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Mastering Metadata: How to Avoid KDP Account Suspension

Navigating the Amazon KDP platform can be tricky, especially with recent increases in account suspensions. If you’ve been caught in this storm, you’re not alone. Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur , among others, has shared valuable insights into the reasons behind these suspensions and, most importantly, how to avoid them by mastering your book’s metadata. We’ve read through Amazon’s KDP Meta Data Guidelines and put together a detailed guide on how to ensure your metadata is spot-on to keep your KDP account in good standing.

An important note:

Amazon doesn’t publicly disclose the percentage of authors who have had their KDP accounts suspended. However, it’s important to note that suspensions are relatively rare and typically occur due to specific, identifiable violations of Amazon’s guidelines. Authors who carefully follow Amazon’s criteria, generally have nothing to worry about. Our blog post intends not to instill fear of suspension (we all have enough anxiety to deal with, as it is!) but to provide clear and actionable advice to help authors avoid potential pitfalls. We understand that these guidelines can sometimes seem overwhelming, and our goal is to break them down into manageable steps to ensure your publishing experience is smooth and successful.

Understanding Metadata and Its Importance

Metadata is the backbone of your book’s listing on Amazon. It includes your title, subtitle, keywords, categories, and description. Getting these elements right is crucial because Amazon’s algorithms use them to decide if your book meets their guidelines. Violations here are a common reason for account warnings and terminations.

Key Metadata Guidelines to Follow

  1. Title and Subtitle

    • Match the Cover: Ensure the title and subtitle in your metadata match exactly what appears on your book cover. If you include a subtitle in the Title Meta Data, that subtitle must appear on the book cover. Any discrepancy can lead to a flag. Keep them consistent.
    • Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Do not repeat generic keywords like “book” or “gift” excessively in your title in an attempt to keyword stuff your listing. Stick to the actual title of your book.
    • No Unauthorized References: Avoid using names of other authors, books, or trademarked terms unless you have explicit permission.
  2. Keywords

    • Relevance is Key: Use keywords that accurately describe your book’s content. Misleading keywords can confuse readers and Amazon’s system.
    • Avoid Promotional Terms: Do not use terms like “bestselling,” “free,” or other promotional language in your keywords.
  3. Categories

    • Be Accurate: Select categories that truly reflect your book’s genre and content. Misclassification can result in a poor customer experience and potential flags.
    • Avoid Misleading Combinations: Ensure the categories align with the other metadata, like your description and keywords.
  4. Description

    • Truthful and Clear: Your book description should be an accurate and engaging summary of your book’s content. Do not include irrelevant information or make false claims.
    • No Personal Information: Avoid including phone numbers, email addresses, or other personal contact details in your description. Yes, this happens.
  5. Book Cover

    • Avoid Misleading Images: Do not use images that could mislead readers about the book’s content.
  6. Author Name

    • Consistency and Accuracy: Use the same author name consistently across all your books and ensure it’s correctly entered in the metadata.
  7. Books in Series

Common Metadata Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Copyright and Trademark Violations

    • Using copyrighted material or trademarked names without permission is a major red flag to Amazon. Always ensure you have the right to use all elements included in your metadata.
  2. Incorrect Book Cover Titles

    • Ensure that both the title and subtitle on your book cover are included and match exactly what you entered in your metadata.
  3. Misleading Information

    • Avoid making claims in your metadata that could mislead readers. This includes targeting other books or authors without permission.
  4. Sexual Content Labeling

    • If your book contains sexual content, it must be properly labeled. Failure to do so can result in immediate termination. Err on the side of caution here.
  5. Confusing Information

    • Ensure there’s no conflicting information between your book’s categories, keywords, and description. Consistency is crucial. For example: Your steamy romance shouldn’t have references to “sweet contemporary romance” in your metadata.

Checklist to Keep Your Metadata in Check

  • Review Amazon’s Metadata Guidelines Regularly
  • Ensure Titles and Subtitles Match the Book Cover
  • Use Accurate and Relevant Keywords
  • Select Appropriate Categories
  • Write Clear and Honest Descriptions
  • Double-Check for Copyright and Trademark Compliance
  • Label Sexual Content Properly
  • Maintain Consistency Across All Metadata Elements
  • Monitor Email for Any Communications from Amazon

What to Do if Your Account is Terminated

If you find your account terminated, follow the steps in this blog post to appeal and get your account reinstated.

Conclusion

Ensuring your metadata complies with Amazon’s guidelines is essential to maintaining a healthy KDP account. By paying attention to these details, you can avoid common pitfalls that lead to account suspensions. Keep your metadata accurate, relevant, and consistent to sail smoothly on your self-publishing journey.

View Comments

  • What is sexual content? If two people hug or kiss, is that sexual? If I mention that somebody was raped, but don't describe the act, is that sexual content? This feels like a fuzzy "gotcha" term.

    • Mike—that’s a great question. Hugging and kissing are typically considered expressions of affection and are generally permissible. If you ever find yourself in doubt, KDP’s guidelines are a valuable resource and reaching out to their support for clarification is not a bad idea.

  • Also, is a tasteful description of natural childbirth considered sexual content? I’d say not, but I’d like to be sure.

    • @chris - One suggestion here would be to include accurate medical terminology and descriptions which lend authenticity without veering into graphic territory. Balancing the clinical aspects with the human experience should help you steer clear of any violations.

  • I work in indie publishing assisting authors in formatting and publishing their books. From what I've observed, KDP's guidelines re: sexual content make assumptions that we all understand what that is, and don't provide much guidance at all.

    I agree that it would be advisable to reach out for feedback in writing regarding how their algorithms treat sexual content, depending on what it may be--if you can even get them to discuss it.

    But, there are some phenomena that can be observed:

    "Clean" or "sweet" romances appear to be more searchable on Amazon than other romance categories, and also to generate fewer customer complaints.

    Cover art seems to have a significant contributing impact on SEO. Benign covers search better; trashy covers may not search at all...

    Polling around entertainment also appears to indicate a market shift away from the consumption of sexual content, especially among (but not limited to) Gen Z.

    But again, these are just my observations.

    • I was caught in the suspension pipeline. Recent changes to categories apparently have trapped a lot of authors. My categories, which I had been using for years, suddenly became "misleading." (I had even been "bestseller" multiple times in two of them.) I wrote repeatedly trying to understand what was specifically wrong, but was told only to "read the guidelines." I did get some correspondence at one point that appeared to be from a human and did sympathize with my situation, but offered no help. I finally determined that the problem must be that the categories I had been using were not for fiction; the problem is that there is NO category that mentions my specific setting and topic for my mysteries anywhere in the voluminous list of Amazon fiction categories. I took my books out of the categories where they had been successfully selling and put them in huge, less specific, less relevant categories, and that seems to have been acceptable. None of the various webinars I've attended address the dangers of misunderstanding what Amazon wants you to do in your metadata; this is the first discussion of this kind I have seen. To all of us: at least, when you are challenged by Amazon for a mistake you have made, make your response as specific as possible so possibly they will understand how THEY are misleading people. I was told that my frustrated feedback would be passed on, and maybe it will.

      • I agree, and have this problem including 'conflicting young person and adult categories.' I've reviewed them and changed them as much as I can, but when there are no categories that actually fit my stories settings, I just do my best and wait and see.

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Published by
Michael Hourigan