What Is the Account Health Score?
The Amazon Account Health Score (AHS) is a numerical value between 0 and 1000 that summarizes the overall health of your seller account at a glance. Amazon introduced this score in 2022 to give sellers a clear, quantifiable metric — instead of having to navigate through dozens of individual performance indicators.
The score combines three areas: your customer service performance, your compliance with product policies, and your shipping performance. Each of these areas is evaluated individually and feeds into the overall score with weighted importance.
Where Do You Find the Score?
You can find your Account Health Score in Seller Central under Performance > Account Health. There you'll see the numerical score, a color classification (green, yellow, or red), and a breakdown by the three main areas. Amazon also displays open violations and metrics that require action.
Important: The Account Health Score is updated in real time. Every new customer review, every late shipment, every policy violation changes your score immediately. That's why regular monitoring is worthwhile — not just a monthly glance.
Why Is the Score So Important?
The Account Health Score is not just an indicator — it's a trigger. Amazon actively uses the score to make decisions about your account. A score in the red zone can directly lead to account deactivation. A score in the yellow zone means Amazon is watching your account more closely. And only a green-rated account operates without elevated risk.
For sellers on multiple marketplaces: the score is calculated per marketplace. Your score on amazon.de can differ from your score on amazon.fr. You need to monitor each marketplace separately.
The 3 Pillars of the Account Health Score
The Account Health Score is composed of three areas that are weighted differently. Understanding these three pillars is essential to knowing where to focus your efforts.
Customer Service Performance
Measures how satisfied your customers are. Includes the Order Defect Rate (ODR), which consists of negative reviews, A-to-Z Guarantee claims, and credit card chargebacks. Highest weight in the score.
Product Policy Compliance
Measures whether your products and listings comply with Amazon's policies. Includes IP claims, restricted product warnings, listing policy violations, and product safety complaints. Individual severe violations can massively impact the score.
Shipping Performance
Measures how reliably you deliver. Includes the Late Shipment Rate, Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate, and Valid Tracking Rate. FBA sellers are automatically in the green here, as Amazon handles shipping.
Pillar Weighting
Amazon doesn't publicly communicate the exact weighting, but from practice we know: Policy Compliance has the greatest impact. A single unresolved IP claim can drop your score by 50-100 points. Customer Service Performance follows in second place — the ODR is particularly critical here. Shipping Performance has the lowest weighting but can be decisive for FBM sellers (Fulfillment by Merchant).
The key takeaway: Policy violations drag your score down the fastest and hardest. A clean compliance record is the foundation of a healthy account.
What Score Is Good? The Traffic Light Explained
Amazon uses a traffic light system to show you at a glance how your account is doing. The thresholds are clearly defined — and the consequences differ at each level.
Green: 200 — 1000 Points
Your account is healthy. No immediate danger. Amazon considers your account trustworthy. You have full access to all features and your account is not under increased surveillance. Goal: Stay in this range permanently.
Yellow: 100 — 199 Points
Risk zone. Amazon is watching your account more closely. You may receive warnings and requests to fix specific issues. Quick action is required in this range — the path to deactivation is short.
Red: Below 100 Points
Critical. Your account is on the verge of deactivation or already deactivated. Amazon can take action at any time. At this stage, you need a Plan of Action and must resolve all open violations immediately.
Warning: The transition from yellow to red can happen very quickly. A single new policy violation or a spike in ODR can be enough to push your score below 100. Don't wait until you're in the red zone — act in the yellow zone immediately.
The Most Dangerous Metrics in Detail
Not all metrics have the same impact on your score. Some are significantly more dangerous than others — because they either escalate quickly or because Amazon evaluates them particularly strictly.
Order Defect Rate (ODR) Above 1%
The ODR is the flagship metric of Customer Service Performance. It measures the percentage of your orders that have a "defect": a negative review (1-2 stars), an A-to-Z Guarantee claim, or a credit card chargeback. Amazon's threshold is 1% — sellers above this get into trouble.
The tricky thing about the ODR: it's calculated over a rolling 60-day window. One bad month can burden your ODR for two months. And even if an A-to-Z claim is decided in your favor, it still counts as a defect if you didn't respond within 48 hours.
Late Shipment Rate Above 4%
This metric primarily applies to FBM sellers (Fulfillment by Merchant). It measures the percentage of orders where the shipping confirmation was sent after the promised ship date. Amazon's threshold is 4%. FBA sellers are automatically protected here since Amazon handles shipping.
The Late Shipment Rate is particularly dangerous because it often creeps up gradually. A few late confirmations per week don't immediately stand out — until the threshold is exceeded.
Policy Violations: The Cumulative Effect
Policy violations have a special mechanism: they accumulate. Every unresolved violation lowers your score — and new violations weigh heavier when open violations already exist. Amazon evaluates the pattern: a seller with five open policy warnings is treated differently than one with zero.
The most dangerous policy types are:
- Intellectual Property Claims: Have the strongest impact on the score. Each unresolved IP claim can cost 50-100 points.
