Most wishlist tools follow the same playbook:
download an app, create an account, allow notifications, and then – maybe – you can share a list.
But when we looked at what users actually struggle with, a few patterns stood out:
- They don’t want another app on their phone.
- They want to add items from any store, not just Amazon.
- And they lose the element of surprise when someone buys a gift from a shared list.
So we built cadou.me differently.
The problem with “app‑first” wishlists
Existing solutions often feel heavy.
You’re forced to install something, sign up with an email, and then convince your friends to do the same. By the time everyone is onboard, the friction kills the use case.
Also, most wishlists are closed ecosystems.
Amazon’s wishlist works – but only if everyone shops on Amazon. They don’t.
Other apps limit you to their own catalogs or require manual entry for every item.
And one more thing: no surprise.
When you share a traditional wishlist, everyone sees who reserved what. The gift is spoiled before it’s even wrapped.
How cadou.me solves these three problems
We designed cadou.me as a browser‑first online wishlist. No installation. No app store. Just a link you can share anywhere.
1. Works without an app
Open cadou.me in any browser – desktop, mobile, tablet. Create a wishlist in under ten seconds. Share the link. That’s it.
Most users we talked to preferred not installing an app for something they use occasionally. This turned out to be useful in practice – non‑tech users (grandparents, friends who hate new apps) can open it without any hurdles.
2. Add from any online store
Paste a product URL from Etsy, eBay, Shopify, or a local boutique. cadou.me automatically pulls the title, image, and price. No manual copying.
No lock‑in to a single marketplace. If it’s sold online, it belongs on your wishlist.
3. Surprise mode (arguably the most interesting part)
When someone wants to buy you a gift from your list, they click “reserve”. The item becomes locked so nobody else buys the same thing. But the buyer stays anonymous until the gift is delivered.
The surprise is preserved. No more “oh, I see you bought me the blue sweater”.
It feels closer to a real gift exchange than a transaction log.
What about discovery? Users don’t always know what they want
Another observation: people often create a wishlist and then… stare at an empty page. They don’t know what to add.
So we added curated collections, articles, and themed storefronts.
You can browse gift ideas by category or see popular items – it helps when users don’t know what to add yet. Nothing fancy, just practical navigation.
Under the hood (for the dev.to audience)
We kept the tech simple on purpose:
- URL parsing – fetches Open Graph and schema data from product pages. Fallback to page title + main image.
- Reservation system – database locking per user per item. Anonymous until marked “purchased & delivered”.
- No WebSockets – polling for reservations. Lower complexity, and for a wishlist it’s fast enough. Polling instead of WebSockets keeps things simple, but it does mean short delays in edge cases (e.g., two people reserving the same item within a second). We accept that trade‑off.
Stack: Node.js + Postgres on a basic VPS. Handles hundreds of active lists without issues.
Why no mobile app yet?
We get this question sometimes. “When will you launch on iOS and Android?”
The honest answer: not until it solves a real problem.
Adding an app creates friction – installation, permissions, updates. A browser‑based create wishlist tool is instantly accessible. No “download our app” popup. No broken links.
If the web version reaches 10k daily active users, we’ll consider a PWA. For now, the web‑first approach seems to match what users actually prefer.
Monetization without ruining the experience
cadou.me is free for all core features.
We run small affiliate links on curated collections – if someone buys through a recommendation, we earn a tiny commission. No ads, no paywalls.
Premium features (custom domains, analytics for power users) may come later, but creating and sharing a wishlist will stay free.
Try it if you’re curious
You can check it out at cadou.me if you want to see how it works.
Feedback or feature requests? Comments are open – we’re actively improving it.
P.S. “Cadou” means “gift” in Romanian. That’s the whole idea.
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