The monicker, 'Amazon is the Everything Store,' has never been truer. Currently, Amazon sells at least 12 million products, not including books, wines, and services. According to research, you will find over 350 million products if you count everything sold on Amazon. Enormous, right?
Now, how does the e-commerce giant handle such an inventory? The platform has around 10 million seller accounts, most of which sell unique items. If you think about it, it could be very easy to get things mixed up, but that never happens. Amazon is well-streamlined, thanks to its use of ASIN numbers. So, what is an ASIN?
What Is An ASIN?
It refers to Amazon's Standard Identification Number. ASIN is a code attached to each product listed on the platform, thus making it easier for buyers to find the products they want. Amazon ASIN is a prerequisite for any Amazon seller before they start selling products.
The ASIN code is made of digits and letters. Also, it has 10 characters, and the first two characters are always letters, followed by eight characters that may combine letters and numbers. The ASIN is an example of a product's Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), just like the International Standard Book Number, European Article Number, or Universal Product Code.
It is listed in a product's information section and its URL. So, for example, if you were to search for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone, here is how to find the product's ASIN:
From the URL:
Or scroll down to the Product Information Section:
The Amazon ASIN is assigned to products by Amazon so that the platform can identify and track products sold through the platform. Normally, you can generate a new ASIN while creating a product listing or assign your product to a pre-assigned ASIN.
To get an ASIN, you will need to consider the type of product you're selling. Not all products need new ASINs, and not all products are identified through ASINs. While this article will cover when and how to get ASINs for your products, understand that books do not use ASINs. Instead, books are identified through the International Standard Book Number or ISBN. However, the process of getting the ISBN is relatively similar to that of getting the ASIN.
Now that you know how the Amazon ASIN is assigned and displayed, it's time to learn how to get one if you are a new Amazon seller. If so, let us tell you when and how to get the code for your products.
When to Create a New ASIN
Image Credits: lengow.com
As mentioned above, you have two choices when listing a product on Amazon. Firstly, you can create a new ASIN or assign an existing ASIN to the product. The former is only possible if you list a new product that has never been sold on the platform. However, if other sellers have listed the same product, you must find the ASIN assigned to the product.
With that in mind, here is how you can get your product's ASIN to abide by Amazon's product catalog structure.
How to Create a New ASIN for Your Product
Image Credits: creatingmymuse.com
Suppose you want to list a product on Amazon. Of course, you will first want to check if the product has been listed on the platform before, especially if you are in retail arbitrage.
Doing so is imperative because an Amazon product can only have one ASIN, which is not unique to a seller. If you use the example of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra above, you will find many sellers offering the product on the platform. However, all these sellers can only use the same ASIN if they sell a new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. This is because the new smartphone can only have one ASIN.
a) Searching for an Existing Product ASIN Number
Here is how to perform this search:
Step 1: Log in to your Amazon seller central account.
Step 2: Go to List A New Product from your Amazon seller central account.
Step 3: To search for an existing ASIN for your product, enter its name or model number. Note you can also use the product's Universal Product Code (UPC) or its European Article Number (EAC) if you know them.
Step 4: This search will show you any ASIN codes assigned to your products so you can use them. If there are none, you can continue to generate one.
b) Creating New ASINs
Creating a new ASIN is only applicable to new products, which means you will face very little competition if you do your marketing well. Here is how to generate the code:
Step 1: Go to your Amazon seller central account and open Add A New Product.
Step 2: Fill in your product details on the form. These include product name, brand, color, material, size, and more. In addition, you will need to add the EAN and UPC number, which you can find on the product's label or barcode.
Step 3: Once you provide the details, Amazon will assign the product a unique ASIN that you can then use to list the product. You will need to head over to your seller account, select List A New Product, and add your ASIN for the product to go live.
Now, you can confirm your ASIN number using the methods mentioned above, i.e., by checking the product page URL or the Product Information on the Product Page. Alternatively, you can also check the ASIN through your inventory page. Here, the product's ASIN number will be displayed in the product's name column.
Remember, now that you have generated the new ASIN, other sellers can also use it to list the same product. Want to take a commanding lead with sales? We recommend learning how to conduct an Amazon seller competitor analysis and how to get Amazon reviews. A competitor analysis will tell you who your competition is so you can employ the best strategies to attract organic traffic to your product pages.
And once you get the traffic, the tips above will help you gain better Amazon reviews, which will translate to better sales.
