seller
- What changed
- Setting that makes self-fulfilled (FBM) listings inactive
- When
- Takes up to an hour to apply; updated October 2026
- Who it affects
- FBM and mixed FBA and FBM sellers
- What to do
- Answer messages within 24 hours even while on vacation
Key takeaways
- Vacation mode hides FBM listings within about an hour; FBA listings stay live.
- You must still answer messages and process returns within 24 hours.
- For short breaks, longer handling times or FBA often beat switching listings off.
| FBM listings | FBA listings | |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden from search and detail pages | ||
| Orders still possible | ||
| Messages need 24-hour replies | ||
| Returns still processed | ||
| Ads keep spending |
Vacation mode only switches off self-fulfilled offers.
What is Amazon seller vacation mode?
Vacation mode is Amazon's name for setting your store's listing status to inactive. In an Amazon seller forum post, Amazon staff explain that it removes your self-fulfilled listings from product detail pages and search results, and that it can take up to an hour for listings to become inactive.
Your account stays open and your listings are not deleted. When you return and switch the status back, Amazon says additions and changes are reflected on Amazon again.
Does vacation mode affect FBA listings?
No. Amazon states that FBA listings remain active while you are in vacation mode, because Amazon stores, picks and ships those orders. That is one reason many sellers move best sellers to FBA before a long break. Our guide to FBA vs FBM compares the two models.
If you sell the same product both ways, only the FBM offer goes inactive. Customers can still buy the FBA offer.
How to turn on Amazon seller vacation mode, step by step
Menu names change from time to time, so search for vacation settings in Seller Central if the path looks different.
- Ship or cancel every pending FBM order first
- Open Settings, then Account Info
- Find Going on a vacation or Vacation Settings under listing status
- Set each marketplace to inactive and save
- Wait up to an hour, then check a listing to confirm
- Set a calendar reminder for the day you return
Turn on vacation mode
- 1Clear orders
Ship pending FBM orders
- 2Open settings
Account Info
- 3Set inactive
Each marketplace
- 4Confirm
Check after an hour
What you still have to do while away
Vacation mode does not pause your obligations. Amazon staff say you must still process return requests and respond to customer messages within 24 hours. Unanswered messages can lead to A-to-z Guarantee claims and affect your Order Defect Rate. Pending orders are not cancelled automatically, so they still need shipping.
Professional sellers are still charged the monthly subscription fee, and FBA inventory keeps accruing storage fees. Plan for both before a long break.
- Reply to buyer messages within 24 hours
- Process return requests on time
- Ship any orders placed before the change
- Watch account health notifications
- Keep FBA stock topped up if you want sales to continue
Alternatives to vacation mode
Turning listings off is not your only option. For short breaks, many sellers prefer to keep listings live and set expectations instead.
- Extend handling time so orders ship after you return
- Move best sellers to FBA before you leave
- Use Multi-Channel Fulfillment or a 3PL to cover FBM orders
- Give a trusted team member limited user permissions
- Lower ad budgets on FBM-only products while away
Alternatives for short breaks
- Longer handling time
- Move best sellers to FBA
- Multi-Channel Fulfillment or 3PL
- Delegate with user permissions
- Trim FBM ad budgets
Does vacation mode hurt your ranking?
Amazon does not say that vacation mode affects ranking. Sellers commonly report slower sales after coming back, which makes sense: a listing that sells nothing for two weeks loses recent sales history, and sales history influences organic rank. Our guide to how to rank higher on Amazon covers the factors involved.
To limit the effect, keep key products available through FBA, restart advertising promptly when you return and consider a short promotion to rebuild momentum.
Advertising while on vacation
Sponsored Products ads for inactive FBM listings stop delivering, but campaigns for FBA products keep running and spending. Review budgets before you go so ads match the stock you have, and check that FBA products will not run out while you are away, because stockouts hurt both sales and rank. Our Amazon stockouts and rank post explains why.
Coming back from vacation: a restart checklist
The first day back matters as much as the day you leave. Switch your listing status back to active, then confirm that a few FBM listings are buyable again before you assume everything has returned. Work through messages, returns and any account health notices that arrived while you were away.
- Set listing status back to active and check sample listings
- Reset handling times you extended
- Restore ad budgets and check campaign delivery
- Review account health and performance notifications
- Plan an inbound shipment if FBA stock ran low
Planning time away without losing momentum
Good preparation turns a break into a non-event. Send enough FBA inventory to last the trip, set handling times or vacation mode for FBM, delegate messages and set clear ad budgets. If you need a team to cover day-to-day work, our Amazon account management service handles messages, cases and campaigns.
PPC Spider's FBA inventory management team can plan stock cover before a holiday, and SpiderOS keeps watching bids, budgets and stock while you are away. The free Amazon audit is a good pre-holiday check.
Sources
- Amazon Seller Forums: Listing Lounge, how vacation mode affects your listings (sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/e74bdda2-febb-4b0f-9be5-c3623dced337)
- Amazon: Fulfillment by Amazon (sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon)
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