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What is Amazon A+ Content? And why yours probably has not done its homework
- Cindy Jackson
- 53 minutes ago
- 19 min read
Rufus / Alexa Shopping note
A quick note on Rufus: At the time of publication, Amazon’s AI shopping assistant is still called Rufus in the UK. Amazon has announced that Rufus is being brought together with Alexa as Alexa for Shopping, currently available to US customers. As there is no confirmed UK rollout date at the time of writing, I have used “Rufus” throughout this blog. If the name changes after publication, the advice still applies: your listing content needs to be clear enough for Amazon’s AI shopping assistant to understand and repeat accurately.
Amazon A+ Content is enhanced visual content on an Amazon product detail page that lets eligible sellers add richer images, text modules, comparison charts, Brand Story content and, where available, Premium A+ modules such as video, hotspots, carousels and Q&A sections.
Amazon A+ Content is also one of the most underused parts of a listing, especially now Premium A+ access appears to be showing inside some Brand Registered accounts without the usual documented hoops being jumped through.
In seller terms, it gives you more space to answer the questions your buyer has not quite put into words yet.
That matters because A+ Content is not just there to decorate the page. It should reduce uncertainty, build trust, explain the product properly and help the buyer make a decision without wandering off to compare you with three other listings and a Reddit thread.
Amazon says Basic A+ Content can increase sales by up to 8%, while well-implemented Premium A+ Content can increase sales by up to 20%.
Lovely numbers.
But please note the words “can” and “well-implemented”.
A+ Content only earns those numbers when it is doing a proper job. A few nice images, a logo, a tagline and the same bullets copied into a module are not a strategy. That is a worksheet with your name written beautifully at the top and nothing useful underneath.
I remember the first time I had access to A+ Content.
Amazon A+ Content felt like being handed the posh stationery cupboard. I was selling in beauty - skincare, specifically - and I had finally got Brand Registry sorted, which in the early days felt like a golden ticket. I opened the A+ Content builder, looked at all those modules, and thought: right. This is it. This is the thing that is going to make my listings look properly professional.
So I filled them in.
Lifestyle images I liked the look of. My brand story. A few bullet points dressed up in a slightly nicer font. I hit publish and waited for the sales to follow.
They did not especially follow.
It took me a while to understand why.
The content looked fine. The modules were all filled in. What I had not understood yet was that looking fine and actually doing a job are two very different things.
I had submitted my homework.
I had not answered the question.
That is the thing about A+ Content. Amazon called it A+ for a reason. It is not a participation prize. It is a grade you have to earn.
And most listings, if I am being honest about what I see every day now, are sitting somewhere between a C and a D.
Here is what Amazon A+ Content actually does, why Premium A+ may now be more available than sellers realise, and how to get yours closer to top marks. A Quick Note From Me - This is an unapologetically meaty subject for a blog. This and the A+ Content Playbook should give you a great start point to dive into the subject. Or brush up for homework.
What is Amazon A+ Content?
As noted in the opening information - Amazon A+ Content is the enhanced content section on an Amazon listing. It appears on the product detail page and gives eligible sellers extra space to explain the product, show the brand, compare options and answer buyer questions.
Basic A+ Content usually includes enhanced images, text modules, feature sections, comparison charts and Brand Story content.
Premium A+ Content adds richer modules such as video, interactive hotspots, image carousels, Q&A sections, enhanced comparison areas and larger visual layouts.
Think of Basic A+ as the core syllabus.
Premium A+ is the extension paper.
Both still need the same thing to work: thought.
Not “fill the boxes and hope for the best” thought. Actual buyer-question thought.
Who is this product for? What are they worried about? What do they need to understand before they buy? What might make them hesitate? What does the listing need to prove?
That is the job.
The modules are just where the answer goes.
What has changed with Premium A+ Content?
This is the bit I would like brand registered sellers to pay attention to.
Historically, Premium A+ Content felt like big-brand territory. It was talked about as something you had to unlock by meeting certain requirements, including Brand Story content and a number of approved A+ Content submissions within a set time period.
Amazon’s published guidance still points in that direction.
