Selling car parts on Amazon necessitates ensuring buyers know your parts fit their vehicles. While crucial, understanding Amazon’s part fitment system can be challenging. Amazon relies on manufacturers to supply fitment data, but the process can seem complex. Amazon’s official documentation, while available, often lacks clarity and omits key details. This guide offers a clearer, more detailed walkthrough of what you need to begin, a summary of the submission process, and why investing in fitment data submission is beneficial for your Amazon business, focusing on the critical aspect of car part fitment.
Why Accurate Car Part Fitment Data Submission Is Essential
Submitting precise car part fitment data to Amazon unlocks the fitment guide widget on your product listings. This widget, prominently displayed at the top of the product page for parts with specific vehicle applications, dramatically improves the customer experience.
Alt: Car part fitment guide widget displayed on an Amazon product listing page, highlighting the importance of vehicle compatibility for online auto parts sales.
When a buyer uses this widget to check their vehicle, they instantly receive confirmation of compatibility:
Alt: Positive car part fitment confirmation message displayed to a customer on Amazon, assuring vehicle compatibility and encouraging purchase.
Or, conversely, a notification that the part is not compatible:
This immediate feedback builds buyer confidence. Knowing definitively whether a car part fits their specific vehicle increases the likelihood of purchase conversion. Furthermore, accurate car part fitment data significantly reduces returns due to incompatibility. High return rates can negatively impact your Amazon seller account, potentially leading to penalties or even suspension. Providing robust fitment data is a proactive measure to mitigate these risks and ensure smooth operations.
Essential Components for Car Part Fitment Data Submission
To successfully submit car part fitment data, you will need the following:
- A Separate Amazon Seller Central Account: This account will be dedicated solely to fitment data submission, distinct from your primary sales account.
- Existing Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs): You must have ASINs for all products for which you intend to submit fitment data.
- Product Feed File with Fitment Data: This file contains the comprehensive car part fitment information, structured according to Amazon’s requirements.
- XML Editing Software: A program capable of editing XML files, such as the free and user-friendly Notepad ++, is necessary for managing your data feed.
- AutoCare Association Membership: Membership with the AutoCare Association is mandatory to access crucial industry standard data for car part fitment.
- Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS) Account: An MWS account is required for programmatically submitting your fitment data feeds to Amazon.
- Amazon Merchant Transport Utility (AMTU) Software: The AMTU software is the tool used to transmit your car part fitment data feeds to Amazon.
Car Part Fitment Data Submission Steps: An Overview
Here’s a concise checklist outlining the car part fitment data submission process on Amazon:
- Compile a comprehensive list of all products requiring fitment data submission, including ASINs, product names, and all relevant car part fitment details.
- Secure an AutoCare VIP membership to gain access to essential data standards.
- Utilize the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) Brand Table to standardize brand information within your dataset using numerical brand codes from the Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES).
- Employ the Vehicle Configuration Database (VCdb) from AutoCare to convert vehicle make and model data into standardized numerical codes compliant with the ACES standard for accurate car part fitment representation.
- Develop a sample XML file for initial submission to Amazon to validate your formatting and data structure.
- Create a new Amazon Seller Central account specifically for hosting your car part fitment data submissions, keeping it separate from your sales account.
- Submit your sample file to Amazon and await approval. Be prepared to make necessary adjustments based on their feedback to ensure compliance.
- Once your sample file is approved, generate a complete XML feed adhering to the validated formatting, encompassing all your car part fitment data.
- Register for an Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS) account to enable data transmission.
- Install the Amazon Merchant Transfer Utility (AMTU) software, the designated tool for uploading your feeds.
- Configure the AMTU tool with your Amazon account credentials for secure data transfer.
- Employ the AMTU tool to submit your complete car part fitment data feeds to Amazon, organizing files by brand for efficient processing.