- Restricted Product Warnings: Products in prohibited or gated categories without authorization.
- Product Safety Complaints: Customer reports about injuries or safety risks — Amazon takes these extremely seriously.
- Listing Policy Violations: Prohibited claims, incorrect categorization, missing required information.
Practical experience: Most sellers whose score suddenly drops have a combination of issues: for example, a rising ODR plus two unresolved policy warnings. Individual metrics lower the score moderately — the combination makes it critical.
5 Actions to Improve Your Account Health Score
The good news: the Account Health Score is not a static verdict. It responds to improvements — often faster than sellers expect. Here are five concrete actions, ranked by effectiveness.
1. Automate Your Shipping — or Use FBA
If you're an FBM seller, the fastest path to better shipping metrics is automation. Use automatic shipping confirmations, integrate your carrier with Seller Central, and ensure tracking numbers are transmitted in real time. Even better: switch your best-selling products to FBA. Amazon's own fulfillment guarantees you perfect shipping metrics.
2. Respond to Buyer Messages Within 24 Hours
Every unanswered buyer message is a potential negative review or A-to-Z claim. Amazon measures your response time — and buyers who don't receive a response escalate quickly. Set up notifications for buyer messages and respond within 12 hours. For complaints: proactively offer a solution before the buyer files a claim.
Best Practice: Proactive Customer Communication
"When a buyer reports a problem, respond immediately with a concrete solution: refund, replacement, or detailed assistance. A buyer who feels heard is less likely to leave a negative review. And every avoided negative review protects your ODR."
3. Monitor Your Listing Compliance Weekly
Policy violations often arise from changes in Amazon's guidelines — not from mistakes during creation. A listing that was compliant six months ago can be a violation today. Check your Account Health Dashboard for new warnings every week. Respond to every warning within 48 hours — not only when a deactivation follows.
4. Resolve Policy Violations Immediately
Open policy violations are the biggest score killer. Every unresolved violation continuously drags your score down. Prioritize resolution by severity: IP claims first, then restricted product warnings, then listing violations. For each violation, there is a specific resolution path — sometimes a listing update suffices, sometimes you need a formal appeal.
- IP Claims: Contact the complainant for a retraction. Adjust affected listings. File a counter-notice if applicable.
- Restricted Products: Submit the required approval or certification. Remove the product if approval isn't possible.
- Listing Violations: Correct the flagged issues in the listing. Remove prohibited claims. Add missing required information.
5. Appeal Unfair Metrics
Not every negative metric is justified. Amazon allows appeals for certain situations: A-to-Z claims caused by buyer error, late shipments due to carrier delays, or negative reviews that violate Amazon's review guidelines. Use these options systematically — but only for legitimate cases. Frivolous appeals damage your credibility.
The most effective strategy is prevention. It's easier to maintain a healthy score than to repair a damaged one. Invest in proactive monitoring rather than reactive crisis management.
Using the Account Health Dashboard: Your Monitoring Plan
The Account Health Dashboard in Seller Central is your central tool. But many sellers only check it sporadically — and miss critical signals. Here is a structured monitoring plan.
Check Daily
- New buyer messages: Respond to open messages immediately. Goal: zero unanswered messages at the end of the day.
- New policy notifications: Read and prioritize every new warning or notification immediately.
- Shipping status (FBM): Confirm shipping for all orders. Verify tracking numbers.
Check Weekly
- Account Health Score: Monitor the trend. If the score drops, immediately identify the cause.
- ODR development: Check the rolling 60-day rate. Analyze negative reviews.
- Open violations: Review the status of all open policy violations. Prioritize unresolved cases.
- Return rate: Analyze return reasons. Identify recurring issues and address them in listings.
Check Monthly
- Overall trend: Evaluate score development over the last 90 days. Identify patterns.
- Listing compliance audit: Review all active listings against current policy requirements.
- Metrics per marketplace: For multi-marketplace sellers: analyze each marketplace individually.
- Process optimization: Which problems recur? Which processes need improvement?
Pro tip: Set up calendar reminders for your weekly account health review. 15 minutes per week is enough to catch problems early. Those 15 minutes can save you from an account deactivation that costs you weeks of revenue.
Proactive Monitoring
Harvey monitors your Account Health
Harvey analyzes your Account Health Score, identifies risks before they become critical, and helps you resolve policy violations quickly and professionally. Based on hundreds of analyzed accounts.
Get Sparked.Summary: Your Account Health in 3 Sentences
The Account Health Score is your early warning system. It combines Customer Service Performance, Policy Compliance, and Shipping Performance into a single value that determines whether your account stays active.
- Know your thresholds: Above 200 is green, below 100 is critical. Stay in the green zone permanently.
- Resolve violations immediately: Open policy violations are the biggest score killer. Every day counts.
- Monitor proactively: 15 minutes per week is enough to catch problems early and protect your account.
Your Amazon account is your business. Protect it like a physical store — with regular maintenance, clear processes, and the right team at your side.
