FBA · Beginner · 5 min read · 8 steps
How to fix stranded inventory on Amazon FBA
Stranded inventory is the awkward middle child of FBA. The units are sitting safely in a fulfillment center, but there's no active offer attached to them, so nobody can buy them and they keep collecting storage fees anyway.
The good news is that Amazon tells you exactly why each listing is stuck and what it wants you to do about it. This guide walks through the fix in the order Seller Central lays it out, plus the automatic settings that stop the same problem from coming back next month.
Part 01
Step by step
8 steps, in the order Seller Central asks for them.
- 01Open Fix stranded inventory
In Seller Central, go to the Fix stranded inventory page from your inventory menus. If a listing reads Active in Manage inventory but Stranded here, trust this page. Amazon says Fix stranded inventory has the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 02Read the Stranded reason and Additional information
Every stranded listing has a Stranded reason column, and the Additional information column spells out the recommended action. Filter by Stranded reason or Recommendations to group similar problems so you fix them in batches instead of one at a time.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues, Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report
- 03Sort by date of the stranded event
The date column shows how long each listing has been stranded while it accumulates storage fees. Start with the oldest. It also helps you find the matching email or Performance notification that explains what happened.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 04Relist anything that only needs a click
For reasons like Listing closed, use 1-Click relist without leaving the page. If the listing needs edits first, choose Edit listing or Relist instead. Bulk relist handles up to 25 items at once, but it won't let you make catalog or listing changes.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 05Switch seller-fulfilled offers to FBA
If the reason is Seller-fulfilled, your offer exists but points at your own warehouse, so none of your FBA units can sell. Use 1-Click change to FBA, or Change to FBA when dangerous goods information is missing or needs an update.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues, Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report
- 06Create a new listing where the offer is gone
For Deleted listing, Discontinued listing or Missing SKU, create a listing with the same ASIN and SKU as your FBA inventory. The ASIN, condition and merchant SKU must all match the units in the fulfillment center, or the inventory won't attach to the new listing.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report, Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 07Appeal or remove what can't be relisted
Blocked listings, restricted ASINs, expired products and items Amazon discontinued need an appeal or a removal order. If you remove the units, also delete the listing from Manage inventory so it stops showing up as stranded.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 08Set your automatic actions before you leave
Click Edit automatic-action settings. By default, automatic relist covers inventory stranded for seven days as Listing closed or Item discontinued, and automatic change to FBA covers inventory stranded for five days as Merchant fulfilled. Amazon also expects every seller to set stranded auto-removal settings.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
Part 02 Compare
Compare the options: What does your Stranded reason say?
Tap the closest match. Each group gets a different fix, straight from Amazon's own table of reasons.
Closed or paused
- Reasons
- Listing closed, Review for quality issues, Future listing sell date
- What it means
- The offer exists but isn't live
- Fix
- Relist, or Edit listing then Save and finish
- Shortcut
- 1-Click relist, or Bulk relist for up to 25 items
- Future date
- Change the Start selling date or Offer start date
Missing details
- Reasons
- Missing price, Missing SKU, Listing error, Product update required
- What it means
- The listing is incomplete or doesn't match your FBA units
- Fix
- Add the price, or edit the listing and save it
- Must match
- ASIN, condition and merchant SKU
- In bulk
- Bulk fix stranded inventory report, Professional plan only
Wrong channel
- Reasons
- Seller-fulfilled, Seller-fulfilled (DG info required)
- What it means
- Your offer ships from you, so FBA units can't sell
- Fix
- 1-Click change to FBA, or Change to FBA
- Dangerous goods
- Use Change to FBA to add the required information
- Automatic
- Default switch after five days stranded as Merchant fulfilled
Gone or deleted
- Reasons
- Deleted listing, Discontinued listing, Unexpected inventory received
- What it means
- No offer exists for these units
- Fix
- Create a new listing with the same ASIN and SKU
- Must match
- ASIN, condition and merchant SKU
Blocked or restricted
- Reasons
- Blocked listing, Restricted ASIN, Item discontinued, Expired product, Product recall
- What it means
- Amazon won't let this offer sell as is
- Fix
- Appeal where allowed, or create a removal order
- After removal
- Delete the listing from Manage inventory
- Check
- Your email and Performance notifications for details
Under review
- Reasons
- Dangerous goods (in review), Inventory under review
- What it means
- Amazon is checking something
- Fix
- No action needed for now
- Documents asked for
- Upload them through Manage dangerous goods
- Review time
- Within two business days, Monday to Friday
Sources: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues, Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report, Seller Central Help, Bulk fix stranded inventory report
Part 03
The picture
The same facts, drawn. Each chart links to the Amazon page it comes from.
