---
title: "Amazon Shop Direct Merchant Workspace: Opt In or Opt Out"
description: Amazon launched the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace on Nov 4, 2026. How Shop Direct and Buy for Me work, who should join, and how to opt out.
image: https://crm.bubbaacademy.com/hubfs/bubba-blog-images/featured-amazon-shop-direct-shopper-smartphone-sofa.jpg
---

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Amazon FBA Seller Central Amazon Sellers

# Amazon Shop Direct and Buy for Me: A Seller's Guide to Opt In or Out

![Pouyan Pazargadi](https://crm.bubbaacademy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-05-02%20at%208.33.06%20PM.png?width=48&height=48&name=Screenshot%202026-05-02%20at%208.33.06%20PM.png)

 Pouyan Pazargadi

November 11, 2026

On November 4, 2026, Amazon [launched the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-shop-direct-merchant-workspace), a free self-service portal where merchants can connect the product catalog from their own online store to Amazon. Products connected this way can show up in Amazon search results and inside Alexa for Shopping, Amazon's AI shopping assistant. The shopper either clicks through to the merchant's website or, for eligible products, lets Amazon's "Buy for Me" agent place the order on the merchant's site for them.

If you sell on Amazon, this matters in two ways. It is a possible new route for products you sell on your own website but not on Amazon. And it is a program some independent merchants found themselves in without asking, which caused a public backlash earlier this year. This guide explains how Shop Direct and Buy for Me work, what changed with the new workspace, who should consider joining, how to check whether your store is already listed, and how to opt out.

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## What Amazon Launched on November 4, 2026

Shop Direct is not new. Amazon began testing it in early 2025 as a way to show shoppers products from other websites when Amazon does not carry an item itself. What is new is a formal, self-service way for merchants to join. According to Amazon's announcement, the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace lets an eligible merchant:

- **Register for Shop Direct** and connect their store to Amazon, so products can be found on Amazon.com, in the Amazon Shopping app, on mobile web, and through Alexa for Shopping.
- **Submit product feeds** in widely used shopping feed formats, reusing catalogs already built for other shopping channels.
- **Connect through a feed provider**. Amazon names Feedonomics, Salsify, CEDCommerce, and VersaFeed, and says more apps will follow as developers build Shop Direct integrations on the Selling Partner API (SP-API).
- **See which products are active** and available to Amazon customers through Shop Direct.

Amazon describes the terms in simple language: there are no fees to participate, merchants choose which items to include, and they can opt out at any time. The merchant keeps control of inventory, pricing, order fulfillment, and customer service, and handles shipping, delivery, returns, and exchanges through its existing processes. Shop Direct is available to customers in the United States only.

Amazon also shared its own scale figures: it says tens of millions of customers have discovered hundreds of millions of products from other stores through Shop Direct, and that Shop Direct products appear in hundreds of millions of searches each month. These are Amazon's numbers. Amazon has not published how many purchases come from them, and nobody can tell you in advance how much traffic your own products would receive.

## How Shop Direct and Buy for Me Work for Shoppers

It helps to look at the program from the shopper's side first, because that is what decides whether it is useful to you.

### The Shop Direct label and button

When a customer searches on Amazon, they may see products from other online stores, clearly labeled "Shop Direct." Tapping the Shop Direct button on the product page sends the customer to the merchant's website to see the details and complete the purchase. Amazon says the customer is notified that they are leaving Amazon before the redirect.

### Buy for Me

Amazon [introduced Buy for Me in April 2025](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-shopping-app-buy-for-me-brands) as a beta in the Amazon Shopping app for a subset of US customers. For eligible products, the customer taps Buy for Me, confirms the delivery address, taxes, shipping fees, and payment method on an Amazon checkout page, and Amazon's AI then completes the purchase on the merchant's website using the customer's encrypted details. The customer receives an order confirmation from the merchant, and delivery, returns, exchanges, and customer service are handled by the merchant. At launch, Amazon told reporters it was not taking a commission on these purchases.

### Alexa for Shopping

![White smart speaker standing on a light table against a plain white wall](https://crm.bubbaacademy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bubba-blog-images/body-amazon-shop-direct-smart-speaker-voice-shopping.jpg?width=1400&height=933&name=body-amazon-shop-direct-smart-speaker-voice-shopping.jpg)

The November announcement places Shop Direct inside Alexa for Shopping, which Amazon describes as its agentic shopping assistant. In practice, this means your product information can be shown to a shopper by an AI assistant, not only on a search results page. That raises the stakes on data quality: the assistant can only describe your product as well as your feed does.

