How to Apply for Amazon Handmade in 2025 (Step-by-Step Guide)
The Amazon Handmade application process has changed significantly since the program launched. This guide walks through the current 2025 steps — from setting up a Professional Seller account to getting approved and listing your first handmade products.
Amazon Handmade gives independent makers access to hundreds of millions of Amazon shoppers without competing against mass-produced, dropshipped goods. The catch: you have to apply first, and the process has changed significantly since the program launched.
If you’ve been searching for a current walkthrough, this is it. The steps below reflect how Amazon Handmade works in 2025 — including the Professional Seller account requirement that trips up a lot of applicants.
Who Can Apply for Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade is open to individual makers and small creative businesses — not retailers sourcing finished goods from suppliers.
To qualify, you must be one of the following:
- An individual maker who creates all products yourself
- A small business where you and up to 20 employees collectively make the goods
- A cooperative, nonprofit, or charity where members create the products
The defining test is whether you (or your team) are the ones doing the actual making. Products that are designed by you but manufactured by a third party on your behalf don’t qualify.
What Products Qualify for Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade accepts five types of handcrafted goods: handcrafted items made from raw materials (jewellery, candles, ceramics), hand-designed originals like art prints or lettered stationery, hand-altered premade items you’ve customised, repurposed objects transformed for a new use, and upcycled items improved in quality or value.
The five categories in full:
- Handcrafted — made from raw materials by hand
- Hand-designed — original creations (art prints, hand-lettered stationery)
- Hand-altered — premade items you’ve customised (engraved, painted, embroidered)
- Repurposed — objects transformed for a new purpose
- Upcycled — items improved in quality or value (refinished furniture, restored vintage goods)
Your products must also fall into one of Amazon Handmade’s 13 approved categories: Accessories, Artwork, Baby, Beauty & Personal Care, Clothing, Shoes & Handbags, Home, Outdoor & Home Care, Jewelry & Watches, Kitchen & Dining, Pet Supplies, Sporting Goods, Stationery & Party Supplies, and Toys & Games.
Food products and electronics are currently excluded — if your category isn’t on the list, Amazon Handmade isn’t accepting it yet.
How to Apply for Amazon Handmade in 2025
Step 1: Set Up an Amazon Professional Seller Account
Amazon Handmade requires a Professional selling account — the Individual plan isn’t eligible. If you’re new to Amazon, you’ll register for Professional as the first step.
The Professional plan costs $39.99/month. The good news: Amazon waives this fee from your second month onward as an approved Handmade seller — a saving of $480/year. You’ll pay the first month’s fee regardless of your application outcome.
If you already have an Individual Amazon seller account, you can upgrade to Professional from within Seller Central before applying.
Step 2: Submit Your Handmade Application
Once your Professional account is active, navigate to the Handmade application in Seller Central. The application covers three areas:
About you — Your name, business name, and confirmation that you meet Amazon’s artisan standards. If you’re a cooperative or charity, you’ll confirm that here.
Your products and process — This section matters most. Amazon wants to know:
- What you make and the materials you use
- Your production process from raw material to finished product
- Approximately how long each step takes
- How many people are involved in production
Be specific. Amazon reviews applications manually, and vague answers get rejected more often than detailed ones. Write your answers in a word processor first, then paste them in — the form fields are small.
Your work — Photos of your finished products and your production process. This section is technically optional, but submitting strong photos significantly improves your approval odds. A combination of finished product shots and in-progress photos works better than finished goods alone.
Step 3: Wait for Amazon’s Decision
Amazon reviews applications manually. Most applicants hear back within a few business days, though it can take up to two weeks during busy periods. You can track your application status using the email address and confirmation code from your submission.
If your application is rejected, Amazon will indicate why. Most rejections come down to insufficient detail in the products and process section, or stock photos submitted instead of your own work. Reapplication is allowed once you’ve addressed the issues.
Step 4: List Your Products with the Handmade Classification
Once approved, you add your products to Amazon’s catalog. For each listing, you’ll set the Handmade Classification attribute — this specifies what type of handmade product it is (handcrafted, hand-designed, hand-altered, etc.) and signals to both Amazon’s algorithm and customers that your product is authentically made.
Your listings appear under the Amazon Handmade storefront in addition to standard Amazon search results.
Step 5: Create Your Maker Profile
Your maker profile is a public-facing page where you share your story — your creative process, what inspires your work, where you make things. It’s optional, but customers browse it, and a completed profile adds credibility. Amazon’s algorithm also uses it to surface your products to buyers actively looking for handmade goods.
Amazon Handmade Fees in 2025
Amazon Handmade sellers on the Professional plan pay a 15% referral fee on each sale, or $0.30 per unit — whichever is greater. There are no listing fees for Handmade products.
The Professional plan fee ($39.99/month) is waived from your second month after approval, so your ongoing selling costs are the referral fee only. Additional costs to factor in:
- FBA fees if you use Amazon’s fulfilment service (optional — you can ship yourself)
- Sponsored Products advertising costs if you run paid campaigns (optional)
- Currency conversion fees for international sales if you expand to other marketplaces
For comparison: Etsy charges a 6.5% transaction fee plus 3% + $0.25 payment processing. Amazon Handmade’s 15% is higher, but you gain access to a significantly larger buyer pool with built-in trust.
Managing Your Amazon Handmade Store After Approval
Once you’re approved and listing products, the practical challenge shifts to inventory management — especially if you’re also selling on Etsy, Shopify, or anywhere else.
Overselling is the most common operational headache for multi-channel makers. When a product sells on Amazon, your Etsy listing doesn’t update automatically unless you have software handling that sync. A sold-out item showing as available on another platform means cancelled orders and frustrated customers.
Craftybase’s Amazon integration connects with Amazon to track your inventory across all your sales channels, calculate your cost of goods sold (COGS) per product automatically, and give you a clear view of what materials you actually have left to make more. It’s particularly useful once you’re running on multiple channels and the mental overhead starts to add up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an existing Amazon account to apply for Amazon Handmade?
You need an Amazon Professional Seller account to apply — a regular buyer account or the Individual seller plan won't work. If you're starting from scratch, you'll register for Professional first, then submit your Handmade application. The first month costs $39.99; from month two onward, the fee is waived for approved Handmade sellers.
How long does the Amazon Handmade application take to be approved?
Amazon reviews Handmade applications manually. Most applicants receive a decision within a few business days, though it can take up to two weeks during busy periods. You can check your status using the email address and confirmation code from your submission. If rejected, Amazon typically tells you why, and you can reapply after addressing the issues.
What is the referral fee on Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade charges a 15% referral fee per sale, or $0.30 per unit — whichever is greater. There are no listing fees. The Professional plan fee ($39.99/month) is waived from your second month of approval, so ongoing costs are the 15% referral fee only (plus FBA or advertising costs if you use them).
Can I sell on Amazon Handmade if I have employees helping me make products?
Yes — Amazon Handmade allows businesses with up to 20 employees, provided your team is the ones doing the actual making. What's not permitted is outsourcing production to a third-party manufacturer. Cooperatives, nonprofits, and charities where members make the goods are also eligible to apply.
Can I sell on Amazon Handmade and Etsy at the same time?
Yes — there's no exclusivity requirement. Many handmade sellers list on both Amazon Handmade and Etsy simultaneously. The main practical challenge is keeping inventory in sync: if your last unit sells on Amazon, your Etsy listing should update immediately to avoid overselling. Craftybase handles this sync automatically, keeping your stock counts accurate across all channels.
