Amazon Seller Central API Essential Guide

What type of API does Amazon Seller Central provide?

Key Points:

1. The search results do not contain specific information about Amazon Seller Central's API type.

2. Amazon Web Services (AWS) supports both REST and GraphQL APIs through different services.

3. REST (Representational State Transfer) and GraphQL are two popular API architecture styles.

Amazon's API Offerings:

1. Amazon API Gateway:

   • Supports creating REST APIs
   • Fully managed service for creating, publishing, maintaining, monitoring, and securing APIs at any scale

2. AWS AppSync:

   • Creates serverless GraphQL and publish-subscribe (pub/sub) APIs
   • Allows interaction with multiple data sources like SQL, NoSQL, search data, REST endpoints, and microservices with a single network call

REST vs GraphQL:

1. REST APIs:

   • Use multiple endpoints in the form of URLs to define resources
   • Return data in a fixed structure defined by the server
   • Good for simple data sources where resources are well defined

2. GraphQL APIs:

   • Use a single URL endpoint
   • Return data in a flexible structure defined by the client
   • Good for large, complex, and interrelated data sources

Best Practices:

When choosing an API type, consider factors such as:

1. The complexity of your data structure
2. The flexibility needed in data retrieval
3. Performance requirements
4. Ease of implementation and maintenance

While we don't have specific information about Amazon Seller Central's API, it's likely that Amazon uses either REST or GraphQL for their APIs, given their widespread use of these technologies in other services.

Does the Amazon Seller Central API have webhooks?

Based on the search results provided, it appears that the official Amazon Seller Central API does not have traditional webhooks. However, there are some alternatives and related features to be aware of:

Key Points:

1. No traditional webhooks: The Amazon Seller Central API does not offer traditional webhook functionality like many other e-commerce platforms.

2. Notifications API: Amazon does provide a Notifications API that allows subscribing to push notifications for certain events. However, this is not the same as traditional webhooks that send HTTP POST requests to a specified URL.

3. AWS services for notifications: Amazon forces users to use AWS services like SQS or EventBridge with their Notifications API, rather than providing direct webhooks.

4. Limited event types: The available notification types appear to be limited. There is mention of an "AnyOfferChangedNotification" but it's unclear if order notifications are available.

5. Roadmap for improvements: An Amazon representative mentioned in April 2022 that more event-driven push notifications, specifically for order status, were on their roadmap. However, there have been no updates since then.

6. Manual onboarding: For some Amazon services like Amazon Shipping, developers need to be manually onboarded to receive push notifications.

Considerations:

• The lack of traditional webhooks is a significant limitation compared to other e-commerce platforms.
• Developers may need to implement polling mechanisms or use AWS-specific services to get real-time updates.
• The available event types may not cover all use cases, particularly for order notifications.
• The manual onboarding process for some services could be a bottleneck for integration.

Summary:

While the Amazon Seller Central API does not offer traditional webhooks, they do provide some notification capabilities through their Notifications API and AWS services. However, these solutions may not be as straightforward or flexible as webhooks offered by other platforms. Developers should be prepared to work with AWS-specific services and potentially limited event types when integrating with Amazon's seller ecosystem.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Here are the key points about API rate limits for the Amazon Seller Central API (also known as the Selling Partner API or SP-API):

Standard Usage Plans

• Most Selling Partner APIs have standard usage plans with static rate limits for all callers.
• The default rate limits for each API operation are published in the API reference documentation.
• Rate limits are defined in terms of:
  • Rate: Number of requests per second that can be made without throttling.
  • Burst: Maximum number of requests that can be made simultaneously if the token bucket is full.

Dynamic Usage Plans

• Some APIs have dynamic usage plans where limits are automatically adjusted based on the seller's business needs.
• Dynamic limits can change over time, but are not increased just because an application makes more frequent API requests.

Rate Limit Information

• Current rate limits are returned in the x-amzn-RateLimit-Limit response header for successful requests (HTTP 20x, 400, 404).
• This header is provided on a best-effort basis and may not always be present.

Best Practices

• Implement a rate limiter in your code to manage request frequency.
• Monitor API activity against your rate limits.
• Catch and handle 429 "Too Many Requests" errors.
• Reduce unnecessary API requests through caching and optimizing code.
• Stagger requests and use queues to manage traffic.

Handling Rate Limit Changes

• Rate limits could be raised at any time.
• If limits are lowered, Amazon will communicate this in advance.
• For dynamic plans, limits auto-adjust based on business context.

Testing

• You can test 429 error handling in the sandbox environment.
• However, you cannot test actual rate limits in the sandbox as all operations share the same rate.

By following these guidelines and best practices, developers can effectively manage their API usage within the rate limits provided by Amazon's Seller Central API.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results provided, the most recent version of the Amazon Seller Central API (also known as Selling Partner API or SP-API) appears to be:

Amazon Warehousing and Distribution API v2024-05-09

This is the most recent API version mentioned in the search results [1]. It allows sellers to track inventory inside Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) distribution centers and track shipments going into AWD distribution centers.

