Unleash Your Sales Potential: Offer High-Quality Generic Products on Amazon!

Expanding your product catalog can help you reach more customers and increase sales. One way to expand your catalog is to list and sell generic products—but listing generic products also comes with some important nuances.

There are specific requirements and conditions when you list generic products in the Amazon store. Understanding what counts as a generic product and how to list them properly can save you time and help you avoid common errors. It’s also important to consider whether listing a product as generic is the right long-term strategy, or if it makes more sense for you to create a brand and list your products in the Amazon store using your brand name.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What generic products are
• What the Amazon Generic Product policy and guidelines are
• How to list generic products in the Amazon store
• How to resolve generic product listing errors
• How to create generic product listings that stand out

What are generic products?

Generic products are products that don’t belong to any identifiable brand and are sometimes called “unbranded products.” A generic product doesn’t have a distinctive name or logo on the product or its packaging. For example, a plain mobile phone case without any branding would be considered a generic product.

Generic vs. branded products

Generic and branded products have different strategic advantages.

Generic products work well when you’re selling truly unbranded merchandise without logos or other identifiers. These products can help you reach price-conscious customers, expand into commodity categories quickly, and often have fewer listing requirements. Generic products also typically face less competition since each seller creates their own unique listing in the Amazon store.

Consider listing generic products when:

• You source merchandise without any branding—for example, a plain white t-shirt without any logo qualifies as generic, but a shirt with even a small brand tag must use that brand name
• Your products compete primarily on price and basic functionality
• You offer commodity items where brand recognition offers limited value

Branded products can offer distinct advantages for businesses focused on differentiation. Long term, they can also build customer loyalty and command premium prices. As an Amazon seller, you can enroll eligible brands in Amazon Brand Registry, which provides protection benefits and access to selling tools like Sponsored Brands and Amazon Brand Analytics.

Consider branded products when:

• Building brand recognition is important to your strategy
• Your product category depends heavily on trust and reputation
• You want to use Amazon brand-exclusive marketing tools

Learn how to sell branded products with Amazon

Understand the Amazon Generic Product policy and important guidelines

The Amazon Generic Product policy creates special protections for unbranded products listed with “generic” as the brand name. When you create a generic product listing, only you can modify it or add offers to it—other sellers have to create their own separate listing.

Key policy rules and guidelines to remember:

• Once you set “generic” as the brand name, it cannot be changed.
• To brand a product that’s been listed as generic, you must create an entirely new listing—even if the product remains physically identical after being branded.
• Using another brand’s intellectual property in your generic listing violates Amazon policy.
• Only the creator can modify generic listings or add offers to them.
• If you want to sell a product similar to another seller’s generic product, you must create your own new listing.
• Attempting to modify another seller’s generic listing can trigger errors 5885, 5886, or 5887.

Remember, a key aspect of the Amazon Generic Product policy is that each seller creates and updates their own listing for a generic product, rather than sharing a common product detail page. That means customers may have to find and review multiple detail pages in order to compare your offer with offers from other Amazon sellers.

List generic products in the Amazon store

Understanding how to correctly list generic products helps customers find what they need and keeps your account compliant with Amazon policy.

Comply with these guidelines

Do:

• Use “generic” only for truly unbranded products.
• Create detailed descriptions that help customers understand exactly what they’re buying.
• Include clear images showing the unbranded nature of your product.

Don’t:

• Use “generic” for products with any visible branding, even if it’s minimal.
• Try to modify another seller’s generic product listing.
• Attempt to change a product from “generic” to branded after listing.

Create a new generic product listing in 5 steps

To create a new generic product listing in the Amazon store, follow these steps:

1. From the main menu in Seller Central, select Catalog, then Add Products.
2. Choose the Blank form tab, then Start, and enter the product details.
3. In the brand name field, type “generic” in all lowercase letters.
4. Upload clear images of the unbranded product.
5. Finish adding details, review all information, and submit.

Learn how to create Amazon product listings

Request GTIN exemptions in 3 steps

For products without unique identifiers like UPCs, you’ll need to request a GTIN exemption before listing. Here’s how:

1. When you enter product details, select I don’t have a product ID and select Next. If an exemption is required, you’ll see the Apply now button.
2. Complete the application form with product images showing all sides of your unbranded product.
3. Submit and wait for approval—usually within 48 hours.

You’ll need a separate approval for each product category you want to sell in.

Create new listings when switching between generic and branded

If you decide to add branding to a previously unbranded product, you must create an entirely new product listing. Brand changes from generic to branded can’t be made on existing listings. This requirement helps maintain listing integrity and prevent customer confusion.

Resolve listing errors for generic products

Have you tried to add offers to a generic product listing and received an error? Here’s how to navigate them.

Understand common generic product listing errors

When you try to modify or add offers to another seller’s generic product listing, you may see one of these error codes:

• Error 5882: This error appears when you try to create a generic product listing that might infringe on a brand’s intellectual property.
• Error 5885: This error shows up when you try to change a generic product detail page, add offers to another seller’s generic product, or copy the product detail page to another store. This error can be appealed by contacting Seller Support with specific information, including product title, SKU, ASIN, and images showing the product is genuinely unbranded.
• Errors 5886 and 5887: These errors indicate that changes to another seller’s generic product listing are not allowed. These errors can’t be appealed. If you encounter them, you’ll need to create your own new product listing instead of trying to modify an existing one.

Learn about error messages related to the Amazon Generic Product policy

How to resolve generic product listing errors

Listing errors aren’t just roadblocks—they can help you create better listings. Learn about common errors, why they happen, and how to resolve them quickly, including errors 5882, 5885, 5886, and 5887. Read How to fix (and avoid) Amazon listing errors.

Create standout generic product listings

Great generic product listings help customers find exactly what they’re looking for. Here’s how to make your unbranded products stand out in the Amazon store:

Double-check your product before listing

Make sure your product truly qualifies as generic before using “generic” as the brand name. Once you create a listing with “generic” as the brand, you can’t change it later, and no other sellers can modify your listing.

Choose the right category

Put your generic product in the most appropriate category. This helps customers find your product when browsing or filtering search results. Better categorization can improve your product’s visibility.

Write detailed descriptions with key attributes

Be specific about your product’s features, dimensions, materials, and uses. Since generic products don’t have brand recognition, detailed descriptions help customers make informed decisions. Emphasize important features like size, color, material quality, and special functions. For example, instead of saying “phone case,” specify “clear silicone phone case with reinforced corners for a specific phone model.”

Mention compatibility when relevant

If your generic product works with branded products, clearly say this in your description. Remember to still use “generic” as the brand name—not the name of the compatible brand. For example, you can mention that your generic product is “compatible with Amazon Basics” but can’t claim it “is Amazon Basics.”

Use high-quality images

Clear, professional images help customers understand exactly what they’re buying. Include multiple angles that clearly show your product has no branding. This practice builds trust and reduces returns.

Reach more customers with generic products

Generic products offer a way to expand your catalog and connect with more customers in the Amazon store.

To get started, identify unbranded products in your inventory and create clear, detailed listings with high-quality images. And follow the Amazon Generic Product policy to help maintain the integrity of your listings while making it easier for customers to distinguish between similar unbranded products.

Review your inventory today and create your first generic product listing to start reaching more customers in the Amazon store.

*A Professional selling plan is $39.99 a month + selling fees. Learn more