## Why Some Merchants Were Unhappy: The Opt-Out Backstory

Before the workspace existed, many merchants did not choose to be in Shop Direct. In January 2026, [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/06/amazons-ai-shopping-tool-sparks-backlash-from-some-online-retailers.html) and [Modern Retail](https://www.modernretail.co/technology/brands-are-upset-that-buy-for-me-is-featuring-their-products-on-amazon-without-permission/) reported that small online stores running on platforms such as Shopify, Squarespace, WooCommerce, and Wix had found their products listed on Amazon through Shop Direct and Buy for Me without having signed up.

The complaints were practical, not only about principle:

- **Unexpected orders.** Some stores only found out when orders arrived from an Amazon-linked "buyforme" email address.
- **Wrong or unavailable items.** One stationery shop told CNBC it received orders for a product it does not sell. Others said out-of-stock items had been shown as available.
- **Contract problems.** Modern Retail reported a retailer whose wholesale supplier does not allow its products on Amazon. The retailer had to explain that it had not listed them there on purpose.

Amazon's response, as quoted in both reports, was that the programs help customers find products Amazon does not sell while helping businesses reach new customers, that product and price information is taken from public information on a brand's website, that its system checks stock and price, and that businesses can opt out at any time by emailing branddirect@amazon.com.

The November workspace changes the picture for merchants who want in: they can now join on purpose, send a structured feed instead of relying on information read from their website, and see which products are live. Amazon's announcement does not say whether stores that were added earlier without a feed will be moved into the new system, so merchants who prefer to stay out should still check.

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## What This Means if You Already Sell on Amazon

Shop Direct is aimed at stores outside Amazon's store, but Amazon's announcement speaks to existing sellers directly: merchants who already sell on Amazon may also be eligible to join and list products they do not currently sell in Amazon's store, by contacting shopdirect@amazon.com. Merchants who want to sell inside Amazon's store, with services like Fulfillment by Amazon and Amazon Ads, are pointed to Seller Central instead.

### Products you sell only on your own website

Many sellers keep some products off Amazon on purpose: limited runs, custom or made-to-order items, bundles, or test products. Shop Direct is one way to make those visible to Amazon shoppers while the sale still happens on your site. If you are still deciding whether a website is worth running next to Amazon, our post on [why Amazon sellers should have a Shopify store](https://crm.bubbaacademy.com/bubba-holding-blog/why-it-is-important-to-have-a-shopify-store-for-amazon-sellers) covers the reasons.

### Products you already sell on Amazon

Shop Direct is built for selection Amazon does not carry. For products that already have an Amazon listing, the normal Amazon offer is still the path that counts toward your Seller Central sales, reviews, and account metrics. Shop Direct orders, by contrast, are your website's orders: they go through your checkout, your shipping, and your returns policy.

### Traffic you send versus traffic Amazon sends

Shop Direct runs in the opposite direction of the tools most Amazon sellers know. Programs such as [Amazon Attribution and the Brand Referral Bonus](https://crm.bubbaacademy.com/bubba-holding-blog/amazon-attribution-brand-referral-bonus-guide) reward you for sending outside traffic to your Amazon listings. Shop Direct sends Amazon shoppers out to your website. Keep the two apart in your reporting so you can tell which channel is doing what.

## Should You Opt In? Questions to Answer First

![Small clothing business owner typing on a laptop at her bright design studio workbench](https://crm.bubbaacademy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bubba-blog-images/body-amazon-shop-direct-independent-merchant-laptop.jpg?width=1400&height=933&name=body-amazon-shop-direct-independent-merchant-laptop.jpg)

Joining is free, but it is not free of work. Because the merchant handles everything after the click, every weakness in your own store becomes visible to Amazon shoppers. Answer these questions first:

1. **Can you fulfill more website orders reliably?** Shipping, delivery, and returns stay with you. If your website orders are packed by hand, plan for extra volume, especially in the holiday weeks. If you already use FBA inventory for website orders, our guide to [Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment for Shopify and TikTok orders](https://crm.bubbaacademy.com/bubba-holding-blog/amazon-mcf-multichannel-fulfillment-shopify-tiktok-guide) explains how that works.
2. **Is your stock data accurate in near real time?** The January complaints were largely about wrong items and out-of-stock products. A clean feed with live inventory and prices is your best protection against orders you cannot ship.
3. **Are your prices consistent?** If you also sell a similar product on Amazon, a different price on your website will be visible to the same shoppers. Decide on your pricing policy before both offers can appear in one search.
4. **Do your supplier agreements allow it?** If you resell other brands, some wholesale agreements limit where their products can appear, including on Amazon. Check your contracts, and ask a qualified advisor if the wording is unclear.
5. **Are your returns and customer service ready?** Buy for Me shoppers start their purchase on Amazon, so they may expect an Amazon-like experience. Make your return policy and contact details easy to find on your site.
6. **Which products should you include?** Amazon says merchants can choose items. Start with a small, well-documented group of products rather than your entire catalog.

