AbeBooks Help Center

How Do I Use Wants

If you search for a book on AbeBooks and it isn′t currently available, creating a Want is an easy way for us to keep searching – automatically. Just provide your search terms, i.e. title, author, etc., save your Want, and we’ll keep searching for you.

Once you have saved your Want, we’ll send you an email as soon as a matching copy is listed for sale on AbeBooks, including a link to the listing.

› Learn more about using Wants effectively

To create a Want:

  1. After searching for a book and failing to find any copies, click [Create a Want] in the column in the center of the page.
  2. Add any additional search terms for your desired book and click [Add Want] to save it in our system.

To edit & manage Wants:

  1. Go to [My Account] and click [List and Maintain My Wants].
  2. On this page, you can:
    • Delete a Want by clicking [Delete this Want]
    • Edit an existing Want by clicking [Update this Want]
    • Create a new Want by clicking [Add new wants to your want inventory].
  3. If you no longer wish to receive Want match emails, delete the Want(s).

To review Want Matches:

  1. Go to [My Account] and click [My Recently Matched Wants].
  2. Matches made within the last 14 days will be displayed. To view older matches, click [Show all matches for this Want].
  3. Matches can be deleted by clicking [Delete This Match] at the bottom of the match listing.
  4. To order a matching book, click [Add to Basket] but if someone else has already purchased the book, it will appear as BOOK SOLD when added to your Shopping Basket.
  5. To edit a Want′s search terms, click [Update this Want].

To set email preferences:

When adding a new Want or editing an existing one, you will see an option in the lower right-hand corner with the text “Receive email notifications when items matching this Want become available.”

By removing the checkmark and clicking [Update Want], you will no longer be emailed matches for this Want. Instead, you can review your Want Matches by clicking My Recently Matched Wants in the Member Menu.

Watch our video tutorial:

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