The Metrics That Matter
Amazon's Account Health Rating (AHR) is not a single score. It is a composite of multiple performance indicators, each weighted differently depending on your account history and category. The three primary dimensions are Order Defect Rate (ODR), Policy Compliance, and Shipping Performance.
ODR remains the most consequential metric. It aggregates A-to-Z Guarantee claims, chargebacks, and negative feedback into a single percentage. Amazon's threshold sits at 1%, but experienced operators know that trending above 0.5% already triggers internal review flags. The key is not just staying below the line. It is understanding which order types contribute disproportionately to your defect rate and addressing root causes.
Policy Compliance Is Not Binary
Sellers often treat policy compliance as a pass/fail metric. In practice, Amazon tracks the frequency, severity, and recency of violations. A single intellectual property complaint resolved within 48 hours carries far less weight than three unresolved product authenticity claims over 30 days. The pattern matters more than any individual incident.
What to Monitor Weekly
Review your Voice of the Customer dashboard alongside your AHR. Cross-reference return reasons with listing content accuracy. If buyers consistently cite "item not as described," the problem is upstream in your listing copy or images, not in fulfillment. Proactive monitoring at this level prevents the kind of cascading enforcement actions that lead to account suspensions.
