One of the first tasks any Amazon seller faces is creating a new ASIN. Whether you’re a brand new seller or a seasoned veteran, we hope you’ll find this overview of how to create a new ASIN helpful.

Back to basics: what’s an ASIN?

ASIN is an acronym that stands for “Amazon Standard Identification Number.” Simply put, an ASIN is a unique identifier for a single item in Amazon’s product catalog.

There are two ways create an ASIN on Amazon. You can either...

• Option 1: Create an ASIN to match an existing product, or

• Option 2: Create an ASIN that’s net-new to Amazon.

Option 1. How to create an ASIN that already exists on Amazon

To create an ASIN that matches to an existing product listing, first be sure to have the Offer Details information available—including the product's condition, price, quantity, shipping options. Then follow the steps below:

1. Select Add a Product from the Catalog drop-down.

2. Search for the product you want to sell in the “Find your products in Amazon’s catalog” section. Note: Results are more accurate if you search for a product identifier such as a UPC, EAN, JAN, or an ISBN.

3. Locate the product you want to sell, and then click “Show variations” (if applicable).

4. Select a condition.

5. Select “Sell this Product.”

6. Enter your offer details in the provided data fields, and then select “Save. ”Note: Required fields are marked with an asterisk.

Note: This option is not available to Amazon Handmade sellers

Option 2: How to create an ASIN for a new-to-Amazon product

To create an ASIN that’s a new product listing, you will list a new product and Amazon will create a new product detail page. Before you get started, be sure to have the product identifier, offer details, product details and keywords, and search terms information. Once you follow the steps below, your offer will be visible to buyers within 15 minutes.

1. Select Add a Product from the Catalog drop-down.

2. Select “I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon.”

3. Next, choose one of the following options to create a new product listing. You can either 1) Search for your product’s category and click the Search icon button, or 2) Browse the Select a Product Category option for the category that matches the product you want to sell and click Select category. Choosing your category accurately can help buyers find products more easily.

4. Enter the required information within the “Vital Info” and “Offer” tabs.

5. Select “Save changes” to complete the listing process. You can edit the information for your product listings anytime.

Tips of the trade

ASIN limits: New sellers have a limit on the number of listings (offers and ASINs) they can create in a given week. Once you increase your sales, your capacity will also increase. So you’ll want to be strategic in how you prioritize your listings. If you’re a veteran seller with a high number of new listings, your listings will be evaluated and your ability to create new listing may be temporary restricted.

Duplicate ASINs: Before creating a new ASIN, always match your products to existing products in Amazon’s catalog. Failure to do so could result in you creating a new ASIN when the product already exist in Amazon’s catalog. Creating duplicate ASINs could impact your ability to sell on Amazon, as your selling privileges may be temporarily suspended or permanently removed. Matching the product helps create a better customer service experience for buyers and provides the seller with the opportunity to take full advantage of the buyer interest and traffic it generates for your product.

We want to hear from you

Have you got any nuggets of advice around ASIN creation you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.