But we have now checked several Brand Registered seller accounts and found Premium A+ access available even where the usual documented requirements do not appear to have been met.
No full Brand Story rollout.
No obvious five approved A+ projects.
Still showing Premium A+ access.
That is significant.
It suggests Amazon may be widening access, testing broader availability, or rolling Premium A+ out to more Brand Registered sellers before the public guidance fully catches up.
I cannot say it is live for everyone.
Amazon may change it again. It may depend on the age, status or setup of the Brand Registry account. It may be a phased rollout. It may be one of those lovely Amazon moments where the thing exists before the explanation does.
But from what we are seeing, something has shifted.
So if you are Brand Registered and you have not checked A+ Content Manager recently, check it now.
Do not assume Premium A+ is unavailable because you have not created five A+ projects.
Do not assume it is unavailable because you have not added Brand Story to everything yet.
Do not assume anything, basically.
Go and look.
Open Seller Central. Go to A+ Content Manager. Start creating A+ Content and see whether Premium modules are available.
If they are, you may have access to tools that used to feel much further out of reach.
And if the stationery cupboard is open, please do not leave the good pens sitting there untouched.
Does this mean everyone can use Premium A+ Content now?
No. It means some sellers may have access before they realise it.
That is an important distinction.
Published Amazon guidance still refers to eligibility requirements for Premium A+ Content. We are not pretending that guidance has disappeared.
What we are saying is that live account access and published guidance do not currently appear to line up perfectly in every case.
That happens on Amazon more often than sellers would like.
Sometimes the feature rolls first and the documentation follows later. Sometimes access varies by account. Sometimes Amazon tests quietly. Sometimes a seller gets access, loses it, gets it back, and nobody on earth can explain why without opening seven support cases and sacrificing a weekend.
So this is not a blanket promise.
It is a prompt.
If you are Brand Registered, check your own account now.
The question is not “Do I definitely qualify according to a help page?”
The better question is:
“Is Premium A+ actually sitting in my A+ Content Manager right now?”
Because if it is, the next question is not “how did that happen?”
The next question is “what are you going to do with it?”
What does A+ Content actually do for your Amazon listing?
The purpose of A+ Content is to reduce buyer uncertainty at the point of decision.
By the time a buyer scrolls down to it, they have usually seen your main image, read your title and scanned your bullets. They may have glanced at the reviews. They may already be half-interested.
The question they are now answering - consciously or not - is: do I trust this enough to buy it?
Good A+ Content answers that question.
It shows the product in use. It handles the hesitation the buyer is most likely to have. It makes the product feel considered, specific and credible.
What it is not - and this is where most sellers, including me in the early days, go wrong - is a second chance to list features.
Repeating the bullets in a slightly prettier format teaches the buyer nothing new. It gives them no new reason to trust the product.
They came looking for reassurance.
They found a reprint.
If your A+ Content is saying the same things as your bullets, just with a nicer background, it is not earning its grade.
What does a D-grade A+ Content listing look like?
Rather than describe it in the abstract, here is what I see regularly - and what the same listing looks like when someone has actually thought it through.
This is a beauty category example, because that is where I started selling. The pattern holds across almost every category.
Relevant. Specific. A reason to trust.
What the buyer learns: Enough to make a decision.
What Rufus learns: Texture, use case, compatibility, product differences and trust signals.
The D-grade version is not obviously terrible. That is the problem.
It looks like it has A+ Content. It has filled-in modules and a lifestyle image and a brand story. From the outside, it appears to have done its homework.
It just has not answered any of the questions a buyer is actually asking.
What should you do first if Premium A+ is available?
Do not immediately throw every shiny module at the page.
I know. Boring.
But Premium A+ is not automatically better because it has fancier modules.
A poor Premium A+ layout is still poor homework in a shinier folder.
Before you start building, ask what the listing needs to do.
Does the buyer need to see the product in motion? Video may help.
Does the buyer need to understand a feature visually? A hotspot module may help.
Do they keep asking the same question? A Q&A module may help.
Are there variants, sizes, bundles or use cases to compare? Enhanced comparison content may help.
Do they need to understand the brand before they trust the product? Brand Story may help.
