Where to find the notification settings

Amazon sends you emails about orders, recommendations, deals, and account activity. You can turn off most of these without closing your account or changing your password. The settings live in your Account menu, not buried in a separate preferences page.

Start by going to Amazon.com and signing in. In the top right corner, hover over "Account & Lists" and click "Account". On the next page, look for a section called "Login & security" or scroll down until you see "Communications" — the exact name varies slightly depending on whether you're on desktop or mobile, but it's always in this same menu.

Click on "Communication preferences" or "Manage your communication preferences". This is the single place where Amazon gathers all your notification choices. You'll see a list of email types with toggle switches or checkboxes next to each one.

Key Takeaways

  • Amazon's communication settings are in Account > Communication preferences, not in email settings or a separate app.
  • You can turn off promotional emails, recommendations, and alerts separately — turning off one type does not affect order confirmations or account security emails.
  • Changes take effect when ready, though it may take a few hours for Amazon's system to stop sending emails already in the queue.
  • If you still receive unwanted emails after unchecking the box, check your email provider's spam folder, because some promotional emails come from third-party senders Amazon partners with.

Which notifications you can actually turn off

Promotional emails and deals are the easiest to disable. Look for options labeled "Amazon.com promotional emails", "Special offers and recommendations", or "Prime member exclusive deals". Unchecking these stops most of the marketing messages without affecting anything else.

Recommendation emails — the ones suggesting products based on your browsing or purchase history — have their own toggle. You can turn these off while keeping order confirmations and account alerts on.

Order and shipping notifications cannot be turned off completely through the communication preferences menu. Amazon considers these transactional emails, meaning they're tied to your account activity rather than your preferences. If you want to stop seeing them, your only option is to unsubscribe from the individual email itself by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom.

Account security alerts — emails about login attempts, password changes, or suspicious activity — also cannot be disabled through preferences. These are mandatory for account protection. If you're receiving too many of these, it usually means someone is trying to access your account, and you should change your password when ready.

Steps to disable notifications on desktop

Open Amazon.com in a web browser and sign in with your email and password. Hover your mouse over "Account & Lists" in the top right corner until a dropdown menu appears.

Click "Account" from that menu. You'll land on your account page. Scroll down or look for a section labeled "Preferences" or "Settings". Inside that section, find and click "Communication preferences" or "Manage your communication preferences".

A list of email types will appear. Each one has a checkbox or toggle switch next to it. Uncheck the box or flip the toggle to "off" for any email type you don't want to receive. The most common ones to disable are "Amazon.com promotional emails" and "Special offers and recommendations".

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Save changes" or "Update preferences". You'll see a confirmation message. That's it — the change is live when ready.

Steps to disable notifications on mobile

Open the Amazon app or go to Amazon.com in your phone's browser. If using the app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. If using a browser, tap "Account & Lists" at the top.

Tap "Account" or "Your Account". Scroll down until you see "Communication preferences" or "Manage your communication preferences" and tap it.

You'll see the same list of email types as on desktop. Tap the toggle switch next to each one you want to turn off. Some phones show checkboxes instead of toggles — either way, tap to uncheck.

Scroll to the bottom and tap "Save changes" or "Update preferences". The setting saves when ready, though it may take a few hours for emails already queued to stop arriving.

Why you might still get emails after turning them off

If you unchecked a box but emails keep coming, the most common reason is that Amazon's system had already queued those emails before your change took effect. This usually clears within a few hours, but can sometimes take up to a day.

A second reason is that some promotional emails come from third-party senders that Amazon partners with — marketplace sellers, credit card companies, or affiliated services. These may not be covered by Amazon's own communication preferences. Check the email header or sender address; if it's not from Amazon.com directly, you may need to unsubscribe from that specific sender by clicking their unsubscribe link.

Third, make sure you're looking at the right setting. "Special offers and recommendations" is different from "Amazon.com promotional emails" — you may need to turn off both to stop all marketing messages.

If none of that works, check your spam or promotions folder in your email provider. Some emails may be landing there instead of your inbox, which means the setting is working but your email provider is filtering them.

What happens to your account when you turn off notifications

Turning off email notifications does not change anything about your Amazon account itself. Your order history stays the same, your saved items stay saved, and your payment methods remain on file. You're only changing which emails Amazon sends you.

You can turn notifications back on at any time by going back to Communication preferences and checking the boxes again. There's no penalty or waiting period — the change takes effect when ready.

If you turn off order notifications, you won't receive shipping updates by email, but you can still check your order status anytime by going to "Returns & Orders" in your account. The information is there; you just won't be notified automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off emails from specific sellers or products?

Not through Amazon's main communication preferences. If a seller is emailing you directly, look for an unsubscribe link at the bottom of their email and click it. If you're getting recommendation emails about a specific product, you can hide that product from your recommendations by clicking "Not interested" on the product page itself, but this doesn't stop all recommendation emails.

Will turning off notifications affect my Prime membership?

No. Your Prime membership status and benefits don't change. You'll still get all the same discounts and shipping speeds — you just won't receive promotional emails about Prime deals. You can turn those emails back on anytime.

What if I want to turn off all emails except order confirmations?

Go to Communication preferences and uncheck everything except "Transactional emails" or "Order and shipping notifications". You'll still receive emails about orders, returns, and account security, but no marketing or recommendations.

Do I need to unsubscribe from Amazon emails separately in my email provider?

No. Turning off the notification in Amazon's settings is enough. You don't need to mark emails as spam or create filters in Gmail, Outlook, or other email providers — though you can if you want extra protection against emails that slip through.

How long does it take for the changes to take effect?

The setting changes when ready, but emails Amazon already sent before you changed the setting may still arrive. Most queued emails stop within a few hours, though occasionally it can take up to a day. If you're still getting unwanted emails after 24 hours, check your spam folder or verify you unchecked the right box.