Back to policy updates

Amazon Ads Policy for Authors: Common Claim & Compliance Pitfalls

A practical checklist for authors running Amazon Ads—how to avoid policy issues, keep claims defensible, and align ad copy with your book’s metadata.

Published: 2026/01/14Updated: 2026/01/14

This page is a high-level checklist for ad compliance. Always verify final rules using the official policy link above (policies can change).

The quick takeaway

Most ad issues come from:

  • Overly strong or unverifiable claims
  • Misleading targeting or ad copy that doesn’t match the landing page/book
  • Restricted content categories (varies by region and policy updates)

Checklist you can apply to any ad

Claims & guarantees

  • Avoid “guaranteed results” style claims unless you can prove them.
  • Prefer measurable, factual statements (format, audience, what’s inside).

Match your metadata

  • Your ad copy should match your book title/subtitle/description.
  • Don’t promise content that isn’t actually in the book.

Creative & assets

  • Use assets you have the rights to use.
  • Avoid imagery that implies endorsements or affiliations without permission.

A small table for fast QA

CheckPass if…Fix if…
Claim strengthYou can justify itRewrite to factual language
RelevanceTargeting matches reader intentNarrow keywords/audiences
RightsYou own/license visualsReplace or document license
  • Metadata checklist: /guides/kdp-policy-updates/kdp-metadata-guidelines-checklist
  • KDP cover creator (for compliant cover assets): /kdp-cover-creator

Sources

Guide

Common KDP Cover Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

A troubleshooting guide for frequent issues: wrong size exports, pixelated text, barcode collisions, margin mistakes, and failed uploads.

Guide

KDP Book Cover Design Guides

A practical hub for KDP cover sizing, spine math, print requirements, and design workflow—written for self-publishing authors and cover designers.

Guide

KDP Cover Design Principles: Hierarchy, Contrast, and Readability

Design fundamentals that improve conversion and reduce print surprises—typography, hierarchy, contrast, and genre signaling for thumbnails and print.

Guide

KDP Cover Requirements (Bleed, DPI, Safe Zones, Barcode)

A print-ready checklist of KDP cover specs—what must be true before you export a PDF, and how to avoid the most common rejection reasons.

Guide

KDP Cover Workflow Checklist: From Brief → Export → Upload

A step-by-step workflow you can reuse across books, with a closing upload checklist so you ship a print-ready cover the first time.

Guide

KDP Trim Sizes: How to Choose the Right Book Size

Understand trim size trade-offs (genre norms, page count, margins), and how trim choices affect spine width, cover composition, and print setup.