Given a browse node ID, BrowseNodeLookup returns the specified browse node’s name, children, and ancestors. The names and browse node IDs of the children and ancestor browse nodes are also returned. BrowseNodeLookup enables you to traverse the browse node hierarchy to find a browse node.

As you traverse down the hierarchy, you refine your search and limit the number of items returned. For example, you might traverse the following hierarchy: DVD>Used DVDs>Kids and Family, to select out of all the DVDs offered by Amazon only those that are appropriate for family viewing. Returning the items associated with Kids and Family produces a much more targeted result than a search based at the level of Used DVDs.

Alternatively, by traversing up the browse node tree, you can determine the root category of an item. You might do that, for example, to return the top seller of the root product category using the TopSeller response group in an ItemSearch request.

You can use BrowseNodeLookup iteratively to navigate through the browse node hierarchy to reach the node that most appropriately suits your search. Then you can use the browse node ID in an ItemSearch request. This response would be far more targeted than, for example, searching through all of the browse nodes in a search index.

All locales

BrowseNodeLookup also accepts the parameters that all operations can use. For more information, see, Common Request Parameters

For more information about the parent elements of these tags, see the appropriate response group in Response Groups

Use BrowseNodeLookup iteratively to navigate through the hierarchy of browse nodes. In this way, customers can refine their searches, for example.

DVD>Actors & Actresses>Steve Martin
DVD>Used DVDs>Kids & Family

The first hierarchy narrows the search down to DVDs in which Steve Martin plays a part. The second hierarchy narrows the list of DVDs down to those that are suitable for Kids and Family. This node, for example, might contain thirty such DVD titles.

The following request returns the name, parent, and children of the browse node for DVD comedies (163357)

http://ecs.amazonaws.com/onca/xml?
Service=AWSECommerceService&
AWSAccessKeyId=[AWS Access Key ID]&
Operation=BrowseNodeLookup&
BrowseNodeId=163357 

The response to this request is shown in Sample Response.

Use the NewReleases response group to display the newly released items for a specified browse node:

http://ecs.amazonaws.com/onca/xml?
Service=AWSECommerceService&
AWSAccessKeyId=[AWS Access Key ID]&
Operation=BrowseNodeLookup&
BrowseNodeId=163357&
ResponseGroup=NewReleases   

<BrowseNode>
  <BrowseNodeId>163357</BrowseNodeId> 
    <Name>Comedy</Name> 
    <Children>
    <BrowseNode>
      <BrowseNodeId>599826</BrowseNodeId> 
      <Name>Boxed Sets</Name> 
    </BrowseNode>
    <BrowseNode>
      <BrowseNodeId>538712</BrowseNodeId>
      <Name>African American Comedy</Name> 
    </BrowseNode>
    <BrowseNode>
      <BrowseNodeId>163358</BrowseNodeId> 
      <Name>Animation</Name> 
    </BrowseNode>
    <BrowseNode>
      <BrowseNodeId>720556</BrowseNodeId>
      <Name>Black Comedy</Name> 
    </BrowseNode>
    <BrowseNode>
      <BrowseNodeId>291102</BrowseNodeId> 
      <Name>British</Name> 
    </BrowseNode>
  </Children>
  <Item>
    <Ancestors>
      <BrowseNode>
        <BrowseNodeId>549726</BrowseNodeId> 
        <Name>Performing Arts</Name> 
        <Ancestors>
          <BrowseNode>
            <BrowseNodeId>5</BrowseNodeId> 
            <Name>Entertainment</Name> 
            <Ancestors>
              <BrowseNode>
                <BrowseNodeId>1000</BrowseNodeId> 
                <Name>Subjects</Name>
                <Ancestors>
                  <BrowseNode>
                    <BrowseNodeId>1000</BrowseNodeId> 
                    <Name>Books</Name>