What Should an Amazon Creative Handoff Include?

An Amazon creative handoff should include approved upload files, editable sources, a product-and-placement map, and a short record of what was approved. Separate launch-ready assets from working versions. Before closing the project, have the receiving team open the files and match each export to its intended product, marketplace and placement.

Which four parts make a handoff usable?

Use four clearly named folders: approved exports, editable sources, supporting assets and release notes. This is a suggested operating structure, not an Amazon requirement. Exports let an operator launch the work; sources let a designer revise it; supporting assets preserve dependencies; release notes explain which files belong together. Assign one named recipient to confirm the package is usable. A download notification alone does not show that anyone can open the source document or identify the right product version.

How should you separate editable files from upload files?

Keep the working document and the delivery export as separate items. A flattened preview can look correct while offering little flexibility for later text or layout changes. Adobe documents a Save a Copy workflow for creating a flattened JPEG or PNG without changing the original Photoshop document. That distinction is useful when agreeing handoff scope: request the agreed editable master as well as approved exports, rather than treating either one as a substitute for the other. Adobe Photoshop saving guidance.

What belongs in a product-and-placement map?

Create one row for each approved deliverable. Include the product identifier, marketplace, placement, filename and approval status. For a variation family, identify the exact size, count or color shown instead of assuming that a shared layout proves every version is correct. The example below uses invented filenames only. It is a handoff template, not a required Amazon naming convention. Check the current destination requirements inside the relevant account before preparing the final export settings.

Product	Destination	File	Approval note
Tray, 4 portions	US listing gallery, image 2	tray-4-us-gallery-02-v03.jpg	Dimensions checked against product sheet
Tray, 8 portions	US listing gallery, image 2	tray-8-us-gallery-02-v02.jpg	Separate capacity copy approved
Tray family	Agreed A+ module	tray-family-us-aplus-01-v04.jpg	Product selection confirmed

How can a receiving team check sources without redesigning anything?

Ask the next designer to open one representative master on their own machine. Check text editability, linked artwork and the availability of required fonts. For Illustrator projects, Adobe’s Package feature can gather the document, linked graphics and a report; font collection has exceptions, and Adobe says to check whether the font license permits copying. Packaging therefore helps organize a transfer but does not establish permission to redistribute every dependency. Record missing items before the handoff is accepted. Adobe Illustrator packaging documentation.

What should the release note say?

Write a short note with five fields: approved version, approval date, approver, intended use and unresolved items. A useful entry might say that gallery images are approved while a storefront adaptation remains outside this delivery. Avoid a vague label such as “everything final” when only one format was reviewed. Add references to the approved product facts and claim wording so future revisions start from a known baseline. This note records a creative decision; it is not a promise of platform acceptance or improved conversion.

Which checks should happen before the work is marked complete?

Use this original seven-point acceptance checklist with the person who will upload or edit the files. It separates delivery quality from campaign performance: completing the checklist does not establish that the creative increased sales. If a check fails, identify the affected file and the specific fix instead of reopening the entire concept. Agree which corrections belong to the current scope and which requests introduce new products, formats or creative directions.

• Confirm the exported files open without errors.
• Match each export to the product-and-placement map.
• Check product count, size, color and packaging details.
• Compare visible copy with the approved wording.
• Check legibility in the intended viewing context.
• Open the agreed source document and inspect dependencies.
• Identify one approved version and archive superseded drafts separately.

How does this fit a monthly creative queue?

Give each completed task its own handoff record, even when the same team handles the next task. A queue with ten products should not depend on ten separate chat histories to explain what was delivered. Keep scope, feedback, approval and final links together. Cartive’s current monthly plans include editable source files; confirm the application, formats and third-party asset treatment before booking. Review the current pricing and scope and agree the actual handoff requirements in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Are editable files the same as source assets?

No. An editable layout is the document used to arrange the design, while its source assets may include photos, logos, linked graphics or fonts. A package can contain one without containing every dependency. Ask for a list of what is included and what requires your own license. For example, receiving a layout does not automatically mean you can redistribute a font used in it.

Should every variation get a separate export?

Use separate approved exports whenever product facts or visible artwork differ. Three sizes may share a design system while still needing different dimension labels. A product-and-placement map helps the operator choose the correct version. Whether one master can generate those exports is a production decision; the acceptance check is whether each delivered asset accurately represents the product it is intended to show.

Does receiving a source file mean I own every element?

Do not infer ownership from file access. Confirm the agreed ownership and usage terms for the final work, along with any separately licensed materials. Keep a record of assets supplied by your brand and assets introduced during production. If a third-party item has a restriction, document it before reuse. For a specific rights question, review the relevant agreement and license rather than relying on a folder name.

What if another designer cannot open the file correctly?

Record the application and version used, the error or missing dependency, and one affected filename. Ask the delivery team to check the package against the agreed formats. Adobe’s Illustrator packaging report can help identify links and font information, but the receiving team should still open the delivered document. Resolve the concrete issue before approving the handoff; a working preview does not prove the editable master transferred correctly.

Who should approve the final package?

Name one person who can confirm product accuracy and one receiving operator who can check usability; these can be the same person. Consolidate their comments into one decision rather than collecting conflicting approvals across messages. Mark the approved version and approval date in the release note. A practical handoff is complete when the intended team can identify, open and use the agreed deliverables.

Will a better handoff improve CTR or conversion rate?

A clearer handoff can make it easier to select the right files and maintain product consistency, but it does not establish a CTR or conversion uplift. Measure performance separately with defined periods and an appropriate test design. Keep price, traffic and other changes in view when interpreting results. Operational acceptance answers whether the assets are usable; performance analysis answers what changed after they were used.

Need a creative package your team can actually use?

Tell Cartive which products, placements and editable formats your team needs. We can scope the listing images, A+ content and handoff together. Discuss your next project or explore listing-image services.