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warning restricted_keyword

Restricted keyword in search terms

What this means

Search terms (backend keywords) contain prohibited content — competitor brands, restricted-category trigger words, or misleading claims.

Why this happens

Sellers stuff backend keywords with competitor brand names trying to capture searches for those brands. Amazon penalizes this.

How to fix it

  1. Audit search_terms / generic_keyword fields for any competitor brand mentions.
  2. Remove medical claims and prohibited words even from backend fields.
  3. Limit search terms to relevant, non-misleading keywords for your actual product.

Common pitfalls