FBA prep review checklist

What the checklist produces

The tool accepts seven binary selections: fragile or glass, liquid or semi-liquid, sharp edges, soft porous or loose product, sold as a set or multipack, expiration-dated product, and seeking Ships in Product Packaging eligibility. Each selection is a yes or no. On submission, the checklist maps every yes answer to one review row and always attaches two notes. A no answer does not generate its own row. The result is a working checklist for prep verification, not a pass or fail result for a product.

Entering product characteristics

Answer from the actual unit being prepared, not from a category or a related variant. For a glass bottle, select fragile or glass and liquid or semi-liquid if both apply. For a multipack of fabric items, select set or multipack and soft porous or loose product only when both describe the sale. Sharp edges applies when an exposed edge is part of the product or its packaging. Expiration-dated product applies when the item carries a date. The SIPP selection is specifically for seeking Ships in Product Packaging eligibility, so select it only when that route is being considered. Every field defaults to no, so review the selections before relying on the output.

How rows are selected

The checklist presents selected concerns in a fixed order: fragile, liquid, sharp, fabric, set, expiry, then SIPP. Every yes becomes a row labeled with the field key, such as fragile, liquid or sipp, followed by the corresponding review instruction. For example, fragile yields confirm protective packaging and current packaged-product testing requirements, while fabric yields confirm dust protection and any bag or wrap requirements. If two or more selections are yes, the output contains two or more rows. There is no merging, weighting, scoring or priority ranking. The only branching rule is the fallback: when all seven selections are no, the tool returns a Baseline review row asking you to confirm unit barcode, sealed packaging, dimensions and current category prep.

Reading the output notes

Two notes appear with every result, including the baseline result. The first directs you to follow current Seller Central requirements for the exact ASIN, marketplace and fulfillment route. The second states the tool issues no compliance verdict, warning-size requirement, fee estimate or account eligibility. Treat the notes as scope limits, not as filler. The row tells you what family of prep requirements to open and verify; the notes tell you that the checklist cannot substitute for the current requirement text or an account-level decision. Program requirements can change and can differ by product and marketplace, so the same selections can lead to different verification work over time.

Worked example: baseline and changed scenario

Starting scenario. All seven selections are no. The output is one row: Baseline review, confirm unit barcode, sealed packaging, dimensions and current category prep. The two standard notes still appear. This result does not mean the product is prep-compliant. It means no characteristic-specific review row was triggered, so the baseline checks remain.

Changed scenario. Fragile is yes, liquid is yes, set is yes, and the other four selections are no. The output has three rows in field order. Fragile asks you to confirm protective packaging and current packaged-product testing requirements. Liquid asks you to confirm closure, leak containment and category prep. Set asks you to confirm set identification and unit containment. The same two notes follow. The three rows remain separate because breakage protection, liquid containment and set identification are distinct reviews. Completing one review does not complete the other two.

Edge cases and related reviews

An expiration-dated selection adds a row about product eligibility, date format, visibility and remaining shelf life. A SIPP selection adds a row to review current SIPP eligibility and certification procedure. Neither row declares the product eligible or certified. A sharp-edge selection adds exposed-edge containment and handling protection, while a soft porous or loose product selection adds dust protection and any bag or wrap requirements. The edge case to watch is treating the absence of a row as evidence that no prep work exists. The fallback baseline row prevents an empty result, but it does not replace category-specific checks. Similarly, a single yes does not imply the other reviews are unnecessary when another characteristic also applies.

Using the output operationally

Use the row labels as an audit trail for the exact ASIN and marketplace under review. Keep the generated checklist with the product record, then verify each row against current Seller Central guidance and note the date checked. If the product changes, rerun the selections rather than editing the old result. For a fragile liquid set, keep the three rows visible so one review is not closed by evidence for another. Do not convert the row count into a score, risk rating or readiness percentage. The tool has no such output. It also does not calculate warning dimensions, fees, account eligibility or a compliance outcome.

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