Mercado Libre API Essential Guide

What type of API does Mercado Libre provide?

Based on the information available, it is most likely that Mercado Libre uses a REST API. This inference is based on the following reasons:

1. REST APIs are widely used in e-commerce and marketplace platforms due to their simplicity and scalability.
2. The search results mention that REST APIs are well-suited for building web and mobile applications, as well as microservices architectures, which aligns with the needs of a platform like Mercado Libre.
3. There is no mention of Mercado Libre using SOAP or GraphQL, which would be notable if they were using these less common API types for e-commerce platforms.

To get a definitive answer, you would need to check Mercado Libre's official developer documentation, look for any public API references or documentation provided by Mercado Libre, or contact their developer support directly for confirmation.

Does the Mercado Libre API have webhooks?

Yes, the official Mercado Libre API does have webhooks. Webhooks are used to receive notifications about various events that occur on the Mercado Libre platform.

Mercado Libre offers several topics that you can subscribe to for receiving notifications via webhooks. Some of the key event types include:

1. Items: Notifications for changes on published items.
2. Questions: Notifications for questions asked or answered.
3. Payments: Notifications for payment creation and status changes.
4. Messages: Notifications for new messages received.
5. Orders_v2: Notifications for creation and changes to confirmed sales.
6. Shipments: Notifications for creation and changes to shipping for confirmed sales.
7. Orders feedback: Notifications for creation and changes in feedbacks of confirmed sales.
8. Claims: Notifications related to sales claims.
9. Item competition: Notifications when competing catalog posts change status.
10. Public offers: Notifications when an offer on an item is created or changes status.
11. Stock locations: Notifications when stock locations of user products are modified.
12. Catalog suggestions: Notifications about status changes of product suggestions for the catalog.
13. Stock fulfillment: Notifications with details of operations executed on stock stored in FBM warehouses.
14. Items_prices: Notifications when item prices are created, updated, or deleted.

Webhooks provide a real-time feed of changes that occur on different resources of the Mercado Libre API. They are an efficient way to stay updated without continuously querying the API. Mercado Libre sends notifications as HTTP POST requests to the specified endpoint. For enhanced security, Mercado Libre uses a secret signature to validate that the notifications were sent by them. Mercado Libre also provides a notifications simulator to help developers test and map various webhook scenarios.

It's important to note that the availability of certain topics may vary depending on the specific Mercado Libre site (e.g., some topics are only available in certain countries).

Rate Limits and other limitations

Based on the search results provided, here are the key points regarding the API Rate Limits of the Mercado Libre API:

1. Rate limit restriction:

   • The API has a rate limit of 1500 requests per minute per seller [3].
   • If you exceed this limit, you will receive an empty response with a 429 status code [3].

2. Listing limits:

   • There are limits on the number of active listings a seller can have, which vary based on the seller's reputation level [5].
   • These limits are specific to each marketplace (site) the seller operates in [5].

3. Listing limits by reputation level:

   • Green Platinum and Green Gold: 50,000 listings
   • Green Silver: 20,000 listings
   • Green and Light Green: 10,000 listings
   • Yellow: 3,000 listings
   • Orange, Red, and Newbie: 1,000 listings [5]

4. Checking listing limits:

   • Sellers can check their listing limits using the following API endpoint: GET https://api.mercadolibre.com/marketplace/users/cap [5]
   • This endpoint returns information including the user_id, site_id, logistic_type, quota (listing limit), and total_items (current active listings) for each marketplace the seller is active in [5].

5. Other considerations:

   • The API documentation doesn't mention any daily or monthly request limits, focusing instead on the per-minute rate limit.
   • The listing limits are separate from the API rate limits and are based on the seller's reputation rather than API usage.

