The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Wish Lists

Amazon lists are the perfect way to keep track of all the things you might want to buy on Amazon. But are you using them to their full potential?

Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about creating, sharing, and managing a wish list on Amazon.com.

How to Create an Amazon List

Everyone starts off with at least one Amazon list, but you can create more to save or categorize all your best ideas. For instance, I have a “book list” to keep track of things I would like to read and a “maybe list” to save things that I might want to add to my main wish list one day.

If your kids aren’t old enough to have their own Amazon account, many parents will create a wish list for them to use for birthdays or other holidays. Here’s how to create a new list on Amazon.

1. Go to amazon.com/wishlists
2. Click Create a List in the top right corner
3. Give your list a name
4. Click the Create List button when you are done

How to Set a Default Amazon List

You can have several lists, but one has to be set as your default. A default list lets you add things quickly, and it will always appear at the top of your lists. Here’s how to set a default list.

1. Go to amazon.com/wishlists
2. Click on the list that you want to make your default list
3. Click the More button in the top right corner, and choose Manage List
4. Scroll down to the bottom of this list and check Default List
5. Click Save Changes when you are done

How to Add Items to an Amazon List

There are several ways to add something to an Amazon list. The simplest way is to use the Add to List button that you will find on every product listing. This will add the item to your default list, (see above).

If you want to put the item on one of your other Amazon lists, click the dropdown arrow to the right of Add to List and choose the list that you want to add the item to.

You can also use the Amazon Assistant browser extension. It is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and more. The Amazon Assistant allows you to add items from other websites to your lists.

If you have an Amazon Echo, you can use Alexa to add items to your lists. Simply say, “Alexa, add <name of item> to <name of list>”.

How to Sort, Prioritize and Add Comments

Once you have some items added to your list, you can start to think about how you want them to look to other people.

You can reorder items with drag and drop. If you hover your mouse over the item, you will see the reorder icon. Click and drag this icon up or down your list to change the order that this item appears in your list. You can also click the Top button to move things to the top.

To indicate how important an item is on your list, you can set a priority level. Click, “Add comment, quantity or priority” under the item you want to prioritize. You can then choose a priority level from Lowest to Highest.

In the same menu, you can add comments about the item. These will appear as public comments when others are viewing your list. You can also request more than one of an item. If you do this, the item will remain on your list for others to purchase until you have the quantity you requested.

How to Move Items Between Amazon Lists

If you added something to the wrong list by mistake, or you just want to move something from one list to another, you can fix that in just a couple of clicks. Here’s how.

1. Click on the list that has the item you want to move
2. Find the item that is in the wrong place
3. Click the Move button under Add to Cart
4. Choose the list you want to move the item to

How to Remove Items from an Amazon List

If an item was added to your list by mistake, you can remove it quickly and with a minimum of fuss. Here’s how.

1. Click on the list that has the item you want to remove
2. Find the item that you want to delete
3. Click the Delete button underneath Add to Cart

If you click Delete by mistake, you will see the option to click Undo and add it back to your list.

How to Share and Collaborate on an Amazon List

When you have everything just the way you want it, it’s time to share your list with others. So, look for the link at the top of your list that says, “Share this list with others.”

Clicking this button gives you two options: View Only, and View and Edit. The View Only option means anyone with the link can view your list, but they can’t make any changes. They can’t add or remove items, but they can purchase things on the list. This is perfect for friends and family.

If you select View and Edit, you will get a link that allows people to add or remove items from the list. Be careful with this type of link. Don’t send it to the wrong people. This type of link is perfect for parents who are managing a list for young children. It lets mom or dad make changes.

How to Make Public and Private Lists

Amazon lists can be made public or private, depending on the type of list that you are creating. Here are the privacy options that Amazon offers for your lists.

• Public lists are accessible with a link and can be found by searching on Amazon.
• Private lists can only be seen by you. If you try to share them, they will change to shared lists.
• Shared lists are lists that you have shared with others. They are accessible with a link or in someone’s Friends List.

You can see the privacy setting for your lists next to the name of your Amazon list. It will say Public, Private or Shared.

To change the privacy status of a list, follow the steps below:

1. Go to amazon.com/wishlists
2. Click on the list that you want to change
3. Click the More button in the top right corner, and choose Manage List
4. Choose the privacy status for your list
5. Click Save Changes when you are done

How to Show Purchased and Unpurchased Items

By default, your list shows you unpurchased items. If someone buys something from your list, it is removed from your view. However, you also have the option to filter your list to show only purchased items or unpurchased items. Here’s how.

1. Click on the list you want to filter
2. Click Filter and Sort in the top right corner
3. Choose, Unpurchased, Purchase, or All Items (purchased and unpurchased)

How Not to Spoil the Surprise!

Of course, if you like surprises, you might not want to see purchased items drop off your list. This would be a big giveaway! But Amazon has thought about that. Here’s how you can fix that problem.

1. Click on the list you want to change
2. Click the More button in the top right corner, and choose Manage List
3. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list
4. Make sure the box is checked next to, “Don’t Spoil My Surprises!”
5. Click Save Changes when you are done

How to Delete an Amazon List

If you no longer need a list, you can delete it and all the items that you added to it. Here’s how.

1. Click on the list you want to remove
2. Click the More button in the top right corner, and choose Manage List
3. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list
4. Click Delete List
5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete this list.

Deleted lists cannot be recovered, so make sure you are deleting the right list. Only owners can delete a list. Collaborators do not have that option. Also, any links that you shared for that list will no longer work when you delete a list.

How to Make a Gift Registry List

If you are getting married or throwing a baby shower, you can create a registry list. These lists are a little different from a regular Amazon list, but they operate in very much the same way.

To create a wedding registry, go to the Amazon Wedding Registry portal. For baby gifts, you go to the Amazon Baby Registry portal. Registries allow custom options like group gifting, seamless returns, and the ability to send thank-you notes to gift-givers.

How to Make an Idea List on Amazon

Another type of Amazon list is the Idea list. This list differs from a regular list because it is not about creating a list for people to buy you things. Instead, it is a list where you can share a collection of some of your favorite items on Amazon.

If you are a passionate home cook, you could share the pots, pans, and gadgets that you like to use in your kitchen. A watch collector might share some of their favorite watches or watch bands. Here’s how to create one:

1. Go to amazon.com/ideas
2. Click, “Create an Idea List”
3. Give your list a name and a description
4. Click Post

Now that your list is created, you can browse Amazon for products you want to add. You will add items to your Idea List the same way you add items to a wish list. Just be sure to select the name of your Idea List when you click the arrow next to the Add to List button.

Idea lists are public. You can share them with others via a link. If you are an Amazon Associate, you can create an affiliate link for your Idea list and earn commission on any products people buy while viewing your list!