How To Get Access To Premium A+ Content on Amazon

In August 2022, Amazon announced that all Amazon sellers that were brand registered would be eligible to get Premium A+ Content (Also known as A++) given they met certain criteria.

By this time, I had already worked with a handful of larger, well-funded clients that were using Premium A+ Content as members of the Launchpad program.

When this new announcement was made, I didn’t think much of it for some reason. Launchpad was so exclusive, so I figured the criteria would be way too difficult for the average brand.

Fast-forward a few months to February 2023, and we had just started working with a well-known, celebrity-backed brand. We knew the content would have to be perfect, and so we looked into every option we had including Premium A+ Content.

Something happened, which shocked me: we were able to get access to Premium A+ within 8 days of meeting Amazon's relatively simple criteria. The account only had 4 listings at the time.

The results were fantastic, and this brand was NOT in Launchpad!

We were amazed – and so we started implementing this across the board with all of our clients.

Let's look at the benefits of Premium A+ Content and how to get access:

What’s the difference between “Basic” and "Premium" A+ Content?

If you aren’t familiar with the differences, it’s important to note why getting access and putting in the work to design Premium A+ Content is so worth it.

Larger Quality Content

Premium A+ Content provides more space for higher quality images compared to basic A+ content. This allows for high-resolution images on desktop computers – specifically, 1464 px wide compared to 970 px wide in Basic A+ Content. That’s a 50% increase in width. Below are "to-scale" comparisons of Basic A+ vs Premium A+ vs creatively designed Premium A+ Content:

Basic A+ Content

Premium A+ Content

Creatively designed Premium A+ Content
(​Curious how this large image was designed? Click here to watch the video on how I made it.)

Mobile Optimization

Premium A+ content provides the option on nearly all module types to optimize for mobile devices with a separate image, ensuring that your product information is displayed beautifully and functionally on smartphones and tablets.

This optimization gives mobile shoppers (who make up over 50% of sales on Amazon) a better browsing experience. Meanwhile, Basic A+ Content doesn’t allow for customization, and is often either too large on desktop or too small on mobile, thus not displaying as effectively on smaller screens. With more consumers shopping on mobile devices, this optimization is crucial for capturing and retaining customer interest.

Below are "to-scale" images comparing Premium A+ desktop/mobile view to Basic A+ Content, which doesn't have this feature:

Comparing Premium A+ desktop/mobile view to Basic A+ Content, which doesn't have this feature. You'll noticed the Basic A+ Content is not even legible on mobile devices, which make up over 50% of sales on Amazon.

Video Modules

One of the standout features of Premium A+ content is the ability to include video modules. Videos can effectively demonstrate product usage, highlight unique features, and convey brand messaging in a way that static images and text cannot. Basic A+ content lacks this dynamic capability, making video modules a significant upgrade for engaging potential buyers and providing them with a richer understanding of your product.

Interactive Modules

Premium A+ content includes interactive modules such as carousels, hotspots, FAQs, and enhanced comparison charts. These features make the content more engaging and user-friendly, allowing customers to interact with the product details more dynamically. Basic A+ content, by contrast, is static and less engaging, which can result in a less immersive shopping experience.

Enhanced Comparison Tables

The comparison table in Premium A+ content allows for up to 7 products, larger images, product reviews, price, and Add to Cart button.  

Why are these features important?

Brand Differentiation

The advanced features of Premium A+ Content significantly enhance your product listings, making them stand out from competitors. With high-quality visuals, videos, and interactive elements, your brand is presented in a more professional and compelling manner. Basic A+ Content lacks these sophisticated features, making it less effective in establishing a strong brand identity and attracting more customers.

Increased Engagement

The interactive and multimedia elements of Premium A+ Content result in higher customer engagement. Features like videos, hover elements, and carousels capture and maintain the attention of potential buyers, encouraging them to spend more time on your product page. Basic A+ Content lacks these engaging elements and is less effective in keeping customers interested.

Better Storytelling

Premium A+ Content facilitates better storytelling by allowing for a more comprehensive and visually appealing presentation of your product's features and benefits. The combination of text, images, videos, and interactive elements creates a richer narrative that resonates with customers. Basic A+ Content, with its limited format, cannot deliver the same level of storytelling, making it harder to convey your brand's unique value proposition.

Increased Sales

The enhanced features of Premium A+ Content contribute to higher conversion rates. By providing a more engaging and informative experience, customers are more likely to make a purchase. Basic A+ Content, while still beneficial, does not offer the same level of detail and engagement, potentially resulting in lower sales. Learn more about improving your conversion rate here:
Blog – 14 Ways To Improve Your Amazon Conversion Rate.

How to get access to Premium A+ Content

Accessing Premium A+ Content requires meeting certain criteria and following specific steps. To gain access and start leveraging these features, you’ll need to meet 3 criteria:

• Brand Registry: Your brand must be registered with Amazon Brand Registry.
• Brand Story: All of the Brand-Owned ASINs in your catalog must contain published A+ Brand Story.
• Five (5) Approved Basic A+ Content Projects: You must have at least 5 A+ Content project submissions in "Approved" status within the past 12 months.
  

​Your brand story can be as simple as a background image for desktop/mobile and a single module. Make sure you apply this to every single brand-owned listing in your product catalog. This is the number 1 reason sellers fail to successfully get access to Premium A+ Content. Brands with a larger catalog need to be particularly careful to add every single ASIN to their Brand Story project.

Your Five Basic A+ Content projects in approved status do not have to be applied to five different ASINs. Yes – this means that even brands with a single ASIN can get access to Premium A+ Content.

To do this, simply design a Basic A+ project with a single image that will be easily approved by Amazon (such as a lifestyle image with no text). Apply this project to one of your ASINs and submit. Once approved by Amazon, you can duplicate the project, re-add the same ASIN to your new project, and submit again. This project should be approved instantly, and then you can continue duplicating until you have 5 projects in “Approved” status.

To check if you have been granted access to Premium A+ Content, click the menu button and go to "Advertising" > "A+ Content Manager" and then click the "Start Creating A+ Content" button:

If you have access, you will now see "Create Premium A+" as an option:

Amazon claims you will automatically be granted access on the Friday following meeting all the criteria. This claim is often not true.

The rule used to be slightly different: 15 approved A+ projects instead of 5, and access would be granted on the 1st of the month following meeting all the criteria.

If you have met the criteria and didn’t get access, try duplicating the basic A+ projects until you have 15 projects approved. After that, wait until the 1st of the following month, but continue to check back every Friday. Additionally, double-check you have applied all brand-owned ASINs in your catalog to your brand story project.

We once had 4 customers all waiting on Premium A+ access for 2+ months, when suddenly, on a random Friday, all of them were granted access to Premium the same day.

This can be frustrating, but if you’re persistent and patient, you will be granted access eventually.

​Good luck!