It's important to note that while these are the current limits, API policies can change over time. Developers should always refer to the most up-to-date documentation provided by Mercado Libre for the most accurate information on rate limits and usage restrictions.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results provided, I couldn't find a specific mention of the most recent version of the Mercado Libre API. However, I can provide some relevant information about the Mercado Libre API and its documentation:

Key Points:

1. Mercado Libre provides a comprehensive API for developers to interact with their platform.

2. The API documentation is available on their developer site, which includes various resources and guides for different functionalities.

3. Mercado Libre regularly updates their API and introduces new features and endpoints.

API Resources:

The Mercado Libre API covers a wide range of functionalities, including:

• Items and searches
• Orders and shipments
• Questions and answers
• Promotions
• Metrics and analytics
• Claims and moderations
• Mercado Ads

Recent Updates:

While the search results don't mention a specific version number, they do indicate some recent updates to the API:

• A new version of the seller-promotions API (version=v2) was introduced, requiring developers to adapt their implementations.
• A new endpoint (/$user_ID/shipping_options/free) was added for getting correct information about shipping costs.
• Changes to listing types and exposures, allowing the creation of Classic type listings for MCO.
• Introduction of a new field "acos_top_search_target" to replace the current field "acos_top_modifier".

Best Practices:

1. Always check the official Mercado Libre developer documentation for the most up-to-date information on API versions and changes.

2. Subscribe to Mercado Libre's developer news or announcements to stay informed about API updates and new features.

3. When implementing the API, use the latest available endpoints and follow the recommended practices provided in the documentation.

4. Test your integrations thoroughly, especially after API updates, to ensure compatibility and proper functionality.

In conclusion, while I couldn't provide the exact version number of the most recent Mercado Libre API, it's clear that the API is actively maintained and updated. Developers should refer to the official documentation and stay informed about the latest changes to ensure they are using the most recent and appropriate version of the API for their needs.

How to get a Mercado Libre developer account and API Keys?

Register an Account

1. Go to the Mercado Libre Developers site (https://developers.mercadolibre.com).

2. Click on "Register" or "Sign Up" to create a new account if you don't already have one.

3. Fill out the required information to create your account.

Create an Application

1. Once logged in, go to "My Applications".

2. Click on "Create New Application".

3. Fill out the application details:

   • Name: Choose a unique name for your application
   • Short name: Used to generate the URL for your application
   • Description: Provide a brief description (up to 150 characters)

4. Set the Callback URL: This is where users will be redirected after granting access to your app.

5. Choose the required scopes:

   • Read: For using GET methods
   • Write: For using PUT, POST, and DELETE methods
   • Offline Access: For server-side requests and refresh tokens

6. Configure notification settings if needed.

Obtain API Credentials

After creating your application, you'll receive:

1. Client ID: This is your application's unique identifier.

2. Client Secret: This is your application's password. Keep it secure and don't share it.

What can you do with the Mercado Libre API?

Based on the search results, here are the key data models you can interact with using the Mercado Libre API:

Users & Applications

• Manage users
• User addresses
• Bookmarks

Items & Listings

• List products
• Set product prices
• Set categories for products
• Item descriptions
• Item variations
• Item pictures
• Relist items
• Sync and modify listings

Orders & Sales

• Shopping cart orders
• Shipments
• Payments
• Feedback on sales
• Order notes

Questions & Answers

• Manage questions and answers

Shipping

• Calculate shipping costs & handling time
• Manage shipments
• Track order status

Billing & Invoicing

• Billing data
• Upload invoices
• Billing reports
• Tax data

Promotions & Campaigns

• Manage promotions
• Create campaigns (traditional, co-funded, volume discount, etc.)

Metrics & Analytics

• Seller reputation
• Listing quality
• Visits

Categories & Attributes

• Browse categories
• Get category attributes

Locations & Currencies

• Location data
• Currency information

Notifications

• Subscribe to notifications

The API allows interacting with core marketplace functionality like managing listings, orders, shipping, promotions, and more. It provides access to both seller-specific data as well as general marketplace data. The exact capabilities may vary based on the specific API endpoints and permissions granted.