Detailed Steps for Car Part Fitment Data Submission
Begin by organizing all your product information, ideally in a spreadsheet format. Comprehensive data is key for successful car part fitment submission. At minimum, you’ll need these fields:
- ASIN
- Product Brand Name
- Vehicle Brand(s) the part fits
- Vehicle Model(s) the part fits
- Vehicle Year(s) the part fits
- Other relevant vehicle specifications (e.g., engine type, trim)
- Part Type
With your data compiled, the next step is aligning it with ACES standards to prepare your submission file. ACES standards are proprietary numerical codes representing vehicle and car part brands, makes, models, and part types. Access to this proprietary data is obtained through the Auto Care Association. Membership is required to access the necessary data, with pricing varying based on company size. Contact them through their membership page for specific details, clearly stating your need for ACES standards data, including both the Brand Table and VCdb. While the Brand Table is accessible with free membership, VCdb and vehicle-level data necessitate a paid membership for comprehensive car part fitment data.
Alt: Auto Care Association ACES standards logo, emphasizing industry standardization for car part fitment data and compatibility.
Image source: https://www.autocare.org/what-we-do/technology/product-areas/aces/
Once you have access to AutoCare data, begin creating your feed file. Amazon mandates a sample feed submission (5-10 part records) for validation against their ACES schema before full feed submission. This ensures adherence to their standards for car part fitment data. Refer to Amazon’s ACES requirements document for detailed formatting specifications and a link to their schema validator.
Alt: Diagram illustrating the Amazon ACES schema validation process for car part fitment data submission, ensuring data accuracy and compatibility.
Amazon requires car part fitment data submissions through a Seller Central account separate from your sales account. Register for a new Seller Central account dedicated to fitment data. Once established, submit your sample file to Amazon by emailing [email protected], explaining your intention to submit ACES data for your parts. Attach your sample XML file and include:
- Your company name
- Brands for which you will submit data, with brand names and AAIA brand codes
- Confirmation of whether you are the manufacturer or brand owner.
Amazon will provide feedback if your sample file has issues, requesting necessary changes. Upon successful sample file approval, you’ll receive ACES data provider credentials and further instructions. With approval, create your full data file using the validated formatting.
For data submission, you’ll need the Amazon Merchant Transfer Utility (AMTU) software, which requires an Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS) account. Register for a free MWS account here, selecting “I want to access my own Amazon seller account with MWS”. Use your ACES data provider Seller Central credentials received from Amazon.
Download AMTU software from this link (Seller Central login required) using your feed approval credentials. Install and configure the software with your location and Seller Central account details.
Choose a directory for storing data sent to Amazon; the default is usually sufficient. Note the “outgoing” subfolder location, where you will place ACES files for submission.
Configure execution intervals for data submission frequency (in minutes). “Feed upload interval” controls feed removal from the queue, and “feed results download interval” controls how often Amazon checks upload statuses. Report fields are irrelevant for ACES.
Enter your Amazon MWS credentials (Access Key ID, Secret Key, and Amazon Merchant ID) on the final screen. Once accepted, you can submit your first file via AMTU.
Open AMTU, select your ACES Seller Central Account, and place your full feed file in the “outgoing” folder. AMTU will upload the file based on your configured interval. Failed uploads move to the “failed” directory with reasons in the audit log. Successful uploads move to “sent” with a batch reference number appended. After successful upload confirmation and a brief review, your products should display car part fitment data to Amazon customers.
Additional Points to Consider for Car Part Fitment
Amazon prioritizes ACES data from manufacturers, brand owners, or third-party data providers. Resellers might be restricted from submitting fitment data directly. However, if your car part is already on Amazon, the manufacturer may already provide fitment data. Check for existing ASINs to list under to leverage pre-existing car part fitment information.
While the process may seem intricate, it’s vital for vehicle parts manufacturers selling on Amazon. This guide aims to provide a clearer, step-by-step approach to navigating car part fitment data submission. For assistance with listing your vehicle parts or other products on Amazon, contact our digital marketing team at [email protected] or 1.800.274.3978 for tailored solutions.
Shawn Livengood
Shawn has been a digital marketing professional for over a decade, specializing in search engine marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and web analytics. His master’s studies at the University of Texas at Austin focused on information architecture and web usability, principles he applies to create user-centric marketing solutions. Shawn has consulted for diverse clients, from local businesses to multinational corporations. Currently, he develops digital marketing strategies for Google Ads, Bing Ads, Amazon Sponsored Products, and other platforms. He also assists clients in enhancing their SEO performance through site audits and optimization, ensuring positive organic traffic during site transitions.
