Amazon Hacks

Link Directly to Product Images

Just as product detail URLs follow a certain pattern, image URLs are just as predictable.

Just as every page has a URL, so too does every product image. Finding the URL is fairly easy in most browsers. In Internet Explorer on Windows, right-click the image and choose Properties. Once you have the image URL, you can bring it up in the browser by placing it in the address bar. Some browsers—Safari for Mac OS X, for instance—make this a single step via the Open Image in New Window context-menu item.

Amazon image URLs are just as dynamic as Amazon pages. By understanding the image URL pattern, you can find images for products based on their ASIN and customize from there.

For instance, the following standard image URL brings up a standard product image, the Google Hacks book cover in Figure 1-6:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0596004478.01._PE30_PI_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Figure 1-6. Google Hacks product image

If you’re getting good at spotting ASINs [Hack #1], you’ll see this product’s ASIN in the URL. By changing it, you can find the image for other products (see Figure 1-7):

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0596004613.01._PE30_PI_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Figure 1-7. Linux Server Hacks product image

Keep in mind that you can link to an image of any product that Amazon sells, ...