How to Move Your Amazon Wishlist to GiftDrive (and What You Gain)
Short answer: You can import an existing Amazon wishlist into GiftDrive in a few minutes. Print your Amazon list to a CSV file, upload it in GiftDrive's drive builder, and your items appear on a new drive for you to review. You keep the list you spent years building, and add what Amazon doesn't give nonprofits: donor names and emails, automatic tax receipts, live progress, monetary gifts and items from other retailers.
If your organization has an Amazon wishlist, you probably built it one item at a time over a long stretch. It's tuned. It has the right diaper sizes and the dog food brand that doesn't upset stomachs. Starting over somewhere else sounds like the reason not to switch.
You don't have to start over. This post walks through the import step by step, what to check afterward, and an honest look at whether moving is worth it for you.
Why Organizations Move Off Amazon Wishlists
Amazon wishlists are a reasonable default, and many organizations use them well. The reasons people move are almost always the same four:
No donor data. Amazon doesn't tell you who bought what. You can't thank donors, add them to your newsletter, or invite them back.
No receipts. Donors who want documentation for their records have to ask you, and you have no record of the gift to work from.
One store. Everything on the list has to come from Amazon, even when another retailer has the right item or a better price.
No campaign. A wishlist has no deadline, no goal and no progress bar, the things that actually move donors during a drive.
If none of those bother you, your Amazon list may be fine as it is. If any of them do, the import removes the main cost of switching.
How to Import an Amazon Wishlist Into GiftDrive
You need an account with organization administrator access, and access to the Amazon account that owns the list.
Start a physical-item drive and choose the Amazon wishlist method when GiftDrive asks how you want to build your list.
Print your Amazon list to CSV. Open your wish list on Amazon, use its print option, and save the output as a CSV file. GiftDrive imports from that file rather than from a wishlist link.
Upload the file. Choose the file or drag it into the upload area. GiftDrive accepts .xlsx, .xls and .csv.
Watch the import status. GiftDrive shows progress, warnings and any items it couldn't import. Larger lists can keep processing in the background, so a slow response doesn't mean it failed.
Review the resulting items. Check quantities, variants and that each product is the one you meant.
Resolve anything left over. Retry unfinished rows, or find missing items through the catalog search.
Already have a drive and just want to pull in an Amazon list? Open the drive editor and use Import Amazon wishlist, which goes straight to the file picker.
What to Check After the Import
An import moves your list, but spreadsheets and product catalogs never line up perfectly. Spend ten minutes on these:
Variants. Size, color, pack count and flavor are the most common mismatches. A "size 4 diapers, 120 count" row should land as exactly that.
Quantities. Amazon's "needs" count and what you actually need now may have drifted. Reset quantities to this drive's goal.
Discontinued or unavailable items. Long-lived wishlists collect items that no longer exist. Replace them from the catalog.
Stale items. Old lists often include things you no longer need. An import is a good moment to prune.
Better sources. Now that the list can include Walmart, Target, Chewy, Lowe's and Harbor Freight, check your highest-quantity items for a better match or price elsewhere.
What Doesn't Move
Being straight about this:
Past donor history. Amazon never gave you donor identities, so there's nothing to bring over. Your donor file starts on the first GiftDrive gift.
Amazon's built-in audience. Some donors find wishlists by searching Amazon directly. A GiftDrive drive gets found through your site, your email and your social channels instead.
Your donors' habits. Supporters who bookmarked your Amazon link will keep using it until you tell them about the new page.
Should You Keep the Amazon List?
For a while, yes. The smoothest switches run both for one season:
Import the list and launch your next campaign on GiftDrive.
Update the links on your website, email footer and social bios to the GiftDrive drive, or embed it on your site.
Add a line to the top of the Amazon list description pointing donors to the new page.
After the campaign, compare what came in through each. Most organizations then retire the Amazon list or keep it as a quiet backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import my Amazon wishlist into GiftDrive? Yes. Print your Amazon list to a CSV file and upload it in GiftDrive's drive builder.
Can I paste my Amazon wishlist URL instead? Not currently. Print the list to CSV and upload the file instead; it takes about a minute.
Will every item import perfectly? Most will. GiftDrive flags items that couldn't be imported or matched, and you can retry or add them from the catalog. Always review variants and quantities.
Can I add items from other stores after importing? Yes. Once imported, your drive works like any GiftDrive drive, so you can add any product from Walmart, Target, Chewy, Lowe's and Harbor Freight.
Do I have to delete my Amazon wishlist? No. Many organizations keep it during a transition season and point donors to the new drive.
Does importing cost anything? No. Importing, and GiftDrive itself, is free for nonprofits.
What do donors pay at checkout? The item cost, shipping, taxes and a credit card processing fee. GiftDrive takes no fee from donors or from your organization.
Will my donors get tax receipts on GiftDrive? Yes. GiftDrive emails a tax receipt automatically after every donation.
The Bottom Line
The list was always the valuable part. An import keeps it and moves it somewhere you can see who gives, thank them, receipt them and ask them back.