Key points to consider:

• The Amazon Seller Central API is now referred to as the Selling Partner API (SP-API) [3].

• SP-API is a REST-based API that helps Amazon selling partners programmatically access their data [2].

• There are multiple APIs within the SP-API ecosystem, each covering different aspects of selling on Amazon [3][5].

• Other recent API versions mentioned include:

  • Application Management API v2023-11-30 [1]
  • Supply Sources API v2020-07-01 [1]
  • Product Pricing API v2022-05-01 [1]

• Amazon regularly updates and releases new versions of their APIs, so it's important to check the official documentation for the most up-to-date information [1].

Best practices:

1. Always refer to the official Amazon Selling Partner API documentation for the most current information on API versions and capabilities [3].

2. When integrating with SP-API, use the latest stable version of the API you need for your specific use case.

3. Stay informed about API updates and new releases by regularly checking the SP-API release notes [1].

4. Consider using Amazon's provided SDKs and tools to simplify integration with SP-API [3].

5. Familiarize yourself with the various API models and use case guides available in the documentation to ensure you're using the most appropriate API for your needs [5].

How to get a Amazon Seller Central developer account and API Keys?

To get a developer account for Amazon Seller Central and create an API integration, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a Seller Central Account

1. Go to the Amazon Seller Central website and sign up for a Professional Selling Account if you don't already have one.
2. Note that only Professional Selling Accounts can register to develop or integrate with Selling Partner API. Individual accounts are not eligible.

Step 2: Register as a Developer

1. Sign in to Seller Central using the credentials you want to associate with your developer account.
2. From the menu, select "Apps and Services", then choose "Develop Apps".
3. If you haven't completed a Developer Profile yet, click "Proceed to Developer Profile". Otherwise, click "View profile".

Step 3: Complete the Developer Profile

1. Enter your Contact Information.
2. In the Data Access section:
   • Choose "Private Developer: I build application(s) that integrate my own company with Amazon Services APIs" from the dropdown.
   • If you're already a developer, provide all your organization's developer IDs, separated by commas.
3. Select the Roles that apply to your organization.
4. Complete the rest of the profile, including security and use information to ensure compliance with Amazon's policies.

Key Points to Consider

• Review the Acceptable Use Policy, Data Protection Policy, and Amazon Services API Developer Agreement before submitting your profile.
• Ensure the tech team responsible for data security answers the security control questions in the Developer Profile application.
• The Developer Profile application has a 500-word limit. Don't copy information from Amazon policies.
• You must be a primary account user to complete registration.

After Submission

• Amazon will evaluate your information and create a case with next steps.
• You may be asked to provide additional information or documentation.
• The decision to grant or deny Selling Partner API access is based on the information you provide, including application functionality and compliance with policies.
• If you don't respond to questions about your case within five days, your case will be resolved and your SP-API access will remain unchanged.

By following these steps and considering the key points, you should be able to successfully register for a developer account on Amazon Seller Central and create an API integration.

What can you do with the Amazon Seller Central API?

Based on the provided information, here's a list of data models you can interact with using the Amazon Seller Central API (Selling Partner API) and what is possible for each:

Listings

• Create, update, and delete individual product listings (SKUs)
• Retrieve information about specific SKUs
• Update attributes like price and inventory
• Manage product variations
• Check listing restrictions and eligibility

Product Type Definitions

• Retrieve attribute and data requirements for product types in the Amazon catalog
• Get JSON schemas describing all requirements, attributes, and conditionality for specific product types

Catalog Items

• Query data from the Amazon catalog (ASINs)
• Traverse the Amazon catalog hierarchy (classifications, browse nodes)

Orders

• Access order data
• Manage regulated orders
• Handle Amazon Business orders

Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA)

• Check inbound eligibility for products
• Manage FBA inventory
• Access FBA inventory data

Merchant Fulfillment

• Manage merchant-fulfilled orders
• Access shipping and fulfillment options

Reports

• Request and retrieve various types of reports, including:
  • Analytics reports
  • Inventory reports
  • Order reports
  • Returns reports
  • Performance reports
  • Settlement reports
  • FBA reports
  • Tax reports
  • Invoice data reports
  • Browse tree reports
  • Easy Ship reports
  • Amazon Business reports
  • B2B Product Opportunities reports
  • Regulatory Compliance reports

Sales

• Access sales data (specific details not provided in the search results)

Amazon Warehousing and Distribution

• Interact with Amazon's warehousing and distribution services (specific details not provided in the search results)

Notifications

• Receive updates about listings and other events

Feeds

• Submit bulk updates for listings using JSON-based feeds

This list covers the main data models and functionalities available through the Amazon Seller Central API. Each of these areas allows for programmatic access to manage various aspects of an Amazon selling business, from creating and updating listings to managing orders and accessing various reports.