Have you ever wanted to get someone the perfect gift for their birthday, wedding, or new baby but struggled to figure out what they actually want or need? Amazon wish lists and registries make gift-giving incredibly simple by allowing people to create digital wish lists that friends and family can view and buy items from.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about finding someone‘s Amazon list and sharing your own. Whether you want to send loved ones gift ideas for a special occasion or discreetly let others know what‘s on your wish list, this walkthrough has you covered.
A Brief History of Amazon Wish Lists
Amazon launched wish lists in 2002 as a way for people to keep track of products they wanted to purchase someday. Users could create multiple lists for different categories like books, movies, kitchen goods, etc.
The feature became very popular, so Amazon introduced list sharing options via email and link sharing by 2010. This enabled users to send their lists to prospective gift givers ahead of special occasions.
By 2017, over 2 million wish lists were shared leading up to the holiday season. And in 2021, Amazon boasted over 60 million wish lists created by users.
The launch of wedding and baby gift registries in 2006 further popularized wish lists for specific life events. It provides an easy way for couples and expecting parents to notify others about what they need for their new family.
Now millions of people use Amazon wish lists year-round to help friends, relatives, and coworkers figure out the best gifts.
Types of Amazon Lists
Amazon offers specialized lists for different occasions and purposes:
| List Type | Description | Privacy Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Wish List | For listing personal product wants | Private or public |
| Baby Registry | Baby shower and arrival gifts | Public |
| Wedding Registry | Wedding presents | Public |
| Birthday List | Gifts for a birthday | Private or public |
| Household List | Household essentials | Private |
Let‘s explore the key differences between each list:
Wish Lists are the most popular and versatile option. You can create multiple wish lists for different categories and keep them entirely private or opt-in to share with specific people. Most people use these for birthday gifts, holidays, or letting someone know what they generally want.
Baby Registries are specifically meant for expecting mothers to compile everything they‘ll need for their little one on the way. These registries are public-facing to friends, family and even acquaintances can search and find them.
Wedding Registries serve a similar purpose as newly engaged couples prepare for their big day and married life together. These public lists allow wedding guests to pick out gifts and essentials they need for their home and future.
Birthday Lists are specialized wish lists solely focused on birthday gifts. You can keep these private to share with select people or make them public depending on your preferences.
And Household Lists act as a general home goods and supplies list for things like kitchenware, furniture, storage solutions and electronics. These tend to be private and only shared with family or very close friends.
Now let‘s get into the step-by-step for actually finding and sharing these lists.
How to Find Someone‘s Amazon Wish List
Finding an Amazon wish list is simple whether you‘re on your phone, tablet or computer. Here‘s exactly how to search for and access someone‘s list:
On Desktop
- Visit Amazon.com and login to your account
- Click "Accounts & Lists" in the top nav bar
- Select "Find a List or Registry"
- Enter the person‘s first and last name
- Select search filters if needed and hit enter
- Click their list once it pops up!
Searching for an Amazon list on desktop
If you‘re having trouble finding a specific list, try using additional filters like state, month, and year to narrow it down. You can also directly visit Amazon.com/registry and search.
On Mobile
Searching from your phone is just as easy:
- Open the Amazon shopping app
- Tap the hamburger menu ≡ icon
- Select “Your Stuff”
- Choose “Lists”
- Tap “Find a Registry or Gift List”
- Enter the name and any other filters
- Select their list!
How to find an Amazon list on mobile
As long as the person shared their list publicly or with you directly, it should pop right up!
Sharing Your Amazon Wish List
Posting your own Amazon wish lists enables your friends, family, relatives, and even coworkers to easily gift you things you‘ll love for every occasion.
Here‘s how to share an Amazon list in just a few clicks:
- Visit Your Lists under your Account & Lists
- Select the list you want to share
- Click “Share List”
- Choose to share via link or email invite
- Customize permissions if needed
- Copy link or enter email addresses!
How to share your Amazon wish list
You can set special permissions like allowing others to edit your list or setting expiration dates. And links never expire so recipients can reference back anytime.
If you share via email invite, a pre-populated message will open for you edit and send to each person.
Key Advantages of Amazon Wish Lists
There are lots of benefits that make Amazon wish lists a better option than vaguely telling people what you want as a gift:
- Ensure you get exactly what you want
- Prevent duplicate gifts
- Share detailed preferences like color, size, quantity
- Lists are permanent and gifts stay marked as purchased
- Universal – anyone with an Amazon account can contribute
- Easy self-gifting if nobody buys certain items
- Public registries share events and due dates
So next time you need gift ideas for a wedding, baby shower, birthday, or holiday, skip the stressful guessing game and simply ask people to share their Amazon list!
Or make sure you create your own wish lists and household items registries to graciously inform friends and family about what to get you all year round.
The days of concealing gift hopes and winding up with unusable presents are over thanks to Amazon wish list Registry technology.
I hope this guide gives you the confidence to easily find and share Amazon wish lists for seamless gift-giving! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments.
