To sell products on Amazon and analyze competitors, you need to understand ASINs. ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number, which is essentially a unique ID code assigned to every product listed on Amazon.
Reverse ASIN lookup allows you to uncover key details about any product on Amazon using its ASIN. This gives sellers competitive insights for their market.
This in-depth guide covers everything you need to know about Amazon ASINs and reverse ASIN lookups, including:
- What is an Amazon ASIN?
- How ASINs are generated and used by Amazon
- Differences between ASINs, UPCs, and EANs
- Why you need to perform reverse ASIN lookups
- How reverse ASIN works to reveal product opportunities
- Tools providing reverse ASIN lookup capabilities
- Ways to determine any product’s ASIN
- Tactics for finding competitor ASINs to analyze
- What product details get exposed from a reverse ASIN search
- How to leverage reverse ASINs for product research
- Common reverse ASIN lookup mistakes
Let’s dive into understanding Amazon ASINs and how to leverage reverse ASIN lookup for product research and competitive intelligence!
Table of Contents
What is an Amazon ASIN?
ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number. It is a unique 10-character alphanumeric ID code that Amazon assigns to identify every product listed on their marketplace.
Some examples:
- B085DZSW5Q
- 9781682617751
- B007WTAJTO
The ASIN associates critical product information like price, manufacturer, dimensions, customer reviews etc. together under a single identifying number.
Think of it like a profile that Amazon creates for every unique item available in their catalog. The ASIN allows organizing and tracking all details related to that product in one place.
How Does Amazon Generate ASINs?
Whenever a new product gets added to the Amazon catalog, Amazon’s databases automatically assign it a random 10-character ASIN.
Once assigned, the ASIN permanently remains associated with that product record on Amazon. ASINs do not get reused after a product is discontinued.
There are a few scenarios where ASINs get created:
- When vendors add new products to Amazon through vendor central accounts
- When sellers create listings for new products in their seller central inventory
- When publishers add books that don’t yet have ISBNs
You cannot request or manually generate ASINs. Amazon handles assigning identification numbers automatically as needed when items get published in their systems.
How are Amazon ASINs Used Internally?
ASINs allow Amazon to uniquely identify, organize, track, and link all information related to products. Some internal uses include:
- Building product pages – The ASIN associates a product’s title, photos, description and other catalog metadata under one ID.
- Tracking inventory – Amazon’s warehouses reference ASINs to identify and manage units.
- Recording sales data – Every order gets tied to the ASIN for sales reporting.
- Calculating commissions – When sellers make a sale, Amazon references the ASIN to determine referral fees due.
- Analyzing performance – ASINs organize profitability, ACoS, reviews and other metrics for each product.
- Associating product variations – Parent and child ASINs group item variations under the same umbrella.
So in summary, ASINs allow Amazon to store, analyze, manage, and track all product specific information in a unified, unique way across its massive catalog.
Difference Between Amazon ASINs, UPCs, and EANs
ASINs serve a different purpose than the other main product identifiers:
ASIN – Unique ID code assigned by Amazon when items get published in their catalog. Only applicable on Amazon.
UPC – Universal product codes used widely in the US and Canada for retail products. Managed by GS1. Requires brand registration. Can be used across retailers.
EAN – European/International version of UPC codes. Required for products sold in regions like the EU. Managed by GS1. Can be used across retailers.
So in summary:
- ASINs only apply to identifying products within Amazon’s catalog.
- UPC/EANs work as universal identifiers across multiple retailers and marketplaces.
For maximum distribution, brands should obtain both ASINs and UPC/EAN codes for their products. But ASINs uniquely identify items just on Amazon.
Why You Need to Perform Reverse ASIN lookups
Reverse ASIN lookups are extremely valuable for Amazon sellers and vendors. Looking up the ASIN for any product lets you:
- See how competitors structure their listings
- View product opportunities already proven viable by sales data
- Analyze demand, rating, dimensions, and other key metrics
- Price items competitively based on live market data
- Gauge whether a category or niche is worth entering
- Source manufacturer and supplier details
- Check for potential trademark conflicts
- Spy on competitors’ monthly sales estimates
- Build bundles around already popular ASINs
Reverse ASIN analysis provides the product research intelligence needed to boost sales, maximize profits, and expand your catalog into winning categories.
How Does Reverse ASIN Lookup Work?
Reverse ASIN lookups allow you to enter any product’s ASIN into a database to reveal helpful details. For example:
Step 1 – You identify or are given an interesting ASIN like B08P54L6BR.
Step 2 – Copy or input the ASIN into the lookup search bar of a tool like Jungle Scout.
Step 3 – The product data and analytics load automatically based on that ASIN, including title, brand, sales, ratings, trends and more.
Step 4 – Now you can analyze that product’s opportunity and optimize your own listings leveraging the intelligence surfaced about that specific ASIN.
So reverse ASIN lookups unlock a wealth of helpful information starting with just an Amazon product ID number.
Tools Providing Reverse ASIN Lookup Capabilities
Popular tools with reverse ASIN database search include:
Jungle Scout – Robust Chrome extension and web app covering sales, dimensions, trends, ratings, revenue, keywords.
Helium 10 – Cerebro tool reveals some sales estimate and keyword opportunities.
SellerApp – Product Super Search analyzes competitors across multiple metrics.
AMZScout – Free Chrome extension shows high-level sales and ranking data.
Getida – Reveals estimated sales volume, product images and basic details.
ZonGuru – Browser extension searches ASINs across multiple tools.
Running ASINs through various lookup tools paints a complete picture of product potential.