The module is never the strategy.
The buyer question is the strategy.
Premium A+ simply gives you more ways to answer it.
Do comparison charts in A+ Content improve conversion?
Comparison charts are one of the most useful A+ Content modules because they help buyers choose without leaving your listing.
Sellers often skip them because they require more thinking.
Building a comparison chart means working out how your product sits against alternatives: your own variants, different pack sizes, starter kits, bundles or the generic options a buyer is weighing up.
It is more effort than adding another lifestyle image.
But a comparison chart does something no other module does. It shows that you understand the decision the buyer is trying to make.
And buyers are comparing. Of course they are comparing.
If you have variants, this module should be doing proper work. It is how a buyer self-selects the right option without leaving your listing to work it out elsewhere.
And if they leave to work it out, there is a reasonable chance they do not come back.
In the beauty category, the question I eventually learned to ask was this:
What is the buyer trying to decide between when they hover over the 30ml and the 50ml?
If you answer that inside the module, the decision becomes easier. If you do not, you have left the buyer with homework.
And buyers are notoriously poor at handing in homework.
Does Rufus read A+ Content?
Yes. Sellers should now treat A+ Content as part of the product information Amazon’s AI shopping assistant may use when answering shopper questions.
This is where things get more interesting.
When I started selling, A+ Content was mainly about impressing the buyer who had already clicked on your listing. That buyer is still there.
But now there is another reader in the room.
Amazon’s AI shopping assistant (soon to be renamed Alexa shopping) is reading product information to answer shopper questions, compare options and explain recommendations.
That changes the brief.
A+ Content is no longer just there to look polished when someone scrolls down. It is part of how your product may be understood, explained and recommended.
In the 'Project Fetch' - work we have been doing behind the scenes - one thing has become very clear: Rufus does not behave like standard Amazon search.
Amazon search ranks listings.
Rufus answers questions.
They are not the same system, and they do not reward the same things. To read up more about Rufus visit our dedicated Rufus page.
Standard Amazon search is still heavily shaped by matching the buyer’s query to listing content and commercial signals. Rufus behaves more like an answer engine with a product catalogue attached. It interprets the situation, decides what sort of solution is needed, and then looks for listings that help it explain that answer.
That means vague content is not your friend.
If a buyer asks “is this suitable for sensitive skin?” or “what comes in the bundle?” or “what is the difference between the two sizes?”, Amazon’s AI assistant needs something clear to work with.
Decorative A+ Content gives it very little.
Specific A+ Content gives it answers.
If your listing cannot answer the question, Rufus will find one that can. He is not disloyal. He is just practical.
Can Rufus read the bits you thought nobody saw?
Yes.
And this is where Rufus threw me under the bus.
We had a customer complaint about something apparently missing from a bundle. The bundle did not include that item, so I went back through the visible listing to check we had not accidentally promised it somewhere.
Title? Fine.
Bullets? Fine.
Images? Fine.
A+ Content? Fine.
Then I asked Rufus.
Sure enough, Rufus said the bundle came with the item.
At that point I did the seller version of staring into the middle distance.
The problem was in the old description field. It was the bit we had not thought much about because A+ Content was doing the visible job on the listing.
Somewhere in there was a keyword that linked the bundle to another product. It was not meant to promise that the item was included, but Rufus had read it, joined the dots, and very helpfully told the customer the wrong thing.
Ruffy had absolutely thrown me under the bus.
The lesson is not “never use keywords”. The lesson is that your whole listing is evidence now.
The visible bits matter. The less-visible bits matter. The old description you forgot about matters. The wording inside your A+ modules matters. The claim on an image matters.
If Amazon’s AI assistant can read it, it can use it to answer a customer. And if it uses the wrong thing, that is still your listing talking.
This is why A+ Content is not a pretty add-on any more. It has to be aligned with the title, bullets, description, images, backend thinking and the actual truth of the product.
Otherwise the customer sees one thing, Rufus says another, and you are left trying to explain why the homework has bite marks in it.
Why does A+ Content stop working after a while?
A+ Content stops working when the listing moves on and the A+ does not.
