Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR): Everything You Need to Know
Understand BSR to Make Smarter Selling Decisions on Amazon
By ChannelMAX Staff Writer
June-2025#19
If you sell on Amazon, you may have seen the term BSR or Best Sellers Rank. But what does it really mean? Why is it important? And how can it help your business grow?
BSR is more than just a number—it shows how well a product is selling compared to others in the same category. In this article, we explain BSR in simple words—what it is, how Amazon calculates it, and how it can affect your product sales and strategy.
What is Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR)?
Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR) is a number that shows how well a product is selling compared to other products in the same category or subcategory on Amazon. It is also called “Sales Rank.”
You can see it in the product detail section of any listing, usually written like this:
Best Sellers Rank: #54 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100)
This means the product is the 54th best-selling item in the Home & Kitchen category.
What Does a Low or High BSR Mean?
1. Low BSR (closer to 1): This indicates that the product is selling very well.
2. High BSR (like 10,000 or more): This indicates that the product is not selling much, or has low demand.
So, if a product has a BSR of #1 in its category, it is the best-selling product in that category at that moment.
How is Amazon BSR Calculated?
Amazon doesn’t share the exact method it calculate the Best Sellers Rank (BSR), but it’s widely understood that it mainly depends on how well a product is selling right now. The rank updates every hour, so it shows real-time sales performance.
Key Factors That Influence BSR
1. Recent Sales Volume
If a product has sold more units in the past few hours or days, it will have a better (lower) BSR.
Example: If Product A sells 50 units today and Product B sells only 20, Product A will have a better rank.
2. Historical Sales Data
a. BSR also considers how consistently the product has sold over time. It’s not just about one big day of sales.
b. A product that sells regularly every day may have a better BSR than one that had just a single day of high sales.
3. Sales Trends Over Time
a. If a product’s sales are increasing over time, its BSR will improve (go lower).
b. If sales are dropping, the BSR will get worse (higher).
4. Returns or Cancellations (Possible Factor)
Amazon hasn’t confirmed this, but many sellers believe that if a product gets a lot of returns or order cancellations, the BSR may go down.
Where to Find BSR?
You can find the BSR (Best Sellers Rank) on any product listing page. Just scroll down to the “Product Details” section and look for Best Sellers Rank.
You may see one or more ranks:
a. One for the main category
b. Others for subcategories
Above, you can see that the product’s Amazon Best Sellers Rank is #22,212 in Home & Kitchen (main category) and #3 in Manual Coffee Grinders (subcategory).
These ranks help sellers understand which niches are performing well.
Why is BSR Important for Amazon Sellers?
For Amazon sellers, the Best Sellers Rank (BSR) is more than just a number. It shows how well a product is selling in the marketplace. Knowing about BSR helps you choose the right products, understand your competition, and grow your business.
Here’s why BSR is important:
1. Identifies High-Demand Products
BSR helps you identify which products are selling the most in each category.
a. A low BSR (like #1 to #5,000) means a product is selling in high volume.
b. By studying such products, you can find trending items to sell or identify hot-selling niches.
Example: If phone stands have a low BSR in the Electronics category, that means the demand is strong and many people are buying them.
2. Validates Product Ideas Before Launch
Before investing in inventory, you can check the BSR of similar products. If top listings have consistently low BSRs, it means that the product is in demand. This helps reduce risk and avoid choosing products that won’t sell.
3. Monitors Your Product’s Sales Performance
If your product’s BSR is getting better (i.e., going lower), that means your sales are going up. If it’s going up (getting higher), your sales may be falling. You can use BSR to check how well your product is doing.
4. Tracks Competitor Activity
By keeping an eye on your competitor’s BSR over time, you can understand if their sales are rising or falling. This can help you adjust your pricing, improve marketing, or promotions accordingly.
Tip: Tools can help you track competitor BSRs easily.
5. Helps You Choose the Right Category
Sometimes a product may look like it’s doing well because of a good BSR in a small subcategory. But that doesn’t always mean high sales. Check the BSR in the main category to know the real competition and sales potential.
BSR doesn’t tell the exact sales number, but it gives a good idea of how well a product is selling, making it one of the most useful tools for Amazon sellers. When used wisely, BSR helps you find good products, avoid bad investments, and grow your business confidently.
Tips to Improve Your Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR)
If you sell on Amazon and want more people to find and buy your product, you should try to improve your Best Sellers Rank (BSR). BSR depends on how many sales you get. So, if your sales go up, your BSR gets better.
Here are some simple ways to improve your BSR:
1. Optimize Your Product Listing
A clear and attractive product page brings more clicks and conversions.
a. Use relevant keywords in the title, bullet points, and description
b. Add high-quality images that show your product clearly
c. Highlight key features and benefits in a simple, easy-to-read format
d. Use A+ Content (if eligible) to make your listing look more professional
Tip: Use keyword research tools (like ChannelMAX) to find and include high-ranking keywords your competitors are using.
