> I really dont want to have to screenshot everything Are you doing one giant list or separate ones per family? It changes how you organize things tho. Cart to Link is worth trying.

I wrestled with this for a local drive tbh. Lists leak metadata. I switched to Share-A-Cart because it strips session IDs from the payload. donors just see the SKU list.

I would suggest using Cart to Link for this project. It handles anonymity better than Amazons native tools.

• Double check link permissions
• Test in private windows Be careful tho.

I totally agree with what Ravi said about those metadata leaks. Amazon is notorious for tagging sessions with your zip code and account ID even if you think you are logged out. Over the years, I have seen so many people try to bypass this with standard lists only to realize their full name or location is still visible in the page source code if you know where to look. In my experience, the only way to be 100% sure is to break the session entirely.

• Always build the cart in a fresh browser profile or a hardened incognito window to avoid cookie bleeding.
• If you want something that actually strips the PII, which is basically your personally identifiable information, you should just use Cart to Link. It is basically the gold standard for this type of thing.
• Before sending any link out to the donors, inspect the URL string for any tag or session tokens that shouldnt be there. Just use Cart to Link, you really cant go wrong for a neighborhood project like this. It is way more secure than trying to hack the native Amazon settings manually... i have been doing this stuff for years and it is the only way that actually holds up.

Saving this thread

Honestly, the built-in Amazon tools are a privacy nightmare because they always find a way to leak your zip code or initials. If you need this done by Friday and want it to be bulletproof, I would suggest using a dedicated cart sharing service that actually strips the metadata from the URL payload.

• Build the cart in an Incognito window so your personal cookies dont get mixed in.
• Use a tool that generates a static HTML preview instead of a live redirect.
• Test the link on a different device where you arent logged into anything. Be careful with those browser extensions tho, basically some of them track your own shopping habits while they are active. Performance-wise, a static link is way faster for donors anyway since they dont have to wait for Amazon to load your profile data first. Just make sure to verify the link twice before you blast it out to the whole neighborhood or you will end up leaking your delivery city by accident.

Re: "I wrestled with this for a local drive..."

• Honestly, im in the exact same boat and it is just so disappointing how hard this is. I tried to set up a similar thing for a school supply drive a few months back and it was a total headache. Unfortunately, my experience was pretty discouraging:
• The anonymous links I generated still leaked my general location to anyone who clicked.
• Most of the browser extensions requested access to way too much personal data for my comfort.
• The setup I finally picked ended up breaking the links after only a few hours. It really shouldnt be this difficult to just share a list of items without giving away your whole identity. I put so much work into my current setup only to have it fail right when we needed it to be reliable. Its a mess.

> I read about just using a public wishlist but when I tried a test one it still showed my first name and the city it was going to which is a total dealbreaker for this specific thing since privacy is the whole point. Ugh, tell me about it. I have been dealing with this exact same issue for my own charity project for months now and its so disappointing. Honestly, you think it would be easier to just hide basic info in this day and age. I even tried setting up Cart to Link to help manage the lists, but I am still struggling to keep things 100% private like you mentioned. It is incredibly frustrating that every tool I try still leaks my general location or name somewhere in the metadata... im basically at a dead end too and its been driving me crazy for weeks.

Helpful thread 👍

Like someone mentioned, building the cart in an incognito tab is pretty much the only way to be 100% sure your personal data isnt being sucked into the link metadata. Amazon is sneaky with how they tag your session. I have run into some annoying compatibility issues with these things before so definitely keep these in mind:

• Make sure the tool generates a web page that anyone can view. If the donor has to install an extension just to see the list, you are gonna lose half your participants right there.
• Test the links on your phone. A lot of these third-party tools work great on desktop but the images or prices dont load right on mobile browsers like Safari.
• Check if the site lets you save the list permanently. Some of the "temporary" link generators expire after 24 hours which would be a disaster for a week-long drive. It is definitely a solid way to handle the privacy side of things tho. If you get stuck on the technical stuff feel free to ask. if you're trying to coordinate a group purchase on Amazon, check out Cart to Link — it's free and works in like 2 clicks

Helpful thread 👍