Is Amazon‘s Website Not Working in 2022? How Sellers Can Troubleshoot and Prepare
As an Amazon seller, few things are more frustrating than a non-responsive or glitchy Amazon website. Outages big and small can derail your sales momentum and disrupt critical business operations.
When Amazon goes down, what steps can you take to get back up and running? And how can you minimize the impact of future disruptions?
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll leverage my experience as an established Amazon seller to help you troubleshoot website issues and implement best practices for resilience. Read on to learn:
- Common reasons Amazon‘s site stops working and how it impacts sellers
- Detailed troubleshooting tips to resolve access problems
- How to monitor system status and prepare for outages
- Seller-specific recommendations to withstand website downtime
Let‘s dive in and get your business back on track when issues arise with Amazon‘s platform.
Why Does Amazon‘s Website Stop Working?
As a top traffic destination on the web, at times Amazon simply falls victim to its own success. With millions of customers shopping simultaneously, peak traffic can occasionally overwhelm servers.
Amazon also relies on a vast network of data centers and cloud-based services vulnerable to technical glitches and security threats. Main reasons the site becomes unavailable include:
Traffic Spikes
- On Prime Day 2021, Amazon handled 11.9 billion visits – up 7% from 2020. Massive demand can strain site infrastructure.
Service Disruptions
- Issues with Amazon Web Services (AWS) routinely take down websites, apps, and services – including Amazon‘s retail operations.
Cyber Attacks
- In 2021, outage tracker Downdetector recorded 122 attacks on Amazon services – up 21% YoY. Hackers remain a constant threat.
Software Bugs
- Complex systems like Amazon inevitably have coding errors. Bugs in site updates or AWS can cause widespread crashes.
Hardware Failures
- Server faults, network outages, and data center mishaps bring down websites regularly – even for tech giants like Amazon.
Maintenance Downtime
- Amazon plans routine maintenance requiring systems to go offline temporarily – usually late night or weekends.
For sellers, the cumulative impact is lost revenue, frustrated customers, and business operations grinding to a halt anytime Amazon is inaccessible.
When issues arise, quick troubleshooting is key to restoring website access:
Top Ways for Sellers to Fix Amazon When Its Website Goes Down
As a seller dependent on Amazon staying online 24/7, I constantly monitor site performance and keep troubleshooting best practices top of mind. Here are tips I follow to diagnose issues and re-establish access:
Confirm an Outage with Downdetector
Downdetector provides real-time status of Amazon disruptions. Spikes in user reports visualizes the scope of problems:
Checking Downdetector alerts me to widespread outages versus problems limited to my own account. When seller complaints roll in about Amazon being down, this tool validates it‘s beyond my control.
Contact Amazon Seller Support
Amazon provides priority phone and chat support for sellers. For site access issues, I immediately reach out to seller support for assistance.
They can confirm Amazon is aware of problems, provide timing estimates for resolutions, and advise on next steps for minimizing business impact. I‘ve found them to be direct, transparent, and genuinely concerned anytime technical issues arise.
Refresh and Retry from All Devices
Sometimes an issue is isolated to one browsing session or device. As a test, I‘ll retry loading my Seller Central account:
- On multiple computers, phones, and tablets
- Using incognito/private modes to bypass cache and cookies
- Over WiFi, cellular, and networked connections
- After force quitting and reopening the browser
If Amazon loads on one device but not another, I know to troubleshoot issues or settings specific to that device.
Leverage Seller Forums
Communities like Amazon Seller Forums and Reddit‘s r/FulfillmentByAmazon provide crowdsourced outage updates. As problems occur, sellers flock to these forums to vent and confirm they aren‘t alone.
The collective feedback helps me contextualize system failures, provides a sense for resolution timelines, and delivers reassurance that every seller is equally impacted.
Run Website Checks
Tools like Down For Everyone Or Just Me check if a site is down universally or locally. By entering amazon.com, I can confirm wider access issues versus something affecting only my connection.
This avoids wasted time troubleshooting my own network or devices when the root cause lies with Amazon.
