# Understanding Your Account Metrics Amazon tracks how well you're performing as a seller through a set of account metrics. These aren't just numbers to ignore — they directly affect your ability to win the Buy Box, stay ungated, and keep your account in good standing. Let's be honest about this too: Amazon holds these metrics over you. Drop below their thresholds and they will act, sometimes without much warning. Keeping on top of them isn't optional. *** **Where to find your metrics** Go to **Account Health** in Seller Central. This is your dashboard for everything performance related. Get into the habit of checking it regularly — don't wait for Amazon to email you about a problem. *** **The key metrics** **Order Defect Rate (ODR)** Must stay below **1%**. This covers negative feedback, A-to-Z guarantee claims, and credit card chargebacks. Even one or two of these on a low volume account can push you over the threshold quickly. FBA helps here because Amazon handles customer service on your behalf — but it's still your account on the line. **Late Dispatch Rate** Must stay below **4%**. This mainly applies to FBM orders. If you're using FBA exclusively this isn't something you need to worry much about — Amazon handles dispatch. **Valid Tracking Rate** Must stay above **95%** for FBM orders. Customers need to be able to track their orders. Again, not relevant if you're FBA only. **Cancellation Rate** Must stay below **2.5%**. Cancelling orders damages trust with Amazon and customers. Don't list products you don't have in stock and don't cancel orders because you've found a better use for the stock elsewhere. **Feedback and reviews** Positive feedback helps with Buy Box rotation. Negative feedback contributes to your ODR. If you receive negative feedback related to FBA shipping or fulfilment — not the product itself — you can request Amazon remove it, and they often will. *** **How to keep your metrics healthy** * Use FBA wherever possible — Amazon handling fulfilment removes most of the risk around dispatch, tracking, and customer service metrics * Respond to any customer messages within 24 hours — even if it's just to acknowledge the message while you look into it * Never cancel orders — only list products you actually have available * Deal with negative feedback proactively — contact the customer, resolve the issue, and request removal if it's FBA related * Keep your invoices and supplier documentation organised and accessible — Amazon can ask for authenticity checks at any time and you need to be able to respond quickly *** **The bigger picture** Strong account metrics compound over time. A clean account gets more auto ungates, wins more Buy Box time, and gets fewer random checks from Amazon. A messy account gets the opposite — more scrutiny, more restrictions, and eventually warnings or suspension. It's one of those areas where the effort you put in early pays dividends for years. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://behind-the-buybox.gitbook.io/behind-the-buybox-docs/understanding-your-account-metrics.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.