How to Use an Existing ASIN
Image Credits: repricer.com
Creating a new ASIN is more prevalent with brand owners who are always listing unique products on Amazon. If you sell the same products as other sellers, you might have it easier when finding the ASIN of your products.
If you are listing a product that has been listed before, here is how to use an existing ASIN in your product listings.
Step 1: Search for the product through the Amazon homepage or your seller account. For the latter, open Amazon and enter the product name in the search box. You can find the ASIN number in the URL and Product Information section.
Alternatively, you can log in to your seller account, select List a New Product, and search for its name, EAN, or UPC numbers. The results should show you the product's ASIN number.
If you want to list multiple items, you may find these methods time-consuming, in which case we recommend using ASIN lookup tools. These tools save a lot of time and provide all the product details you need, including the name, ASIN, EAN, and UPC codes. Some of the tools you can use are ASINtool and Algopix.
Step 2: When the search above results in an ASIN code, you can list a product with it. However, ensure to get the code right so your product listing does not confuse your potential buyers.
How to Navigate ASIN Relationships
Image Credits: fabongo.com
If you want to sell a popular product, there are high chances the search above could reveal different ASINs. Alternatively, you can also have ASIN variations for a new product you want to introduce.
Sometimes this happens because of Amazon product variations. Product variations allow sellers to create ASINs based on a parent-child hierarchy. This hierarchy is designed to give your catalog a good structure.
In this case, you will find a parent ASIN and a child ASIN. The parent ASIN is never a buyable entity, while child ASINs are buyable entities. For example, if you were listing a popular handbag for sale, you would find or create ASIN variations from your product. These variations mean the following;
- You are selling a certain handbag identified by name and brand
- The handbag comes in multiple colors, which would make each handbag a unique Amazon product
In this case, the parent ASIN (the definition of the product through name, size, and brand) is used to nest all the buyable child ASINs (color variations). So, as you can see, your potential buyer has to select a color option to buy the handbag.
Benefits of Using ASIN
Image Credits: repricer.com
While the Amazon Standard Identification Number's main benefit is keeping the Amazon catalog in order, the ASIN has other perks for sellers. These include;
a) ASIN Gives You an Edge Over Your Competition
Image Credits: amzscout.net
There is a reason Amazon has its famous nickname, 'The Everything Store". As a seller, there is almost no limit to the products you can sell here, from home products to art and books and more. So, the number allows you to sell unique products for which you can create your own unique ASIN codes.
If, for example, you were to sell your unique painting, the ASIN code you'd create for the product would be yours only, as no one can replicate the product. As such, you will have already edged out any competition, making you eligible for the Amazon Buy Box.
The Amazon Buy Box refers to the yellow Add to Cart, and Buy Now offers on a product page. This coveted tool tells the buyer you are the best or only seller to buy the product from.
However, note that you can also win the Buy Box even if you face fierce competition from sellers with the same ASIN. You only need to use the best strategies, like listing the product in the best Amazon categories and offering the best customer service to beat your competitors.
b) The ASIN Will Help You Conduct a Reverse ASIN Lookup
Image Credits: feedbackwhiz.com
A huge part of being an Amazon seller is understanding the best strategies to rank you highest when buyers look for your product. One of the practices to employ is competitor analysis, where you want to gather details about what your competition is doing better to attract more buyers.
An ASIN number generally tells you who your closest competitors are, especially when you sell the same product. And, when you find your competitors, you can also harvest information about other products they sell, how they advertise, how they rank, and even the popular keywords users find them by.
You can do a complete competitor analysis using your ASIN through a process called reverse ASIN lookup. You can also perform a reverse ASIN lookup on your account to gather metrics to help you strategize winning methods to beat the competition.
Doing a Reverse ASIN Lookup
To perform a reverse ASIN lookup. You will need a tool such as JungleScout. So;
Step 1: Find your ASIN and copy it to your clipboard.
Step 2: Open the Keyword Scout (for JungleScout) and paste the ASIN in the search bar.
Step 3: Once you search for the ASIN, you will get results with metrics that can help you rank higher on Amazon. These include the ease of ranking, the cost of ads, search trends, search volumes, and the best categories to list your products. With these metrics, you will have a good chance to improve your Amazon SEO strategies for better traffic and sales.
Conclusion
As a beginner starting an Amazon FBA business, the ASIN may sound too much of a mystery to you. However, it stands for Amazon's Standard Identification Number, a code generated for each product on the platform's website. So, as you set up your storefront, you now know more about the ASIN, including how to get the code for your products and how to use it to your advantage.
