Prop 65 Chemicals is an optional text field on Nordstrom Marketplace that names the chemical or chemicals behind a product's California Proposition 65 warning. Proposition 65 is the California law that requires a warning when a product can expose people to a chemical the state lists as a cause of cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. If your product carries such a warning, this field tells Nordstrom which listed chemical the warning is for. If it carries no warning, leave the field blank.
The value is set on the parent listing and shared by every colorway and size in the style group, and it is visible on the product detail page.
The rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Required | No |
| Level | Parent listing, shared across the style group |
| Maximum length | 1,000 characters |
| Content | The name of each listed chemical, as it appears on California's Proposition 65 list |
| Characters to avoid | Curly quotes, en and em dashes, bullets, trademark and registered symbols, the middle dot and other typographic characters |
Osello's recommendation: write the chemical names in plain text, separated by commas, exactly as they appear on the state list ("Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)", "Lead"). Do not write the warning statement itself here; the field records the chemical, and the warning wording is governed by the law and your compliance team.
Examples
| Value | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| "Lead" | Good | One listed chemical, plain text |
| "Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), Lead" | Good | Several chemicals, comma separated, full names |
| "WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals..." | Weak | This is the warning text, not the chemical name |
| "Yes" | Weak | Says nothing about which chemical |
| "See packaging" | Weak | Nordstrom cannot use a pointer |
Common mistakes
- Filling the field in for every product as a precaution. Only products that carry a Proposition 65 warning need a value.
- Abbreviating without the full name. Give the full chemical name and put the abbreviation in parentheses if you use one.
- Different chemicals on different colorways. The value is shared across the style group; if one colorway has a different chemical, list every chemical that applies to any item in the group.
How Osello fills this field
Osello treats Prop 65 Chemicals as a parent-level text field. Its AI fills it only when your source product data states a Proposition 65 chemical, for example in a Shopify metafield or in the product description, and leaves it blank otherwise rather than guessing. The value is set once on the parent listing and every variant inherits it. Add custom instructions if your catalog stores this information in a particular place, and see the Nordstrom field directory for the other compliance fields.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fill in Prop 65 Chemicals if my product has no warning?
No. Leave it blank. The field exists for products that carry a Proposition 65 warning and need to say which listed chemical it covers.
Should the warning statement go in this field?
No. Enter the chemical name only. The warning wording is set by California law and is handled through your product labeling and compliance process.
Can I list more than one chemical?
Yes. Separate the names with commas and stay within 1,000 characters. Use the full name of each chemical.