Amazon has simplified some order-related emails, replacing product names and thumbnails with broad categories such as “Beauty,” “Hardware,” or “Nutrition & Wellness.” Customers began reporting the change in July, while orders placed as recently as June still included the exact item names and images. The new emails use general category illustrations and require shoppers to open Amazon’s app or website to identify the specific products ordered. Customers have said the vague notifications make purchases harder to track and can resemble spam or phishing messages. Amazon spokesperson Maxine Tagay said the company simplified the emails because customers increasingly use phones and the Amazon app’s Your Orders page for consolidated, real-time order and delivery information. Tagay said limiting details in email also reduces customer information shared outside Amazon’s app and website. The change comes as Google and other technology companies develop AI shopping tools that can use email and other personal data to assist with purchases. Google has introduced AI-powered shopping features and said in May that it planned to integrate a cross-merchant shopping cart into Gmail. Amazon has pursued its own AI shopping features, including price tracking, automatic purchasing, and Alexa for Shopping, while seeking to preserve a direct relationship with shoppers.