Amazon trims order emails, directing shoppers to its app and site

Since July, Amazon customers have reported that order confirmation emails have become sparse, showing only broad categories like “Beauty” or “Hardware” and generic clip-art images, forcing them to open the app or website for exact product names. Shoppers argue the new format is harder to track and resembles spam, while the company claims the simplification encourages use of the “Your Orders” page for real-time updates and reduces personal data exposure outside Amazon’s services.

The change coincides with growing AI-driven shopping experiences from rivals, notably Google’s Gemini Spark and its cross-merchant cart, which could bypass retailer sites. Amazon has historically guarded its direct shopper relationship, even suing Perplexity over AI-mediated purchases. Maxine Tagay explained the email overhaul is a privacy-focused measure to keep customers on Amazon’s own platforms, effectively hedging against external AI shopping agents.