📅 Secondary User Access Overhaul: The August 31st Deadline + Free PPC Tool Update

Digest #22 → Subscribe

Hey Amazon Agency Leaders 👋

While March brings spring cleaning for most, Amazon's bringing a full-scale access management overhaul that affects every agency managing client accounts.

PLUS: Our N-Gram Analyzer just got a major update with metrics that matter to your bottom line, and Amazon's supporting employees through cancer in unexpected ways.

Let's dive in.

TLDR; inside today's newsletter:

⚠️ Secondary user access being phased out by August 31st, 2025

🛠️ New Cost-Per-Order and ROAS metrics added to our N-Gram Analyzer

🚚 How Amazon delivers to the world's most remote locations

🤖 Inside Amazon's 750,000+ robot workforce

📋 Amazon Seller Central updates and new features

✅ Agency and provider action plan for user access requirements

⚠️ BREAKING: Secondary User Access Ending August 31st

Update to Critical Access Changes Coming

Amazon is making a fundamental change to how agencies, freelancers, and consultants access seller accounts.

As reported by Vanessa Hung, CEO of Online Seller Solutions, Amazon is transitioning away from the secondary user access model and replacing it with a structured vetting process through the Solution Provider Portal (SPP).

What's Changing:

Secondary user access will ONLY be for sellers' direct employees
All third-party service providers (agencies, freelancers, VAs) must register through SPP
Amazon will now ask sellers to declare if the invitee is an employee or external provider
Misclassification of users could affect seller accounts

Important Considerations:

Amazon is implementing this change to increase security and better manage third-party access. While the full transition deadline is August 31st, 2025, Amazon is rolling this out in batches, so you may receive notification earlier.

For agencies that have "AMZ" or "Amazon" in their names, there could be potential trademark concerns during the verification process. Consider consulting with legal professionals if you're in this situation.

Next Steps:

If you receive a message from Amazon about this change, don't ignore it
Begin the SPP registration process as soon as possible
Inform your clients about this upcoming transition
Consider documenting current access configurations as a backup

This is a major shift that will impact how all agencies operate, but with proper preparation, it can strengthen your position as a professional service provider.

🛠️ Agency Tool Spotlight: N-Gram Analyzer Pro Gets Critical Updates

Latest updates to help with campaign optimization

Our N-Gram Analyzer Pro tool just received significant enhancements to help you maximize ad spend efficiency and improve campaign performance.

What's New:

Cost Per Order (CPO) Analysis: Instantly identify which keywords are driving up your acquisition costs
Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) Metrics: See exact return calculations for every search term

Why This Matters:

Cost Per Order and ROAS are ultimate performance indicators that directly tie to profitability. By analyzing these metrics at the n-gram level, you can:

Quickly identify expensive keywords that may look good by other metrics but actually harm profitability
Discover hidden profitable search terms that competitors are missing
Make data-driven decisions about scaling or pausing campaigns

Access The Tool:

To get access to the N-Gram Analyzer Pro, connect with Nicholas Hodge on LinkedIn. As always, we appreciate your feedback as we continue to enhance the tool with new features.

P.S. We'll be announcing more updates in the coming weeks as we continually upgrade the application. Please share any feedback to help us improve!

Amazon News Insider

Innovation Across the Ecosystem

Supporting Employees Through Cancer

Amazon has signed the Working with Cancer pledge, reinforcing its commitment to supporting employees and their families during cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

The company's CARES program (Cancer Advocacy, Resources, Education, and Support) provides one-on-one support for all employees—including hourly workers—and their family members affected by cancer.

Services include:

Benefits management and health system navigation
Appointment scheduling and paperwork assistance
Support for conversations with managers and HR
Access to 2nd.MD for expert medical opinions

This commitment was highlighted by the story of Craig Edwards, a worldwide technologist at Amazon whose life was saved through the company's comprehensive benefits during his battle with invasive squamous cell carcinoma.