How to Find Any Amazon Product’s ASIN
To lookup an ASIN, you first need to find the 10-character identifier code assigned to that product listing. Here are ways to determine the ASIN for any Amazon product:
- Check product detail page URL – the ASIN will be in the web address: www.amazon.com/dp/**B08P54L6BR**
- Look in product image URL – the ASIN also gets embedded in image filenames like B08P54L6BR.jpg
- Use “Get ASIN” browser extensions – these scrape ASINs from any Amazon page
- Manually inspect page HTML – CTRL+U on Windows or CMD+U on Mac
- For books – the ISBN converted to an EAN is the ASIN
- For Amazon’s own private label brands, the ASIN starts with AMZN, like AMZNB08P54L6BR
Once you have the 10-character ASIN, you can lookup product details through reverse ASIN tools.
Finding Competitor ASINs to Analyze
Uncovering which ASINs your top competitors use for their listings takes some investigation:
- Browse category best sellers in your niche then extract each product’s ASIN
- Use Jungle Scout’s Category Scout to see data for all ASINs in a niche
- Search on Amazon for brands you know are leaders in the space
- CheckManufacturer name on product listing or insert image shows the brand
- Use Google site search filtering like “site:amazon.com Nike Sport Bands” to surface product URLs with ASINs
- Follow discussions in communities and look for product recommendations – extract any ASINs mentioned
- Use Helium10 Cerebro to generate product ideas and related ASINs
Competitive intelligence guides strategic product selection, pricing, and positioning. So take time to gather key competitors’ ASINs within your niche.
What Product Details Get Exposed from a Reverse ASIN Lookup?
Reverse ASIN searches can reveal:
- Estimated monthly and daily sales volumes
- Best Seller ranking and category placement
- Product title and listing optimization checklist
- Brand and manufacturer details
- Number and star rating of reviews
- Item weight and dimensions
- Number of offers and Buy Box price
- Historic price and demand trend graphs
- Keyword metadata and SEO optimization checklist
- Related and “also bought” product ideas
- imagery and media
This data helps optimize everything from pricing to product launches to inventory management for maximum sales.
How to Leverage Reverse ASINs for Product Research
Beyond spying on competitors, reverse ASIN lookup assists your own product research:
- Generate product ideas based on strong sellers in a niche
- Assess demand before sourcing items to sell
- Gauge organic traffic potential for a product concept
- Confirm sustainable sales, not just temporary fads
- Estimate likely revenues to inform sourcing budget
- Identify appropriate pricing for profit goals
- Find gaps where competitors are lacking to position new products
- Brainstorm complementary accessory products based on “also boughts”
- Determine product selection criteria like size, weight, ratings
- Identify reputable brands and manufacturers to potentially partner with
Strong reverse ASIN research helps ensure time and money get invested into proven winning products.
Common Mistakes When Using Reverse ASIN Lookup
Avoid these pitfalls when leveraging reverse ASIN data:
- Assuming all tools or estimates are equally accurate. Cross-check across sources.
- Not verifying projections match your real sales data once live. Refine if needed.
- Focusing too much on daily or hourly changes vs overall trends.
- Simply copying competitors’ listings rather than strategically optimizing.
- Relying completely on tools without also checking discussions, reviews, forums.
- Forgetting to analyze both main category and granular subcategory rankings.
- Not confirming organic visibility potential before sourcing inventory.
- Launching products too similar to market leaders without differentiation.
- Misunderstanding who the manufacturer or brand is.
Used prudently, reverse ASIN lookup provides immense benefits. But incorporate other signals before business-critical decisions.
Conclusion
Reverse ASIN lookup offers a powerful window into competitor product analysis to inform your own Amazon listings and brand strategy. Uncovering any item’s ASIN opens up extensive details like demand, seasonality, ratings, dimensions, keyword opportunities, and more.
Tools like Jungle Scout, Helium10, and SellerApp enable efficiently researching ASINs at scale.
Just avoid putting excessive weight solely on ASIN data. Incorporate community input, customer perspective, broader market conditions, and sales tracking to make decisions holistically. Wielded properly, reverse ASIN lookup stacks advantages in your favor.
FAQ About Amazon ASINs and Reverse ASIN Lookup
Can two products have the same ASIN?
No, ASIN codes are unique to each individual product in Amazon’s catalog. Even if an identical product gets added again, it would get assigned a different ASIN. For product variations like different sizes or colors, the parent and child ASINs will differ.
Do ASINs expire?
No, ASINs do not expire. They remain permanently associated with a product record. Even if a product gets discontinued and delisted, that ASIN will not get reused or reassigned to another item later on. The ASIN persists in Amazon’s databases.
Can you buy an ASIN or get your own ASIN assigned to a product?
No, sellers cannot request, purchase, or manually generate ASINs. Amazon’s databases automatically assign an ASIN when a new product is uploaded into their catalog. The only way to get an ASIN is by officially listing a product that doesn’t yet exist in Amazon’s systems.
Should I include ASINs on my product packaging or inserts?
Yes, putting the Amazon ASIN on your product’s labels, manuals, warranties sheets or other included materials makes it easier for consumers to leave verified reviews and enables Amazon’s systems to associate units. But do not display ASINs in the customer facing product images themselves.
Can a listing have both an ASIN and a UPC?
Absolutely. Brands should obtain both a UPC and an ASIN for their products. The UPC allows selling across retailers. And the ASIN enables listing on Amazon specifically. Associate the UPC and ASIN in your Amazon product catalog so both display.
Hopefully this helps explain what ASINs are used for and how reverse ASIN lookup benefits Amazon sellers and brands! Let me know if you have any other questions.
