How to Make an Amazon Wish List: The Complete Guide
Amazon wish lists are a handy tool for keeping track of products you’d like to buy or receive as gifts. With just a few clicks, you can create customized lists that make shopping and gift-giving easier.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about making the most out of Amazon wish lists, including how to:
- Set up an Amazon account
- Create new wish lists
- Add items from Amazon or other websites
- Share your list with friends and family
- Use wish lists for birthdays, holidays, weddings and more
- Manage privacy settings and preferences
- Access wish lists from your desktop or mobile
So if you‘re ready to organize your shopping and take the guesswork out of gift-giving, read on!
Step 1: Create an Amazon Account
First things first, you need an Amazon account to create a wish list. If you don’t already have one, visit Amazon.com and click on “Account” in the top right corner. Here you can sign up for a new account using your email, Facebook, or Google login credentials.
Setting up an account is quick, easy and free. All you need is a valid email address you can access.
Once your account is set up, you can start building wish lists tailored just for you!
Step 2: Make a Wish List
Navigating to your wish list on Amazon is slightly different depending on if you’re using a web browser or the mobile app.
Using Amazon on Desktop
If you’re browsing Amazon on a laptop or desktop computer, follow these instructions:
- Hover over “Account & Lists” in the top right corner
- Select “Create a List” from the dropdown menu
- Click the button labeled “Create List”
- Give your list a name like “Birthday Ideas” or “Books I Want to Read”
- Choose privacy settings. Your options are:
- Public: Anyone can search and see your list
- Private: Only people you invite can view
- Shared: People you select can view
- Click “Create List” and start adding items!
Using the Amazon App
To make a wish list on the Amazon mobile app:
- Tap the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner
- Tap “Lists”
- Tap the plus icon to create new list
- Name your list
- Select privacy settings
- Tap “Create List”
And just like that, your new Amazon wish list is ready to fill up with all your heart‘s desires! 🛍
You can create multiple lists for different occasions, like birthdays, holidays, weddings, new babies and more. The key is giving each list a clear, descriptive name so you can tell them apart.
Now let’s talk about the fun part—adding stuff!
Step 3: Add Items to Your List
Populating your list is half the fun. As you browse Amazon, simply tap “Add to List” on any item you’d like to get or gift someone else.
Here are some key ways to build up your list:
Browse Categories and Use Search
The easiest route is to simply search or browse Amazon for stuff you want. Try categories like books, electronics, home goods, fashion, toys & games, etc. Anything sold directly by Amazon is fair game for your list.
As you discover items, click “Add to List” on the product page to throw them in your wish basket. Amazon makes this incredibly simple.
Install the Amazon Assistant Extension
This nifty browser add-on lets you add items from ANY website to your wish list. So you’re no longer limited just to Amazon’s marketplace.
Say you come across a cute pair of shoes on Nordstrom’s site, or spot a kitchen gadget you love on WayFair. Just click the Amazon Assistant button to automatically add it to your list.
This tool integrates seamlessly with your existing wish lists and account. It’s available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari.
Use the Amazon Shopping App
If browsing from your mobile device, you can also use the Amazon app to easily add items as you discover them online or IRL.
For example, if you’re wandering around Target and spot something you want, pull up the Amazon app and search for the product. More often than not, Amazon carries it too. Then simply tap “Add to List” right from your phone!
Add Items Already in Your Cart
Accidentally put something in your cart that you weren’t quite ready to buy yet? No problem!
Head to your cart, locate the item and select “Save for later.” This removes it from your cart and stashes it in a holding area.
Then when you’re managing lists, find the item in “Saved for Later” and click “Move to List” to add it to the wish list of your choice. Couldn’t be simpler!
However you find something you covet—by search, browser extension, app or cart—adding it to a list for future is purchasing incredibly seamless.
Now let’s go over managing and sharing your polished list!
Step 4: Manage Your Lists
Once you start building multiple lists, you’ll want to revisit them periodically to make edits and updates.
View, Edit and Organize
At any time, peek at your lists by mousing over “Account & Lists” and selecting “Your Lists.” You can also access lists in the mobile menu.
Here you can view, edit, reorganize, combine, rename or delete lists as needed.
While viewing a specific list, use the toolbar to:
- Rename the list
- Add notes describing gifts for a particular person
- Mark items as high priority
- Sort items by priority, date added, name, price, etc.
- Check items as purchased
- Delete unwanted items
Customizing each list makes it clearer for you AND gift-givers what you want and need the most.
Share Your List with Friends & Family
Want to give loved ones a peek at your list? Super easy.
While viewing a list, click “Manage List” and select “Invite Others.” Here you can enter email addresses to send a direct invite.
You can also copy the list’s link and share wherever you like—text, email, social media, etc.
Publicly shared lists let ANYONE view or buy gifts off your list. So it’s perfect for broader events like weddings, baby showers or grad parties.
Private and shared lists keep things more exclusive if you just want close friends and family browsing. Play with settings until you find the right level of privacy.
Set Preferences
Also under the “Manage” tab are some other helpful settings:
Registry Info
If creating a gift registry, add details like address, event date and shipping preferences.
Purchase History
See who already bought you gifts and what they got you! This minimizes duplicates.
Comments
Let list viewers leave comments about your list items. Great for gift planning.
Tweak all preferences until your list is customized to your liking!
Step 5: Use Your Wish List for Gift Events
Beyond just saving items for yourself, Amazon wish lists really shine for group gifting events like:
Weddings
Give guests a registry filled with your most wanted household items. Kitchen goods, small appliances and home upgrades are popular.
Baby Showers
First time parents can create baby registries with all the gear, furniture, clothes, toys and essentials you’ll need.
Birthdays
Share a birthday wish list with items you want to unwrap. No more guessing!
Holidays
Take the guesswork out of holiday shopping by giving friends and family your Christmas or Hanukkah wish list.
And More…
Wish lists also work beautifully for graduations, anniversaries, Mother’s/Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day and any celebration of life event!
No matter the occasion, a wish list guarantees you get gifts you’ll actually use. And it saves your loved ones time and money by eliminating the struggle to pick items you’ll like.
Amazon Wish Lists: The Verdict
So in summary, Amazon wish lists offer a seamless way to:
Pros
- Organize shopping for yourself
- Request specific gifts from others
- Share via various privacy settings
- Add items from any website
- Receive exactly what you want!
Cons
- Limited mostly to Amazon marketplace
- Doesn’t prevent duplicate gifts
- Can feel demanding of others
Overall, Amazon wish lists make both personal and group shopping easier, more organized and more enjoyable for everyone involved. The customization options ensure you get stuff tailored exactly for you.
So ditch the He gave him a sweater two sizes too big! and She didn’t even like that book! fiascos.
Instead, embrace wish lists to take the frustration out gifting and spread more holiday cheer for all. 🎁🛍️
