Amazon ASIN: Things to Know for Online Retailers
Find out what function the ten-digit Amazon ASIN number has for online retailers and what aspects need to be considered in connection with the catalogue number.
Without ASIN (or ISBN for books) no Amazon product: The ten-digit alphanumeric combination identifies and categorizes all products within the range on the Amazon marketplace. Also known as the Amazon Standard Identification Number, the unique code for each product ensures easy findability in the Amazon online shop and protects it from potential counterfeits. Additionally, the number groups identical products from different sellers. The ASIN is not a universal standard but is only relevant as an internal and national catalog number on the Amazon marketplace.
Determining a Product’s ASIN - A Brief Guide
Even though the ASIN is only relevant for the Amazon platform, the ten-digit number for each product can be viewed on the product page. Thus, it can also be used by customers in their product search. On the product page, you can find the specific Amazon ASIN number under the “Product Details” tab, right below the dimensions and shipping specifications.
Another way to determine a product’s ASIN is to identify the ten-digit alphanumeric sequence in the product page URL. This always starts with the letter “B.”
If you want to extract multiple ASIN numbers at once, you can use a range of Amazon tools that make the manual work easier.
Generating an ASIN - Guidelines for Categorizing New Products
A new ASIN must always be generated when the newly listed product is unique in its execution within the Amazon product catalog. Sellers who wish to sell products already available on the Amazon marketplace must use the existing ASIN and create an offer. You generate a new ASIN number via the “Sell a Product” field in the Amazon Seller Central interface. The creation of new Amazon ASIN numbers is subject to certain restrictions:
- Non-brand owners: Sellers who are not simultaneously the brand owner must first undergo an authentication process to create a new ASIN.
- Upper limit: Depending on the sales history on the Amazon marketplace, the capacity for listings and ASIN creations is limited.
- Variant policies: When creating product variants, certain restrictions apply, determining whether a newly added product is a variant of an existing item or a completely new product with its own ASIN.
Single or Double - Amazon ASINs for International Markets
International sellers who offer the same product in multiple countries face the choice of using a uniform number or a separate ASIN for each sales country. This is because Amazon initially stores the ASIN number only at the national level, for example, in the German market. While previously the product title and description could be edited and adapted to the local language when using a uniform ASIN for multiple sales countries, images, videos, and infographics could not be. This is now possible via the following link: https://sellercentral.amazon.de/imaging/upload/country.
Therefore, it is advisable to use the same Amazon ASIN number for each sales country if it is a product that has not yet been represented in the Amazon catalog of the respective countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find quick answers to common questions related to this article.
What does the abbreviation ASIN mean and what function does the number have?
ASIN is an acronym that stands for "Amazon Standard Identification Number" and is a ten-digit catalogue number consisting of letters and numbers that is assigned to every product (except books) on Amazon and is used to categorise the product range.
Where can I find the Amazon ASIN number of a product?
There are two ways to determine the ASIN of any product. Firstly, the ten-digit Amazon ASIN number can be found in the URL of the product page, and secondly, the "Product details" section also provides information about the ASIN of a specific product.
In which case must an ASIN be requested for a new product?
A new ASIN must always be created if a product that does not yet exist on Amazon is to be added. A new ASIN is generated via the "Add product" function and is subject to certain guidelines. If another seller is already offering the same product on the Amazon marketplace, you must create a listing in order to use the existing Amazon ASIN.
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