurements recorded by the partnered carrier.

What does this? Well:

Overstated measurements will result in a credit

Understated measurements will result in a charge

You’ll be notified of these differences within the Inbound Performance dashboard, where you can review specific discrepancies under the “Inaccurate transportation weight/dims” defect category.

This change encourages more accurate prep and labeling from the start, reducing future disputes and improving cost accuracy at scale.

Amazon Seller Update 7: Policy Updates to Seller Fulfilled Prime and Premium Shipping

As of June 29th 2025, Amazon will tighten the eligibility criteria and performance standards for Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) and Premium Shipping to ensure these programs consistently deliver the Prime-level experience buyers expect.

Key changes include:

Revised enrollment and eligibility criteria for SFP

Updated performance metrics for Premium Shipping

OTDR (On-Time Delivery Rate) protection for sellers using Shipping Settings Automation and OTDR-Protected labels via Amazon Buy Shipping or Veeqo

Even if you’re not using these tools, Amazon may exempt OTDR penalties during wide-scale disruption events that affect a region.

This update improves fairness while ensuring seller performance aligns with evolving buyer expectations. For sellers who prioritize fast, reliable fulfillment without outsourcing to FBA, understanding and aligning with these standards will be critical to retain program benefits.

Amazon Seller Update 7: AI-Powered Brand Name Generator Now Available

Amazon has launched a free AI-based brand name generator to support you with brand building from day one. This tool essentially generates name suggestions tailored to your product category, audience, and brand positioning. Most importantly, there is rationale behind each name.

It also performs a basic trademark screening using USPTO records, helping you pre-filter options before investing time in IP protection.

Once you select a name, you can connect with vetted providers via Amazon’s IP Accelerator to secure your trademark efficiently.

While the tool is a powerful starting point, always consult a trademark attorney before finalizing a brand name.

To try it: Head to Create a brand name in Seller Central.

Final Thoughts

Amazon did more that simply launch a couple of new features in May 2025, they’ve empowered sellers to become more strategic direction. Amazon is rewarding advertisers and sellers who operate with precision, think in cohorts, and treat ad dollars as strategic levers, not blunt instruments.

Whether it’s targeting only business buyers, scaling new-to-brand acquisition, or mapping five years of purchase cycles—your competitive advantage now lies in who you target, how often, and with what level of insight.

This is Amazon signaling that the era of “set-it-and-forget-it” is over. The winners? Those who build systems, not just campaigns.