This is one of the most consistent patterns I see.
A+ Content gets built - often at launch, sometimes during a quieter week when someone finally gets round to it. It looks good at the time. Then it sits there.
The main image changes. The title shifts. The bullets get updated. A new variant is added. Reviews reveal new buyer questions. The target buyer changes slightly. The product range grows.
And the A+ Content stays exactly where it was.
Eighteen months later, the A+ Content is telling a slightly different story to everything else on the listing.
Not obviously wrong. Just slightly off. And slightly off is enough to introduce doubt at exactly the moment a buyer is deciding.
I did this with my own listings.
I had built A+ Content for a pet product I was selling - treats, initially - and by the time I looked at it properly, the range had expanded, the main image had been updated, and the A+ Content was still talking about a product that had essentially evolved past it.
It was not wrong. It was just no longer the same conversation as everything else on the page.
Amazon listings rarely fail because one element is wrong. They stall when the words, the visuals and the search signals stop reinforcing each other.
The fix is almost never a dramatic rebuild. It is an alignment check.
Open your listing. Read your title. Read your first bullet. Open your A+ Content. Ask: is this the same product, talking to the same buyer, in the same voice?
Where the answer is “mostly” rather than “yes”, that is the gap where conversions are quietly leaking.
That check takes ten minutes. The difference it makes is considerably larger.
What does good A+ Content look like across different Amazon categories?
Good A+ Content answers the buyer’s real hesitation for that category.
The structure is consistent even when the product changes.
The opening module does one job: immediately confirm to a buyer who has scrolled down that they are in the right place. It should reflect what the main image and title already communicated, not introduce a new message or a different personality.
The middle modules address the specific hesitations a buyer in that category is likely to have.
Not features.
Hesitations.
The Quiet Question
In beauty: will it irritate my skin, what does it feel like, what can I use it with?
In pet supplies: is it safe, will they actually eat it, how much do I need?
In kitchen: will it fit my space, how hard is it to clean, does it do what it says?
In supplements: what is in it, how often do I take it, when should I expect to notice anything?
In bundles: what exactly is included, what is not included, and does the image show everything clearly?
Answer the quiet question before the buyer has to go looking for the answer elsewhere.
The comparison chart shows that you understand the decision. Not a list of everything you sell. The specific comparison a buyer standing between two options needs to make.
The Brand Story, if you are using it, should give the buyer a reason to trust the seller that is relevant to this product and this decision.
Not a generic founding story that could belong to anyone. Every module is a question to answer.
That is the whole brief.
How does Amazon A+ Content connect to the rest of your listing?
Amazon A+ Content works best when it is aligned with the whole listing: title, bullets, images, description, backend thinking, buyer questions and search intent.
The Content Triangle that sits at the centre of how I approach listing performance has three sides: Content, Creative and Visibility.
A+ Content usually sits on the Creative side, alongside your images.
But it only works properly when it supports the Content side too: the title, bullets, description, claims and buyer language.
Then there is the Visibility side.
This is where things have changed.
If Amazon’s AI shopping assistant is reading across the listing to answer buyer questions, then A+ Content becomes part of how your product is understood, not just how it is presented.
That does not mean A+ replaces keyword research. It does not. It means your listing has to make sense as a whole.
The title cannot say one thing, the bullets another, the images something slightly different, and the old description quietly causing trouble in the background.
That is how listings drift.
That is how confusion creeps in.
That is how Ruffy gets ideas.
When all three sides point at the same buyer with the same message, A+ Content earns its grade.
When they do not, it is one more element working slightly against the others - and the listing is sitting in the corner wondering why the traffic is not converting.
If you are not sure where your A+ Content sits in that picture, an Amazon MOT is the most direct way to find out. It looks at the listing as a connected system and identifies where the misalignment is.
No pressure. No pitch. Just a clear view of what is actually going on.
Links to a couple of the above mentions:
How do you check whether you have Premium A+ Content?
Check inside Seller Central, not from memory.
A+ Content Check
Here is the simple version:
Log into Seller Central.
Go to A+ Content Manager.
Start creating A+ Content.
Look at the available module types.