None of these steps guarantees sales. Amazon's own figures describe reach across the whole program, not results for any single store, so treat Shop Direct as a test channel and measure it like one.

## How to Join Through the Merchant Workspace

Amazon lists three steps to get started in the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace:

1. **Create a Shop Direct merchant account.** This is separate from a Seller Central selling account. Existing Amazon sellers who want to add products they do not sell on Amazon can also contact shopdirect@amazon.com.
2. **Verify your business website.** Amazon asks merchants to verify the website the products are sold on.
3. **Share your catalog.** Either choose a solution provider whose app connects your catalog for you (Amazon names Feedonomics, Salsify, CEDCommerce, and VersaFeed), or integrate directly with the Selling Partner API to submit and manage the catalog yourself.

Once connected, use the workspace view of active products as your control panel. Check it after every catalog change and before busy sales periods to make sure only the products you chose are live, with the right prices and stock.

## How to Check Whether Your Store Is Already Listed

If you run a website and have never signed up, it is still worth checking, given the reports from earlier this year. A simple routine:

1. **Search your brand name in the Amazon Shopping app** while signed in to a US account. Look for results labeled Shop Direct or for a Buy for Me button.
2. **Search two or three exact product names** from your website, including any items you sell only there.
3. **Compare what you see** with your live site: price, photos, variants, and stock status. Take screenshots of anything wrong.
4. **Check your recent website orders** for customer emails that point to Buy for Me.
5. **Ask your feed or marketplace app providers** whether Shop Direct is turned on for your account.

### How to opt out

Amazon's announcement says merchants in the workspace can opt out at any time. For stores that never joined, the address Amazon gave reporters for opt-out requests is branddirect@amazon.com, and Amazon said it removes businesses from the programs promptly. In your email, include your legal business name, your website domain, a few example product URLs, and a clear request to remove your products from Shop Direct and Buy for Me. Since the November announcement uses shopdirect@amazon.com for seller questions, copying that address as well is a reasonable precaution. Save a copy of your request, and check the Amazon app again after a week.

## What Amazon Has Not Said Yet

The announcement leaves several practical questions open. Plan around them rather than guessing:

- **Eligibility.** Amazon refers to "eligible merchants" but does not define eligibility in the announcement.
- **Buy for Me control.** Amazon says products "may" be purchased with Buy for Me when eligible. It does not say whether a merchant can allow the Shop Direct link but turn off Buy for Me for specific items.
- **Older listings.** It is not stated whether stores that appeared in Shop Direct before the workspace will be moved into it or need to register.
- **Countries.** Shop Direct is US-only for now.

Watch Amazon's merchant pages and your feed provider's updates, and recheck your settings whenever something changes.

## Your Next Step

Shop Direct is one more channel to weigh against the ones you already run. If you are deciding which products belong on Amazon, which belong on your own website, and how to fulfill both, Bubba Academy's [e-commerce and online selling training](https://bubbaacademy.com/ecommerce-online-selling) and the [Amazon training course](https://bubbaacademy.com/course/amazon-training-english) walk through those choices step by step. You can see all programs at [Bubba Academy](https://bubbaacademy.com/).

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## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is Amazon Shop Direct?

Shop Direct is an Amazon program that shows US shoppers products from other online stores, labeled "Shop Direct," in Amazon search and in Alexa for Shopping. Shoppers click through to the merchant's website to buy, or use Buy for Me on eligible products. The merchant handles pricing, fulfillment, returns, and customer service.

### What is the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace?

It is a free self-service portal Amazon launched on November 4, 2026. Eligible merchants create a Shop Direct merchant account, verify their business website, and share their catalog through a feed provider or the Selling Partner API. The workspace shows which products are active on Amazon.

### Does Amazon charge fees for Shop Direct?

Amazon says there are no fees to participate in Shop Direct and that merchants can opt out at any time. When Buy for Me launched in 2025, Amazon also told reporters it was not taking a commission on those purchases. Amazon has not said whether this will change in the future.

### Can I use Shop Direct if I already sell on Amazon?

Possibly. Amazon says existing sellers may be eligible to list products they do not currently sell in Amazon's store and should contact shopdirect@amazon.com. Products you want to sell inside Amazon's store, including with FBA, still go through Seller Central.

### How do I remove my store from Shop Direct and Buy for Me?

If you joined through the Merchant Workspace, Amazon says you can opt out at any time. If you never signed up, Amazon told reporters that businesses can email branddirect@amazon.com to be removed. Include your business name, website domain, and example product URLs, and recheck the Amazon app afterward.

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