Here’s what every Shopee seller should know about how category misplacement works, what to do when your listings are deboosted or auto-corrected, and how to appeal if you believe your product was wrongly classified.

Why Your Shopee Listing Might Be Deboosted

Shopee’s product categorisation system is designed to help buyers find what they’re looking for quickly and accurately. When your listing is placed in the wrong category, it can confuse buyers, lead to irrelevant search results, and ultimately harm the overall shopping experience.

To prevent this, Shopee’s system regularly reviews product listings across the platform. If it detects that an item’s category doesn’t match its title, description, or image, Shopee will deboost the listing, meaning its visibility in search results and recommendations will be temporarily reduced.

Deboosting doesn’t mean your listing is removed or penalised, it’s just a temporary measure that limits visibility until the issue is corrected. You’ll receive a notice indicating that your listing has been deboosted due to a “Wrong Category” violation.

From there, you have 2 days to manually move your product into the correct category. If you don’t take any action by the deadline, Shopee will automatically reassign the listing to what it believes is the most suitable category based on the product’s content and attributes.

How to Check Listings Deboosted for Wrong Category

If your listing has been deboosted for being in the wrong category, Shopee will notify you through the Seller Centre. It’s important to review and take action quickly, either by correcting the category or submitting an appeal, before Shopee automatically adjusts it for you.

Here’s how you can check and manage deboosted listings:

1. Go to Shopee Seller Centre > My Products.

2. Select the “Violation” tab, then open the “Deboosted” section.

3. Under the Violation Reason column, apply the Wrong Category filter.

Once you’ve identified the affected listings, you’ll have two ways to fix them:

• Adopt Suggestion: If Shopee’s suggested category looks accurate, you can simply accept it. The system will automatically reclassify your product into the correct category.

• Appeal: If you believe your product was already in the right category, you can challenge the system’s suggestion.

To file an appeal:

• Choose your preferred category from the dropdown menu.

• Write a clear explanation under Appeal Remark, for example, why the product fits better in your chosen category or how it differs from similar items.

• Click Submit to send your appeal for review.

If you don’t take any action by the stated Deadline, Shopee will automatically update the category for you. Once the correction is made, you’ll receive both a push notification and an email confirming that the listing has been auto-corrected.

How to View and Appeal Auto-Corrected Listings

If you didn’t take action on a deboosted listing within the given timeframe, Shopee will automatically move your product to what it determines as the most suitable category. When this happens, you’ll see an auto-correction notice appear at the top right corner of your Shopee Seller Centre.

Even after Shopee has made this correction, you still have the option to appeal if you believe your product was placed in the wrong category.

Here’s how you can review and appeal auto-corrected listings:

1. Go to Shopee Seller Centre > Violations > Violation History.

2. Click “Check Details” under the Action column next to the listing you want to review.

3. Select “Appeal” if you want to request a different category.

4. In the Wrong Category Appeal pop-up window:

   • Choose your preferred category from the dropdown menu.

   • Enter a short explanation in the Appeal Remark box. Describe why your product fits better under your chosen category, for example, clarify its usage, material, or intended audience.

5. Click “Submit.”

Once submitted, Shopee will review your appeal within 3–5 business days. You can track your appeal status through Seller Centre Notification.

If your appeal is successful, Shopee will remove the deboost and restore your listing to the correct category.

If your appeal is unsuccessful, Shopee’s auto-corrected category will remain active, and the listing will reappear under My Products > Live.


 

Important Notes for Shopee Sellers

Before you make any changes to your listings, keep these key points in mind to avoid complications or unintentional appeal cancellations:

• You can still edit the category of a deboosted listing, even if that product is currently under an ongoing promotion. However, do note that if the promotion is tied specifically to the previous category, it will be automatically removed once the category is updated.

• If you’ve already submitted an appeal, it’s best not to make any further edits to your listing’s category until Shopee releases the appeal result. Editing the category during this review period will void your appeal, which means Shopee will treat it as if no appeal was submitted.

• For complex cases or repeated category issues, such as listings that keep getting auto-corrected or are difficult to categorise, you can reach out directly to Shopee Customer Service for guidance.

By following these guidelines, you’ll ensure your appeals remain valid, your promotions stay intact where applicable, and your listings remain compliant with Shopee’s product categorisation standards.

Looking to manage your Shopee listings more efficiently?

Try BigSeller for free, an all-in-one e-commerce ERP trusted by thousands of Southeast Asian sellers. From bulk product listing to cross-platform synchronisation and smart automation, BigSeller helps you stay compliant and organised with less manual work.