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Quoting Amazon reviews on your website

by BradVert2013
9 replies
Hi Warriors!

I just wanted to share this with everyone because I know many of you publish ebooks on Amazon and have Amazon review websites. I sent the Amazon KDP team a question about quoting Amazon reviews of my ebook on my own website. Here's the response I got:

Hello Brad ,

We appreciate your interest in including Amazon.com copyrighted materials on your website.

Before doing so, please write to amazon-pr@amazon.com to clarify the specific materials you'd like to include.

All editorial content authored by and attributed to Amazon.com, including but not exclusive to customer reviews, is the property of Amazon.com or its content suppliers, and is protected by United States and international copyright laws.

We're unable to grant permission to reprint reviews that appear on our site from other publications, such as Booklist and Publisher's Weekly.

We hope to see you again soon.

Best regards
In other words it's not allowed - even a partial quote with a link back to the Amazon review (I specifically asked about this).

I did read something that reviews can be pulled from the Amazon API, but I don't much about this.

Hope this helps clarify their policy for others too.
#amazon #quoting #reviews #website
  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    You can use the Amazon API to fully display Amazon reviews on your website in compliance with the ToS.

    You can't copy and paste the review, but you can embed the review much like you would embed a YouTube video.

    There are a number of Amazon themes/plugins that do this.
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    • Profile picture of the author BradVert2013
      Originally Posted by onSubie View Post

      You can use the Amazon API to fully display Amazon reviews on your website in compliance with the ToS.

      You can't copy and paste the review, but you can embed the review much like you would embed a YouTube video.

      There are a number of Amazon themes/plugins that do this.
      Thanks for clarifying that, as I'm not familiar with their API.
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  • Profile picture of the author mrgoe
    In my amazon reviews I only include a link to customer reviews, and add a phrase about how many people have reviewed a particular item. Seems enough
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    Worked as a senior editor on ThePricer.org, experienced in financial topics
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    • Profile picture of the author BradVert2013
      Originally Posted by mrgoe View Post

      In my amazon reviews I only include a link to customer reviews, and add a phrase about how many people have reviewed a particular item. Seems enough
      This is what I have done. I don't quote anything, just link to the reviews. The last thing I want to do is anger the beast.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Before doing so, please write to amazon-pr@amazon.com to clarify the specific materials you'd like to include.
    What happened when you wrote to the PR people?

    Or didn't you bother?

    Many times, getting permission to use copyrighted materials depends on asking the right question to the right entity.

    Ask a front line email screener, and saying no is much easier and safer than saying yes.

    Ask even the right entity the wrong question, and no is still easier than yes.

    (For example, "can I quote reviews on my website?")

    Ask the right question to the right person, and your odds of getting the answer you want go way up.

    (For example, "Can I quote this passage from the review of my book [title] by [reviewer] on my website with a link back to the page for my book?")
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    • Profile picture of the author BradVert2013
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      What happened when you wrote to the PR people?

      Or didn't you bother?

      Many times, getting permission to use copyrighted materials depends on asking the right question to the right entity.

      Ask a front line email screener, and saying no is much easier and safer than saying yes.

      Ask even the right entity the wrong question, and no is still easier than yes.

      (For example, "can I quote reviews on my website?")

      Ask the right question to the right person, and your odds of getting the answer you want go way up.

      (For example, "Can I quote this passage from the review of my book [title] by [reviewer] on my website with a link back to the page for my book?")
      I posted this right after I got the email. I will email the PR people. Patience.
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by BradVert2013 View Post

        I posted this right after I got the email. I will email the PR people. Patience.
        No worries.

        I said that because lots of people would rather give up and bend someone's ear (or screen than take action.
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  • Profile picture of the author tastyjams
    Another thing to keep in mind (if it hasn't been touched on already) is that with the latest Google algorithms you will be penalized by having duplicate content on your website that appears somewhere else. This buries websites that automatically crawl other sites and steal their content so it actually makes a lot of sense, but sometimes this info isn't well known and people think they can just copy and paste content from other sites. If you want your site to rank well at all on search engines (which is the best way to get traffic) then you should only write your own unique content.
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    • Profile picture of the author onSubie
      Originally Posted by tastyjams View Post

      Another thing to keep in mind (if it hasn't been touched on already) is that with the latest Google algorithms you will be penalized by having duplicate content on your website that appears somewhere else. This buries websites that automatically crawl other sites and steal their content so it actually makes a lot of sense, but sometimes this info isn't well known and people think they can just copy and paste content from other sites. If you want your site to rank well at all on search engines (which is the best way to get traffic) then you should only write your own unique content.

      Not true at all.
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