Short version: Since July 27, 2026, Amazon caps product titles at 75 characters (including spaces) in every category except media. Over-limit titles get auto-truncated or AI-rewritten — that is happening now, gradually, without warning. The move — plus the COSMO AI layer rewarding intent alongside keywords — kills long, stuffed titles for good. Rewrite yours to lead with brand + primary keyword + one key attribute, and push the rest into Item Highlights.
For a decade, Amazon titles were a place to cram keywords — 150, 200 characters of every term you could think of. That era is over. Two changes have converged: a hard 75-character limit, and an AI ranking algorithm that punishes stuffing. The limit has been in force since July 27, 2026, and Amazon's AI is working through non-compliant titles on its own schedule — so any title still over the cap is living on borrowed time. This guide shows you exactly how to rewrite yours.
What changed: the 75-character title limit
Since July 27, 2026, Amazon has required product titles in all categories except media (books, music, video, software) to be 75 characters or less, including spaces. Amazon's stated reason: titles should fully display on mobile and stay consistent with other online stores.
Here's what happens to titles that are still too long:
- Amazon rewrites them. Over-limit titles are gradually updated to an AI-generated recommendation.
- Brand Registered sellers get a 14-day review window. In Review Listing Changes, brand owners can review, modify, and approve the AI recommendation before it goes live.
- Sellers without Brand Registry get no review window. Changes are applied directly.
💡 The takeaway: either rewrite your titles yourself and keep control of the wording, or let Amazon's AI decide for you. For anything that matters, get there first — the rewrite queue is already running.
The new title formula for 75 characters
With only 75 characters, there's no room for keyword lists. Every title reduces to three parts:
Brand + Primary Keyword + Most Important Attribute
- Brand — required in most categories, builds trust.
- Primary keyword — the single phrase you most want to rank for (from your keyword research).
- Most important attribute — the one spec that decides the purchase (size, count, material, compatibility).
Everything else — secondary features, extra use cases, additional keywords — moves out of the title.
Before & after: rewriting a bloated title
"HydroFlask Stainless Steel Water Bottle Insulated Vacuum Flask Leak Proof BPA Free Reusable Sports Gym Travel Hiking Camping 32oz Wide Mouth Keeps Cold 24 Hours Hot 12 Hours"
Reads as noise to COSMO. Now eligible for an automatic AI rewrite at any time.
"HydroFlask 32oz Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, Wide Mouth"
Brand + primary keyword + key attributes, well under 75. The rest goes to Item Highlights.
Item Highlights: where the overflow goes
Amazon didn't just take space away — it added Item Highlights, a field giving you roughly 125 additional characters to share materials, features, and recommended use cases that help shoppers compare. This is now the home for everything that used to bloat your title.
"Leak-proof, BPA-free. Keeps drinks cold 24 hrs / hot 12 hrs. Fits standard cup holders. Ideal for gym, hiking, and travel."
How COSMO changes title strategy
The character limit is only half the story. Amazon's core search (the long-standing A9/A10 system) still indexes your keywords and ranks on relevance and sales velocity — but its newer COSMO AI layer now sits on top, reading how well a product matches the shopper's intent and context. Keywords still get you into the candidate pool; COSMO increasingly shapes which of those candidates rank. The two systems work together, not one instead of the other.
That makes the two changes point the same direction: a short, clear title with a genuine primary keyword and a concrete attribute both fits the 75-character limit and gives the algorithm a clean signal of what your product is for. Stuffing now fails twice — it breaks the limit and muddies the intent signal.
Category exceptions
The 75-character limit applies to all categories except media — books, music, video, and software — where longer titles remain necessary. If you sell in those categories, the rule doesn't apply, but the COSMO principle (clarity over stuffing) still does.
Check your titles now: paste any title into our free Amazon Title Character Counter to see if it fits the 75-character limit and passes Amazon's style rules — no signup needed. Want the rest of the listing checked too? Run the free Amazon Listing Standards Check against 14 rules covering bullets, images, and ratings.
How to rewrite your titles: step by step
- Pull every title over 75 characters. These are your priority; they'll be auto-changed otherwise.
- Identify the primary keyword for each product from your keyword research.
- Write the compliant title: Brand + primary keyword + most important attribute, under 75 characters.
- Move the rest to Item Highlights — secondary features, use cases, extra attributes.
- Read it aloud. If it sounds like a human describing the product, COSMO reads it cleanly too.
- Publish it yourself to keep control instead of inheriting Amazon's AI rewrite.
Title optimization checklist
- ☐ Title is 75 characters or fewer (including spaces)
- ☐ Brand + primary keyword + one key attribute, in that order
- ☐ No repeated keywords, no stuffing
- ☐ Reads naturally when spoken aloud
- ☐ Secondary detail moved to Item Highlights (~125 chars)
- ☐ Rewritten and published by you, not left for Amazon's AI to rewrite
Is your title compliant and COSMO-ready?
Title clarity is one of the six signals OptimalCentral scores. Run a free audit to check your titles against the 75-character rule and the rest of your listing — with a prioritized fix list.
Start free trial →Related: the full listing optimization guide, backend keywords, and A+ Content.
Frequently asked questions
What is Amazon's 75-character title limit?
Since July 27, 2026, Amazon has limited product titles to 75 characters including spaces in all categories except media (books, music, video, software). Titles longer than 75 characters are gradually auto-truncated or rewritten by Amazon's AI. The change is meant to keep titles fully readable on mobile.
What happens if my title is still over 75 characters?
Amazon updates non-compliant titles to an AI-generated recommendation over time — the rule has been enforced since July 27, 2026, so a rewrite can land at any point. Brand Registered sellers get a 14-day window in Review Listing Changes to review, modify, or approve it. Sellers without Brand Registry have no review window and changes are applied directly — so it's safer to rewrite long titles yourself than to wait.
What are Item Highlights on Amazon?
Item Highlights is a field giving you roughly 125 additional characters to share materials, features, or recommended use cases that help customers compare products. With titles capped at 75 characters, it's where secondary detail that used to live in long titles now belongs.
How does the COSMO algorithm change title optimization?
COSMO is an AI layer Amazon added on top of its long-standing A9/A10 search system. A9/A10 still handles keyword indexing and relevance; COSMO reads how well a product matches the shopper's intent and context. Together they make keyword-stuffed titles counterproductive. A short, clear title with your primary keyword and most important attribute fits the 75-character limit and gives the algorithm a clean signal of what your product is for.