Key takeaways
- Sessions measure visits; page views count pages.
- Unit session percentage measures conversion.
- Buy box percentage affects sales directly.
- Read metrics together to find the cause.
Where the data comes from
Business reports in Seller Central summarize sales and traffic by date and by product. Definitions and availability can differ by marketplace, so read the metric definitions in the report. Use consistent date ranges for comparisons.
Sessions and page views
Sessions measure visits to your listings. Page views count how many times pages were viewed, which can exceed sessions if shoppers view a page more than once. Sessions are usually the more useful measure of traffic.
Unit session percentage
This is a conversion measure: the share of sessions that resulted in a unit being ordered. It helps you judge how well a listing turns visitors into buyers. Compare it for similar products and over time, not across unlike categories.
- Sessions: visits
- Page views: pages viewed
- Unit session percentage: conversion
- Buy box percentage: share of views with your offer featured
Buy box percentage
Where several sellers offer the same product, the buy box determines whose offer is featured for the add-to-cart button. A low buy box percentage can reduce sales even if traffic is strong. Check price, availability, fulfillment and account health.
Read the metrics together
Falling sales could come from fewer sessions, lower conversion or a lost buy box. Looking at each metric points to the cause: traffic problems need visibility fixes, conversion problems need listing or price fixes, and buy box problems need offer fixes.
Parent versus child level
Reports can be viewed at parent or child level for variation families. Use the level that matches your question.
Context matters
Note events such as promotions, stockouts, seasons and competitor activity when interpreting changes.
A worked example
A seller sees sales drop on a key product. Sessions are stable, but unit session percentage has fallen and buy box percentage is lower. They discover a competitor undercutting the price and a stock shortage that caused them to lose the buy box for some days. They adjust price and replenishment.
Weekly review checklist
Compare sessions, conversion and buy box by product with the previous period, note causes, decide actions and assign owners.
Questions to ask each week
Which products changed most? Is the cause traffic, conversion or offer? What changed on our side? What changed in the market? Which action is the most valuable?
Benchmarks and comparisons
It is tempting to compare your conversion with figures quoted online, but averages vary widely by category, price and brand strength. A better benchmark is your own history and your closest comparable products. Track the trend and investigate changes rather than chasing a universal number.
When you improve a listing, compare the period before and after, and note any other changes such as price, advertising or stock levels. This discipline stops you from crediting the wrong cause.
Your next three steps
Make the reports useful with a simple weekly review.
- Pick your top ten products and record sessions, conversion and buy box.
- Note the cause of any big change as traffic, conversion or offer.
- Assign one action and owner to the most important change.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good conversion rate?
It varies widely by category and price. Compare with your own history and similar products.
Why is my buy box percentage low?
Common causes are price, availability, fulfillment method or account health.
This guide is general information. Amazon's fees, policies and program rules change and vary by marketplace, so confirm current details in Seller Central and, for tax or legal questions, with a qualified adviser.