Many products will be described in SEO-ese: “Silicone Spatula Turner, VOVOLY 3-Pack Spatula Set for Nonstick Cookware, BPA Free Rubber Spatulas, Heat Resistant Kitchen Utensil, No Scratch or Melting, Ideal for Egg, Cookie, Crepe, Burger, Pancake.” Most, maybe all, will be eligible for Prime. Other listings will disclose, usually in small gray text, that they’re “sponsored.” (Of the 81 clickable, buyable products on my first page of search results for “spatula” - product listings, banners, and recommendation modules - 29, or more than a third, were some form of ad.) Some of them will appear identical to one another or even share the same product photos with different names and prices. Some of the spatulas you encounter first will carry brand names you’ve heard of before, like KitchenAid or Rubbermaid, while others will have names like IOCBYHZ, BANKKY, or KLAQQED. You have, it is implied, thousands of options within immediate reach Amazon presents them to you in a particular but mostly unexplained order. In response, Amazon will produce a very large list presented in a large paginated grid or, on a phone, a bottomless scroll.

You might start your journey by typing the word “spatula” into the search box with a qualifier or two (“silicone,” “fish,” “magenta”). Let’s say you’re a regular Amazon shopper in need of a spatula.

Amazon online order