Stay Updated via Status Pages
For AWS-related disruptions, I monitor the Amazon Service Health Dashboard. Updates pinpoint the issue‘s origin, impacted services, and – hopefully – estimated recovery time.
For retail site outages, Amazon‘s less transparent but @AmazonHelp Twitter feed occasionally provides service updates. Following these official accounts helps me stay in the loop as Amazon works to restore service.
Scale Support Staffing
During major disruptions, I temporarily beef up my seller support staffing to field the inevitable onslaught of customer service inquiries.
Even with automated order updates in place, outages spike questions and complaints from buyers unable to access Amazon or their accounts. Having an all-hands approach ensures my customers get timely support despite the platform issues.
How Sellers Can Prepare for Amazon Website Downtime
While unavoidable, with preparation sellers can minimize business disruption when Amazon goes offline:
Automate order updates: Apps like Feedback Express auto-message customers on shipment and order status changes. This limits inquiries when buyers can‘t login to track orders.
Diversify sales channels: Expanding to additional sites like Walmart, eBay, and your own store reduces revenue risk if Amazon has an extended outage.
Backup key data: Routinely download reports on inventory, orders, and operations from Seller Central so crucial business data remains accessible.
Leverage AWS status resources: Follow AWS Service Health on Twitter, bookmark status pages, and monitor Downdetector for early warnings.
Have contact backups: Gather team and supplier email addresses and mobile numbers so communication continues off of Amazon if needed.
Plan for surges post-outage: Buy extra inventory and staff-up for customer service demand spikes as buyers flock back once issues are resolved.
Bookmark key pages: Save Seller Central links needed to run your business offline, like Inventory and Manage Orders, so they can be accessed quickly when the site is restored.
Practice patience: Remind staff and suppliers that Amazon issues are temporary, impact every seller equally, and focus energy on preparing to rebound when systems are back up.
Monitor social media: Folks turn to Twitter to vent about Amazon problems but also receive support and humor. Leverage this to connect with frustrated buyers.
Top Recommendations for Amazon Sellers When the Site Goes Down
Drawing from hard-earned experience managing website outages, here is my expert advice on navigating downtime as a seller:
Stay calm – It‘s frustrating, but outages are an inevitability of relying on a single retail giant. Focus on what you can control.
Confirm it‘s Amazon – Quickly check Downdetector and seller forums to validate the scope before wasting time troubleshooting yourself.
Contact support ASAP – Reach out to seller support for direct incident status updates and post-outage guidance.
Update buyers proactively – Get ahead of complaints by pushing order status notifications before customers start questioning.
Shift operations offline – Prep order/inventory data and resources staff can work with while Amazon is unavailable.
Communicate with empathy – Recognize buyers are also helpless and frustrated when facing site errors and account access issues. Offer support.
Replenish inventory – Plan for surging post-outage demand by stocking best sellers and strengthening supplier relationships.
Review policies – Consider adjusting returns approvals, shipping estimates, and support resourcing to accommodate site-related delays.
Plan non-Amazon tasks – Outline off-platform projects and improvements to focus staff on during prolonged downtime.
Monitor progress – Stay updated on restoration via Downdetector spikes, status pages, and seller forum posts.
Have a welcome back offer planned – Develop promotions to attract customers quickly when systems are back up.
Reset expectations – Email buyers that orders may take extra time as you work through backlogs and support inquiries.
In Closing
There‘s no avoiding the inevitability of outages disrupting sellers reliant on Amazon. But advanced monitoring, smart preparation, and agile responses can significantly limit the business impact.
I hope these insider tips and recommendations empower you to get your sales momentum back quickly when issues arise with Amazon‘s platform. Just remember – it‘s never personal, so avoid panic and work the problem. Staying focused on what you can control sets you up to outperform sellers who waste energy on frustrations out of their hands.
Now you‘re equipped with troubleshooting solutions and best practices to withstand even the worst Amazon website disruptions. Here‘s to smooth selling ahead!