Check whether Premium modules are visible.
Do not rely on what you thought the rules were last year.
Do not rely on whether someone in a Facebook group says they have it or do not have it.
Do not rely on the assumption that you have to complete a tidy little eligibility checklist before Amazon lets you in.
The published guidance and the live account reality may not currently match for every seller.
If Premium modules are there, you have access.
If they are not, carry on building Basic A+ properly, get your Brand Story in place, and keep checking.
But please check.
Because “I did not realise I had Premium A+” is a very annoying reason to leave better content sitting unused.
How do you check whether your A+ Content is doing its job?
Do the red pen test.
Open one listing and ask:
Does the opening module confirm the product clearly?
Does the A+ Content answer questions not already answered in the bullets?
Does every image have a job?
Does the comparison chart help buyers choose?
Does the Brand Story give a real reason to trust you?
Does the A+ match the title, bullets and main image?
Has anything changed since the A+ was first built?
Does the old product description still say anything awkward?
If this is a bundle, is it painfully clear what is included?
If you ask Rufus about the product, does the answer match what you intended?
That last one matters.
Ask Rufus as a buyer would.
Not “summarise my listing”.
Ask the awkward questions.
What comes in the bundle?
Is this suitable for sensitive skin?
Does this fit a small kitchen?
Can this be used with retinol?
Is this good for an older dog?
What is the difference between the two sizes?
If Rufus gives a thin answer, your content probably has a thin patch.
If Rufus gives the wrong answer, your listing may be contradicting itself somewhere.
If Rufus gives your competitor a better answer, you have just found your homework for the week.
Want a second pair of eyes before you hand it in?
A Discovery Call with yours truly takes thirty minutes.
We look at your listing together - A+ Content included - and you leave with a clearer view of what is working, what needs attention, and what is worth fixing first.
No obligation.
No panic.
And only a little bit of red pen.
Book at mrsprime.co.uk
Want the A+ Playbook to work through your own listing?
I have also created a free A+ Playbook to go with this blog.
It is a practical, red-pen-ready guide for Brand Registered Amazon sellers who want to check whether Premium A+ is available, review what their current A+ Content is actually doing, and spot where their listing could be working harder.
Inside, you will find:
a quick check for Premium A+ access
the difference between Basic A+ and Premium A+
Cindy’s A+ school report
the Red Pen Test for your own listing
a Rufus readiness check
prompts for Brand Story, comparison charts and buyer questions
a final checklist before you publish
Use it alongside this blog, open your own listing, and mark the homework properly.
Download the free A+ Playbook here:
And yes, red pen is optional.
Sort of.
This piece is part of an ongoing Mrs Prime series on Amazon content, search and visibility.
TL;DR
Amazon A+ Content is enhanced content that helps eligible sellers improve product detail pages with richer images, text modules, Brand Story content, comparison charts and, where Premium A+ is available, video and interactive modules.
Amazon says Basic A+ Content can increase sales by up to 8%, while well-implemented Premium A+ Content can increase sales by up to 20%.
The uplift is not automatic.
A+ Content only works when it answers buyer questions, supports the rest of the listing and helps shoppers make a decision.
The interesting bit right now is Premium A+.
Amazon’s published guidance still refers to Premium A+ eligibility requirements, but we have now seen Brand Registered accounts with Premium A+ access available even where those documented requirements do not appear to have been met.
That does not mean it is live for everyone.
It does mean brand registered sellers should check A+ Content Manager now.
And now there is another marker in the room. Amazon’s AI shopping assistant can use listing information to answer customer questions, so the old “nobody sees that bit” approach is getting dangerous.
Title, bullets, A+ Content, images and product description all need to tell the same truth.
Check your access.
Do the alignment check.
Ask what your buyer needs to know.
Ask what Rufus thinks your product includes.
Then fix the homework before it marks you down.
FAQs
What is Amazon A+ Content?
Amazon A+ Content is enhanced visual and written content that appears on a product detail page. It allows eligible sellers to add richer images, text modules, comparison charts, Brand Story content and other enhanced sections in place of a standard product description.
Does Amazon A+ Content improve sales?
