Shopee API Essential Guide

Aug 11, 2024 • 6 minute read

What type of API does Shopee provide?

Shopee's API Type

Shopee uses a REST API, specifically Open API v2.0.

Key Details About Shopee's REST API

It requires common parameters like partner_id, timestamp, sign, access_token, shop_id, and merchant_id for authentication and authorization.
It supports both GET and POST request types.
Access tokens are required to obtain and modify seller data-related APIs. Each access token is valid for 4 hours.
It uses SHA256 algorithm for generating signatures.

Does the Shopee API have webhooks?

Based on the search results provided, I do not have specific information about whether the official Shopee API has webhooks or what events can be subscribed to. The search results focus more on general information about the Shopee Open Platform and its APIs, but do not mention webhooks explicitly.

Here are the key points from the available information:

Shopee Open Platform Overview

Shopee Open Platform provides a range of Open APIs for developers to integrate with Shopee's e-commerce platform.
It offers APIs for various functionalities including orders, products, marketing, and more.
The platform aims to support developers in creating customized software services for Shopee sellers.

API Features

Shopee Open API provides access to important shop data for sellers, including information for product, order, and campaign management.
The APIs are available in all Shopee markets, allowing integration with a single set of APIs even for multi-market operations.

Developer Support

Shopee Open Platform offers comprehensive developer services, including support for onboarding, app development, testing, release, and maintenance.
Developers can access API testing tools, test accounts, and sandbox testing environments.

Who Can Use the APIs

The platform caters to two types of developers:
1. Software service providers who can create apps for sellers' needs
2. Sellers with software development capabilities who want to integrate their systems with Shopee

API Integration Process

Shopee provides an overview of steps for API integration, including account registration, app management, API calls, and push mechanism notifications.

While the search results provide valuable information about Shopee's API offerings, they do not specifically address the question about webhooks or event subscriptions. To get accurate information about webhooks and subscribable events, it would be best to consult the official Shopee API documentation or contact their developer support directly.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Unfortunately, I couldn't find specific information about the API rate limits for the Shopee API in the provided search results. The search results don't contain direct details about Shopee's API rate limits. However, I can provide some general information about API rate limits and what you might expect:

General API Rate Limit Considerations

Most APIs implement rate limits to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage among all users.
Rate limits are typically defined in terms of:
- Number of requests per second
- Number of requests per minute
- Number of requests per hour
- Number of requests per day
Different endpoints within an API may have different rate limits.
Some APIs use token bucket algorithms or leaky bucket algorithms to manage rate limiting.

Shopee API Specifics

While we don't have exact information about Shopee's rate limits, here are some key points to consider:

Shopee likely implements some form of rate limiting to protect their services.
To get accurate information about Shopee's API rate limits, you would need to:
- Check Shopee's official API documentation
- Contact Shopee's developer support team
- Look for rate limit headers in API responses when making requests
Shopee may provide different rate limits for different types of accounts or API keys.
The rate limits might vary depending on the specific API endpoint you're using.

Best Practices

When working with any API, including Shopee's:

Implement proper error handling to catch and respond to rate limit errors (usually HTTP 429 Too Many Requests).
Consider implementing retry logic with exponential backoff for rate limit errors.
Monitor your API usage to ensure you're not approaching or exceeding limits.
If you need higher rate limits, contact Shopee's support to inquire about options for increased access.

To get the most accurate and up-to-date information about Shopee's API rate limits, it's best to consult their official documentation or reach out to their developer support team directly.

Latest API Version

Unfortunately, I could not find a specific version number for the most recent Shopee API in the provided search results. However, I can provide some relevant information about Shopee's API versions:

Key Points:

Shopee has moved from OpenAPI 1.0 to OpenAPI 2.0 [^5].
OpenAPI 2.0 is the current upgraded version of Shopee's API [^5].
Shopee announced in May 2022 that sellers must upgrade from API 1.0 to 2.0 [^5].
OpenAPI 1.0 was discontinued in phases, with the final phase ending on December 26, 2022 [^5].

Features of OpenAPI 2.0:

New authorization and authentication method
New Media module for video and image uploading
Chat module for seller-buyer communication management
Improvements to core modules like listing, order, fulfillment, and payment
Support for more marketing tools
Optimized error messages [^5]

Implications:

Sellers using API-based extensions or integrations for Shopee must migrate to the 2.0 version [^5].
Not migrating to 2.0 can cause issues with uploading products, order management, updating information, and real-time syncing [^5].

While the exact version number is not specified, it's clear that OpenAPI 2.0 is the current and most recent version of Shopee's API that sellers should be using. Sellers still on 1.0 need to upgrade to avoid functionality issues.

[^5]: Shopee API 1.0 Ending Soon: Migrate to Shopee OpenAPI 2.0

How to get a Shopee developer account and API Keys?

To get a developer account for Shopee to create an API integration, you need to follow these steps:

Go to the Shopee Open Platform homepage and select "Log In" > "Sign up"
Fill in your email address and verify it with the code sent to your inbox
Set a password for your account

2. Choose your account type

There are three main account types:

Individual Seller - For individuals selling on Shopee without a business license
Registered Business Seller - For businesses selling on Shopee with a registered license
Third-party Partner Platform (ISV) - For businesses providing services to Shopee sellers

Choose the account type that best fits your situation. Third-party Partner Platform is likely the most appropriate for API integration.

3. Meet eligibility criteria

For Third-party Partner Platforms, key criteria include:

Being a registered business with valid business documents
Having a live product with existing ecommerce integrations
Providing a live product URL using HTTPS and TLS 1.2
Submitting trial account login details for testing

4. Submit profile for approval

Log in to the Shopee Open Platform Console
Go to App Management > App List
Choose your account type and fill in the required business information
For Third-party Partners, provide software service details including login URL and test account

5. Wait for approval

Shopee will review your profile and approve your developer account if you meet all criteria.

Key points to consider:

Make sure you meet all eligibility requirements before applying
Provide complete and accurate information in your profile
Be prepared to share details about your existing integrations and services
The approval process may take some time, so be patient

Once approved, you'll be able to create apps and access the Shopee Open APIs to build your integration. Make sure to review the API documentation and best practices as you get started with development.

What can you do with the Shopee API?

Based on the search results provided, here is a list of data models you can interact with using the Shopee API, along with what is possible for each:

Product Data

Search for products by keyword and category
Get detailed product information including:
- Description
- Price
- Stock levels
- Sales data
- Product variants
Manage product listings and inventory

Order Data

Access order management information
Retrieve order details

Shop Data

Search for shops by keyword
Get comprehensive shop details like:
- Description
- Opening date
- Product counts
- Performance metrics
Retrieve shop products

Category Data

Get hierarchical category trees
Access detailed category information

Review Data

Retrieve buyer ratings and reviews, including:
- Comments
- Media attachments

Marketing Data

Access campaign management information
Get official shop listings, filtered by category if needed

Keyword Data

Get keyword suggestions and autocompletion hints

Logistics Data

Manage first mile binding
Handle return and refund management

Chat Data

Interact with chat APIs (best practices provided)

Pricing Data

Manage stock and price information

Advertising Data

Access on-platform ads API

The Shopee API provides a comprehensive set of endpoints to interact with various aspects of the e-commerce platform, allowing developers to build applications for shop operations, marketing, order fulfillment, product optimization, and more.