2. Price Competitively
Pricing is a significant factor in a buyer’s decision. Your product should be priced fairly to attract buyers.
a. Study competitors’ pricing and stay competitive
b. Use dynamic pricing tools like ChannelMAX to adjust your price based on market
c. Give occasional discounts or coupons to increase the click-through rate
If your price is lower and still gives you profit, you’ll likely get more sales, which helps improve BSR.
3. Encourage Positive Reviews
Good reviews help build trust among customers and improve conversion rates.
a. Provide great customer service
b. Follow up with customers politely asking to leave a review
c. Don’t offer gifts or fake reviews (Amazon doesn’t allow it)
More positive reviews = more sales = better BSR.
4. Run Amazon Ads (PPC)
Paid ads can give your product an initial boost in visibility.
a. Use Sponsored Product Ads to bring in targeted buyers
b. Higher visibility often leads to higher conversions and sales, which helps improve your BSR
c. Monitor ad performance and focus on converting keywords
Note: Ads do not directly impact BSR, but the sales from ads do help improve it.
5. Offer Fast and Reliable Fulfillment
Use FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) or ensure you ship quickly if you’re using FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant).
a. Faster delivery increases customer satisfaction
b. FBA products are eligible for Prime, which attracts more buyers
c. Reliable shipping reduces the chance of cancellations and returns
Happy customers leave better reviews and are more likely to buy again, helping your BSR go up.
To improve your BSR, focus on better listings, fair prices, good reviews, and steady sales. Everything works together to move your product up the rankings.
Limitations of Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR)
BSR (Best Sellers Rank) is a helpful metric for understanding product sales performance on Amazon, but it’s important to know that it has limitations. If sellers rely only on BSR without considering other factors, they might not get the proper idea about the market and make bad decisions.
Here are some limitations of BSR:
1. BSR Doesn’t Show Exact Sales Numbers
BSR only shows how well a product is selling compared to others in the same category.
a. For example, a product ranked #1000 in Electronics may sell hundreds of units a day or just a few, depending on category volume.
b. It doesn’t show the actual number of sales, so you can’t rely on BSR alone for sales estimates.
2. It Can Fluctuate Frequently
BSR updates every hour, so it can change quickly based on recent sales activity.
a. A product may get a good BSR with a sudden sales spike, but it is for a short time.
b. That doesn’t mean it will keep selling well in the long term.
BSR is not steady and can give the wrong idea if you don’t check other data.
3. Doesn’t Show Returns or Canceled Orders
BSR is based only on how many items are sold, not how many are returned or canceled.
a. Even if many customers return the product, it might still have a good BSR.
b. So it doesn’t show problems like poor product quality or wrong product listings.
4. Can’t Compare BSRs Across Categories
Each Amazon category is different. Different categories have different competition levels and sales volumes.
a. A BSR of 100 in the “Books” Category is not the same as BSR 100 in the “Beauty & Personal Care” Category.
b. So you can’t compare BSR from different categories.
5. BSR Doesn’t Show Profit
BSR shows what’s selling well, but it doesn't tell you
a. If the product is making money.
b. It doesn’t tell you the profit, product cost, ad cost, or shipping fees.
A product with a great BSR might still lose money if the profit margin is too low.
BSR is helpful, but it’s just one part of the big picture. Smart sellers also check keyword rankings, reviews, profits, and competitor data to make the best choices. Using tools can help you get a complete view of your product's health beyond just BSR.
Conclusion
Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank (BSR) is a valuable metric that shows how well a product is selling compared to others in the same category. It helps sellers understand trends, check product performance, and see how they stand against competitors.
But remember, BSR doesn’t tell everything. It doesn’t show exact sales numbers, profit, or how well your keywords are working. Also, BSR can change quickly. So, don’t rely only on BSR. To grow your Amazon business, use BSR along with good keyword research, better product listings, smart pricing, and customer reviews.
Also Read: Amazon Advertising Campaign: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Sales
Disclaimer:
Amazon is the registered trademark of the e-commerce brand.
About ChannelMAX.NET :
Established in 2005, ChannelMAX has been integrated with Amazon technology since 2007, helping thousands of third-party sellers on various eCommerce platforms. Some of the eCommerce platforms, aka marketplaces, supported by ChannelMAX.NET, are Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Shopify. Some of ChannelMAX key offerings include ChannelMAX Repricer, a pricing management tool, 2ndly, ChannelMAX FBA RefundMAX, an offering for managing Amazon FBA Refunds Reimbursement management for lost or damaged or misplaced inventory for which Amazon is responsible and for which seller deserves appropriate credit reimbursement from Amazon, additionally ChannelMAX Remote (aka Virtual) Full-Time eCommerce Assistant to help 3P sellers run their day to day business. Check ChannelMAX at Amazon Selling Partner Appstore, an application with a 5 star rating.