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Have you ever wondered how Amazon Wish List works? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Amazon wish lists work by allowing you to add any given items offered on the site to one or multiple lists. You can adjust to be public or private and choose whether or not to share with friends, family, or your significant other.
This article will cover the ins and outs of Amazon wish lists so that, by the end, you’ll be a total pro.
What is an Amazon wish list?
In essence, Amazon’s wish list started way back in 1999, enabling you to keep track of items you would like. They may be items that you want to keep track of for yourself, or they could be items that you would like to gift to others.
Since many people use Amazon and millions of Amazon Prime users, Amazon is a go-to site for gift giving.
By building out an Amazon wish list, you can make it easier for both yourself and others come holiday season (or any other gift-giving occasion, such as birthdays, baby showers, weddings, etc.).
How do I set up my own Amazon wish list?
First, go to the Amazon home page and be sure that you’re logged in.
Second, look at the top of the page and find “Account; Lists,” which should be underneath a greeting message (like “Hello, Michaela”). Once your mouse is hovering over it, several clickable options will pop up, with many under a section entitled “Your Lists.”
From here, you can peruse your existing lists, or, to set up another (or your first), simply click “Create a list.”
This link will take you to an area where you can give your list a name and see what’s on it.
There are handy features here like a search function, filtering, and sorting, as well as the keen ability to add an idea, which can help you keep track of gift ideas even if you haven’t yet found a tangible item.
To adjust more settings for your wish lists, click on “More” at the top right and then “Manage list” to edit things like whether your list is public or private and whether you want items that are purchased to remain on the list or be notified (or not) if an item is purchased from said list.
Is there any reason to set up a wish list besides gift-giving?
Yes! Let’s say you collect vinyl records. You can browse Amazon for records that you’re interested in and save them one by one to your wish list.
Now, you can easily see all the records that you’d like to add to your collection, plus this gives you an easy way to track any significant price fluctuations that may occur.
These fluctuations are relatively common to Amazon, particularly with third-party sellers who might want to clear their inventory, so they offer a very competitive price.
You might notice that a record that usually sells for $30 is now $20, resulting in a hefty 33% discount. Amazon wish lists can thus be an excellent option for tracking items you’d like for yourself, not just for others. And hey, sometimes it’s good to be generous with yourself!
Using Amazon wish lists for gifting
Let’s use another example to make this simple:
- Your friend Paul has a birthday coming up.
- Paul makes a wish list that his friends and family can view.
- You select a gift knowing that Paul is going to appreciate it. (No more wasted gifts!)
- Paul receives the gift right to his door.
Wait a second? What if I choose the exact item as another friend?
Good question! Thankfully, this is avoided, as items will disappear from the list once they’ve been purchased.
Gifts won’t be spoiled either as the default option for items selected from wish lists is called “Don’t spoil my surprise,” meaning that Paul won’t know that a gift has been purchased or who purchased it.
How to find wish lists?
You used to be able to search for anyone’s wish list on Amazon.
We’re guessing that there were complaints as people discovered perhaps intimate items in their loved ones or maybe even favorite celebrities’ lists. Uh oh.
Now, if you want to view a wish list, you’ll need your friend to give permission.
First, go to the same section as outlined above, and click on “Find a List or Registry.”
Then, you’ll see a section called “Your Friends.” This allows you to send a message requesting access. You can personalize the message to let your friend or family member know why you’re asking for it.
Here’s an example: “Hey Rob! I realized that your birthday is already coming up in just a couple of weeks! I’m a bit stumped about what might be a good gift for you, so I figured I’d go ahead and see if you had an Amazon wish list I could peruse.
No worries if not! Thanks, Michaela.”
How to add items to wish lists?
It’s pretty straightforward. All you have to do is find a given item on Amazon and then look under the section that has “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now.”
You’ll see a tab that says “Add to List,” where you can click and then select your preferred list. To use the example from before, you might look up an excellent classic rock record you’ve been coveting, so you’ll add that one to “Vinyl Wish List.”
Wrapping up
To summarize, Amazon wish lists can make gift-giving and receiving a whole lot easier. People everywhere have had their lives simplified by this handy feature.
Although it’s a little less of a surprise, maybe, it’s reassuring to know that the gift recipient chose it, eliminating any guesswork.
Whether it’s a co-worker, friend, family member, or significant other, you can utilize wish lists to help ensure that everyone gets something they’ll appreciate.
And wish lists aren’t just useful for gift giving and receiving, but for keeping track of items that may fluctuate in price.
It’s never the wrong time to save money on something that you’d like to buy eventually anyway.
No matter how you use Amazon wish lists, we hope this guide has been helpful!
