Amazon has announced changes to how reviews are shared across product variations starting February 12, 2026. While many sellers fear a loss of reviews, the reality is far more nuanced — and far less alarming for compliant catalogs.
This guide explains what’s changing, why Amazon is enforcing it, and how sellers should prepare.
Contents
Why Amazon Is Changing Review Sharing
Roughly 98% of shoppers read reviews, often relying on star ratings without understanding variation differences. When reviews don’t match the product received, trust breaks.
Amazon’s goal is to:
- Improve review accuracy
- Reduce misleading aggregation
- Increase buyer confidence
This aligns with Amazon’s long-standing review accuracy policy.
Amazon will continue pooling reviews for:
- Color or pattern changes
- Size changes with identical function
- Pack size differences
- Secondary scent variations
- Device fitment variations
These do not change the customer experience.
Which Variations Will Be Split?
Reviews will no longer pool across:
- Different performance or power
- Different models or generations
- Bundles vs singles
- Primary flavor or scent
- Different materials or use cases
Each variation will show reviews that reflect that specific ASIN.
What Sellers Should Do Now
1. Audit Your Variation Structure
Confirm each variation delivers the same experience.
2. Fix Themes Early
Correct variation themes in Manage All Inventory before rollout.
3. Plan Review Recovery
Use approved programs like Amazon Vine for key ASINs post-split.
4. Monitor Rollout Dates
The change rolls out Feb 12 – May 31, 2026, by category.
This update doesn’t punish honest sellers.
It punishes review engineering.
Clean catalogs win. Confusion loses.
Learn more about our Amazon catalog optimization services.