Amazon says Basic A+ Content can increase sales by up to 8%, while well-implemented Premium A+ Content can increase sales by up to 20%. The uplift is not guaranteed. A+ Content works best when it answers buyer questions, supports the rest of the listing and helps the customer make a confident decision.
What is the difference between Basic A+ and Premium A+ Content?
Basic A+ Content includes enhanced images, custom text placements, feature modules, Brand Story content and comparison charts. Premium A+ Content gives sellers access to richer modules such as video, interactive hotspots, image or video carousels, Q&A modules and enhanced comparison tools.
Can brand registered sellers access Premium A+ Content now?
Some Brand Registered seller accounts appear to have Premium A+ access even where the usual documented requirements do not appear to have been met. Amazon’s published guidance still refers to eligibility requirements, so sellers should treat this as a live account check rather than a guaranteed rule for everyone.
How do I check if I have Premium A+ Content?
Go to Seller Central, open A+ Content Manager, start creating A+ Content and look at the module options available. If Premium modules are visible, you have access in that account.
Is Premium A+ Content free?
At the time of writing, Premium A+ Content appears to be available at no additional cost to eligible sellers during Amazon’s promotional period. Amazon may change access, eligibility or pricing in future, so sellers should not treat this as permanent.
Does Rufus read A+ Content?
Yes, sellers should assume Amazon’s AI shopping assistant can use information from the product detail page, including A+ Content, when answering shopper questions. Clear, specific A+ Content gives it more useful material to work with. Decorative A+ Content gives it very little.
Should I still check the old product description if I use A+ Content?
Yes. Even if A+ Content has replaced the standard description visually, old wording can still create problems if it is inaccurate, outdated or inconsistent with the rest of the listing. Check the title, bullets, images, A+ Content and description together.
How often should I update A+ Content?
There is no fixed schedule, but an alignment check is sensible whenever your listing changes significantly. Review your A+ Content after a title update, new main image, new variant, changed bundle, updated claim, seasonal shift or repeated customer question.
Additional Reading
Amazon Seller Central - A+ Content
Main Amazon help page covering A+ Content, including access, creation and Premium A+ eligibility guidance.
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/help/hub/reference/external/G202102930
Amazon Seller Central - A+ Content guide
Amazon’s guidance on Basic A+ features and Premium A+ features.
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/help/hub/reference/external/GLG4RQK2Y2RJADU4
Amazon Brand Registry UK
Useful for Amazon’s own A+ Content performance figures, including Basic A+ increasing sales by up to 8% and well-implemented Premium A+ increasing sales by up to 20%.
Amazon Ads - Improve your products for advertising
Product detail page guidance that explains how A+ Content can help describe product features, tell the brand story and answer customer questions.
https://advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/improve-your-products-for-advertising
Amazon Seller Forums - Premium A+ eligibility requirements
Amazon’s forum announcement on Premium A+ eligibility, including Brand Story and approved A+ Content requirements.
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/seller-forums/discussions/t/cb36b705-3e9a-4c6f-92b0-398273ca66c6
Amazon Seller Forums - Premium A+ access and promotional period
Useful background on Premium A+ access being available at no cost during the promotional period, with no end date stated in that forum guidance.
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/seller-forums/discussions/t/0580373e-093b-49d3-9e77-a4f3c3147295
Amazon Brand Owners UK
Amazon’s brand-building page, including its short explanation of how A+ Content helps showcase brand story and product features on the detail page.
Amazon Seller Tools UK
Short Amazon overview of A+ Content as a tool for rich text, imagery, HD videos, banners and other product detail page features.
About the writer
Hello - I’m Cindy, founder of Mrs Prime.
I started out as an Amazon seller myself early during covid (and still am going strong), which means I’ve experienced more than my fair share of the same frustrations most sellers run into at some point: listings that should work but don’t, tweaks that change nothing, and the occasional moment of wondering what Amazon is actually doing.
Over time I realised most listing problems aren’t caused by one obvious mistake. They usually happen because the different parts of a listing stop working together.
Through Mrs Prime I help sellers understand those patterns and fix the right things properly.
Read more about my journey and experience here →
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