:Amazon Standard Identification Number
{{Short description|Alphanumeric unique identifier}}
{{Redirect|ASIN||ASIN (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}An Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) is a 10-character alphanumeric unique identifier assigned by Amazon.com and its partners for product identification within the Amazon organization.{{cite web |url=https://sellercentral.amazon.ca/gp/help/external/200317470?language=en-CA&ref=mpbc_200576730_cont_200317470 |title=Product UPCs and GTINs |website=Amazon Seller Central |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416115224/https://sellercentral.amazon.ca/gp/help/external/200317470?language=en-CA&ref=mpbc_200576730_cont_200317470 |access-date=25 May 2011|archive-date=16 April 2021 }} They were designed in 1996 by Rebecca Allen, an Amazon software engineer, when it became clear that Amazon was going to sell products other than just books. The 10-character format of the ASIN was adopted so that Amazon databases and software, which were designed to expect a 10-character International Standard Book Number (ISBN) field, would not have to be changed to accommodate the new identification format.{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Rebecca |title=The Story behind ASINs |url=https://inventlikeanowner.com/blog/the-story-behind-asins-amazon-standard-identification-numbers/ |website=Invent Like an Owner |date=8 June 2021 |access-date=21 June 2021}}
Usage and structure
Each product on Amazon.com is given a unique ASIN. For books with a 10-digit International Standard Book Number (ISBN), the ASIN and the ISBN are the same.{{cite web |url=https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/t5/a16 |title=FAQ: ISBN{{not a typo|-13}} for Amazon Associates |website=Affiliate-Program.Amazon.com |access-date=29 October 2014}} The Kindle edition of a book will not use its ISBN as the ASIN, although the electronic version of a book may have its own ISBN. The ASIN forms part of the URL of a product detail page on Amazon's website.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/amazon-hacks/0596005423/ch01s03.html|title=Find a Product's ASIN – Amazon Hacks [Book]|website=www.oreilly.com|language=en|access-date=26 December 2019}}