Delivering to the World's Most Remote Places

Amazon continues to push the boundaries of delivery logistics, reaching some of the most remote locations on the planet:

Frying Pan Tower: 30+ miles off the North Carolina coast
Monhegan, Maine: Via World War II patrol boat 10 miles offshore
Phantom Ranch, Arizona: Using mules for delivery
Old Faithful, Wyoming: Special over-snow vehicles traverse Yellowstone
Baja California Sur, Mexico: Combinations of trucks, ferries, and motorcycles

These innovative delivery solutions extend Amazon's reach to places where conventional logistics can't operate, from Japanese islands to Italian canals and Brazilian favelas.

Amazon's Robotic Revolution

Amazon has developed and deployed more than 750,000 robots across its operations network, with eight different robotic systems working together in its next-generation facilities:

Sequoia: Stores inventory up to 75% faster using containerized storage
Hercules: Drive units that transport pods of items to employees
Titan: Handles larger/bulkier items, lifting twice as much as Hercules
Sparrow: A robotic arm that picks individual items using computer vision
Packaging Automation: Creates made-to-fit paper bags, replacing plastic
Robin: Sorts packages before they go to the outbound dock
Cardinal: Handles packages up to 50 pounds to reduce injury risk
Proteus: Fully autonomous mobile robot that moves freely throughout facilities

These systems have driven a 25% productivity improvement at next-generation fulfillment centers while also improving safety and reducing physical strain on employees.

Platform Updates

Critical platform updates you can't miss

Track and Prevent Product Return Badges

Amazon has added new features to the Voice of the Customer dashboard to help sellers improve return rates:

List of ASINs with "frequently returned" badge on product detail pages
Warnings for ASINs at risk of getting the badge
Three-month and 12-month return rate data
Suggested return rates to prevent or remove badges

To access these insights, navigate to Performance > Voice of the Customer in Seller Central and check the new "Return badge displayed" column.

Seller Community Return Rate Tips

Hundreds of sellers recently shared tips on managing business during slow periods. Top strategies included:

Creating promotions around less obvious events like spring cleaning
Engaging with customers through social media
Optimizing product listings with enhanced keywords and images
Building relationships through personalized messages to previous customers
Updating product photos with more detailed images that catch shoppers' attention

🗓️ New Amazon Advertising Webinars

Take advantage of free upcoming webinars to maximize your selling potential:

Explore Amazon Advertising Essentials (All levels): Learn about different ad types, best practices, and how to effectively reach target customers. Join March 11-13 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

For more on registering see the article here in Seller Central.

Agency Insights: Adapting to Amazon's Access Changes

Using the new changes to your advantage

Amazon's move away from secondary user access represents a fundamental shift in how agencies manage client relationships.

Rather than viewing this as merely a compliance hurdle, forward-thinking agencies can leverage this transition as an opportunity to strengthen their businesses.

Strategic Considerations:

1. Formalize Client Relationships The SPP registration requirement can actually help you establish more professional, documented relationships with clients. Consider:

Creating formal service agreements if you don't already have them
Developing clear access protocols and documentation standards
Establishing emergency procedures for access issues

2. Enhance Security Practices This is the perfect time to review and upgrade your own security measures:

Implement password management solutions for your team
Create clear access control policies for different client account levels
Document your security protocols as a selling point for prospective clients

3. Communication as Opportunity Proactive communication about this change can strengthen client relationships:

Position yourself as their guide through Amazon's evolving landscape
Create simple explanatory resources they can reference
Offer to assist them with any questions they have about the process

4. Prepare for Operational Changes The transition provides a natural opportunity to review your workflows:

Document current access arrangements across all accounts
Consider how team responsibilities might need to be reorganized
Build contingency plans for potential access disruption during transition

By embracing this change strategically, you can turn a potential disruption into a competitive advantage that strengthens client relationships and improves your operational security.

🎯 Action Items for the Week

Determine if your agency needs to register with the Solution Provider Portal
Create a communication plan to inform clients about the access changes
Connect with Nicholas Hodge on LinkedIn for access to the N-Gram Analyzer Pro
Register for Amazon's Advertising Essentials webinars (March 11-13)
Review your ASINs for potential return badges in Voice of the Customer

💪 Quick Win of the Week

Take 30 minutes to document your current client access setup and permissions before the Amazon access transition begins.

This simple step will give you peace of mind and serve as a valuable reference during the transition process.

That's it for this week! Have questions or feedback? Hit reply - we read every response.

Forward this to an agency leader who needs to stay ahead of the curve.