These are the primary actions Amazon lists in the Stranded inventory report. The Stranded reason tells you which one applies.
Source: Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceAutomatic change to FBA and automatic relist count from when the inventory became stranded, and you can shorten both. The 30 days count from Amazon's stranded inventory notice.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
Data desk by XENA Intelligence- ASIN
- Condition
- Merchant SKU
If any of these differ, the stranded inventory won't attach to the listing you create.
Source: Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePasses
- Relist a closed listing in one click
- Add a missing price or condition
- Change a seller-fulfilled offer to FBA
- Create a new listing with the same ASIN and SKU
Bounces
- Bulk fix anything that needs an appeal or approval
- Relist a blocked or restricted ASIN without an approved appeal
- Sell expired or recalled product
- Skip deleting the listing after a removal order
From Amazon's Stranded reason table. The bulk fix report only covers Change to FBA, Relist and Create listing.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePart 04
Tricks the help page buries
The lines in Amazon's own documentation that most sellers scroll past.
- 1Turn on automatic actions, then shorten them
Automatic relist can be set as short as two days, and automatic change to FBA works in under a day at 0 days. Amazon suggests 0 or 1 day for the FBA switch so a bulk upload or API slip doesn't strand anything for long.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 2Use the relist timer for planned pauses
Amazon suggests closing listings for a vacation, a product evaluation or a religious observance, then letting automatic relist bring them back after the number of days you choose. One setting, no calendar reminder.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 3Protect dated stock with a future start date
If you strand inventory on purpose to manage expiration dates, set the Start selling date or Offer start date in the future. Automatic actions skip those listings, so nothing reactivates early.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
- 4Fix big batches with the bulk report
Request the Bulk fix stranded inventory report, fill in missing attributes such as price and condition, and upload it through Add products via upload. It's for Professional sellers and skips anything that needs a removal order.
Source: Seller Central Help, Bulk fix stranded inventory report
- 5Watch the 365-day line too
Stranded units aren't the only ones Amazon removes on its own. With automated fulfillable removal on, inventory older than 365 days is returned, liquidated or disposed of. A weekly look at both lists keeps surprises rare. It's the kind of pattern XENA Intelligence likes to spot early.
Source: Seller Central Help, Automated fulfillable inventory removal
Part 05
Questions sellers ask
Tap a question to open it.
What is stranded inventory on Amazon?
Stranded inventory is FBA inventory sitting in an Amazon fulfillment center without an active offer, so customers can't buy it. It keeps accumulating storage fees while it waits. Common causes are a closed or suppressed listing, a missing price, an offer set to seller-fulfilled, or a product that was never listed.
How long do I have to fix stranded inventory?
Amazon notifies you when you have stranded inventory. If you don't create a listing or order a removal within 30 days of that notice, the units are designated unsellable. Unsellable units count as unsuitable units under the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement, and you're required to remove them.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report, Seller Central Help, Required removals
Why does my listing show Active but stranded?
Sometimes a listing reads Active in Manage inventory while Fix stranded inventory lists it as stranded. Amazon says the Fix stranded inventory page has the most accurate and up-to-date information, so follow its Stranded reason and recommended action rather than the status in Manage inventory.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
Can Amazon relist stranded inventory automatically?
Yes. Automatic relist relists inventory stranded for seven days under Listing closed or Item discontinued, and automatic change to FBA switches inventory stranded for five days as Merchant fulfilled. You can shorten both under Edit automatic-action settings, or opt individual listings out of auto action.
Source: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
How do I fix stranded inventory in bulk?
Use Bulk relist or Bulk 1-Click change to FBA for up to 25 items at a time on Fix stranded inventory. For larger batches, Professional sellers can download the Bulk fix stranded inventory report, add missing price, ASIN, SKU or condition, and upload it. Cases needing an appeal or approval can't be fixed in bulk.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues, Seller Central Help, Bulk fix stranded inventory report
Why didn't my new listing pick up my stranded units?
When you relist or create a listing for stranded inventory, the ASIN, condition and merchant SKU must match the units in your FBA inventory. If any of them differ, Amazon won't associate the stranded inventory with the new listing. Allow up to 24 hours for some listing updates to fully process.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Stranded inventory report, Seller Central Help, Resolve stranded inventory issues
Sources
Every fact above comes from these Amazon pages, opened on . Amazon updates them; if a step looks different in your account, trust Seller Central.