A Guide to Decode Parent-Child ASINs and Variations on Amazon

Every product on Amazon has a 10-digit unique ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) to identify it against millions of other products.

Most of the products have variations to show how they are connected to products of similar features. They are interconnected in a hierarchical relation known as Product Variations or Parent-child ASINs.

For instance, if you’ve 5 pairs of shoes listed under the same parent, then they will be counted as child products. And this interconnection is termed as Parent-Child Variation.

However, it is not as easy as it sounds, and this blog article will shed light on the following:

  • What are Parent/Child ASINs?
  • How to add product variations on Amazon?

What are Parent/Child ASINs?

Every product has variations in colors, sizes, or any other feature. Amazon allows its sellers to put together all such variations in a way that users don’t have to hop from one page to another and gets to witness the variations on the same page.

As per Amazon, if the products have minor variations, though fundamentally the same, they can be listed as product variations.

So, how can Amazon sellers do? Create a relation between the main category and its multiple versions.

parent child relationship

A ‘parent’ item has no variation in comparison to a ‘child’ and is not a saleable item either. Consider it as more of a representative template for all the product variations. This eliminates the user confusion allowing them to shop on the same page of the product.

Recommended practices for parent-child variations

  • Do not get confused between products; select them based on the established variation themes only such as colors, sizes or any other unique feature.
  • Each child product should have detailed information
  • Use an appropriate variation theme for the child products
  • Avoid adding price and quantity attribute for the parent product.
  • Avoid creating variation families or worse, adding children products that are not of the same brand or type.

How to create product variations on Amazon?

Adding product variations isn’t hard but you must be aware of the options Amazon has offered to the sellers. Typically, you have to check if there’s an existing variation or you need to create a separate variation category for your product.

Add Products To An Existing Variation

  1. Determine the variation listings existing on Amazon catalog.
  2. Click and enter product details.
  3. Click on Save.

Create a New Variation

  1. Click on Inventory drop-down and Select Add a Product.
  2. Click I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon.
  3. Browse and click on the for the suitable product category.
  4. Fill all the required fields on the Vital info tab.
  5. Check the next tab for Variation themes and pick a relevant theme from the drop-down list.
  6. Fill all the theme details when promoted to do so.
  7. Click on Generate variations. This prompts you to add more values to a Variations Matrix.
  8. Click and fill the information desired in the remaining tabs relevant to the product.
  9. Click Save and finish.

Variations in Turbo Piranha:

You may have noticed that most of the time the output count is bigger than the input count in Turbo Piranha and it’s because of the product variations that we explained above.

On the other hand, users may or may not want to include the Parent ASIN and all other siblings. Thus, we have two settings clear the thing out for users. If the user excludes variations from Program Settings, he/she gets only the details of the queried items.

variations in turbo piranha

Verify if you’ve selected one, both or none of them during the initial setup. Save the settings and check now if you’re receiving the exact match for ASINs.

Check this output file for better clarity. We submitted only one ASIN for analysis but also we checked the options shown above. Feel free to ask more questions, if any.

output file

Final Thoughts

There can be hundreds and thousands of children ASINs on a single product page. As you explore more on parent/child variations, do not forget it is all for improving easy user experience.

Pick a theme that appeals to your customers and make them notice your products. In cases where you’ve bulk of products to add, the Amazon Variation Wizard can make things a lot easier. Alternatively, you can download the product template from Amazon.

Amazon strives to add multiple features and seller tools to make it easier for sellers to access a greater and growing market.

Stuck up somewhere? Turbo Piranha is at your assistance. We provide all the details of these parent and child products. When you query either parent item or one the child items, you get all the items in that variation hierarchy. In this way, you can verify if everything is okay with your listings, and also check all the available variations of a competitor’s product.

Visit our program settings to learn how to configure Turbo Piranha for including or excluding variations. For any more information, feel free to contact us.

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