Amazon Releases Modern Selling Partner API (SP-API)
The new Amazon SP-API automates delivers updated approach for automated operations, analytics, and seller insights
Amazon has released the next-generation version of the Amazon Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS) called the Selling Partner API (SP-API).
The Selling Partner API is a REST-based system to access their data on listings programmatically, orders, payments, reports, etc. Like MWS did, the new API allows sellers the ability to automate access to data for selling efficiency, automate manual processing, discovers insights as to when customers may be more likely to purchase, optimize ad spend, inform inventory management decisions, target special offers, and promotions.
Why the change from Amazon MWS to the Selling Partner API?
The new SP-API reflects a modernization of MWS APIs. MWS has been offering programmatic access to Amazon for more than ten years, but the technology reflected that age. While MWS has performed well, the update to a modern approach will be a welcome one for sellers and developers. Kudos to Amazon for making the move.
What is the Selling Partner API?
As part of the move to the new API, Amazon is offering parity with current MWS data feeds, plus they are adding a dozen net new data feeds. This means familiar resources like reports, orders, inventory, and many others will look very familiar to those using the new API.
One of the changes Amazon highlighted will be including APIs for vendors. Yes, you read that correctly. Historically, vendors have had difficult and complex workflows with accessing their data. Amazon will be supporting vendors directly with the new API. Hallelujah!
From a tech perspective, the SP-API leverage a collection of standards-based REST APIs. The API embraces a JSON-based REST API standard, OAuth2.0 authorization (Login with Amazon), and a test API endpoint. Amazon has committed to ensuring that functionality currently available in Amazon MWS is maintained.
The SP-API will offer a global footprint and support all Amazon stores where Amazon MWS is supported today.
Another change will be the new API will leverage a different dynamic usage plan rate limit model:
Dynamic usage plans are designed to reduce throttling when compared to Amazon MWS. Today, in Amazon MWS, rate limits are applied uniformly without considering the business size or changing business needs. With dynamic usage plans in the Selling Partner API, you can move from a one-size-fits-all design to an approach that emphasizes right-sizing the rate limits for each selling partner based on business context and changing needs over time.
Moving to a right-sized model for limits will improve the reliability and predictability of working with the API.
How does the Amazon Selling Partner API benefit my business?
As MWS did, the new Seller Partner API offers direct, programmatic access to your data. Direct access allows you to take control of the data that fuels e-commerce operations.
The SP-API will allow you to unlock Amazon data silos securely into your private data lake or cloud warehouse technologies like BigQuery, AWS Athena, Azure Data Lake, AWS Redshift, or Redshift Spectrum, and Snowflake.
With your seller data unlocked, you can turbocharge reporting, analytics, and insights tools like Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Looker, Grow, and many others. Here is an example of the types of reports the API data can fuel:
If you are undertaking manual report downloading, file manipulation, and processing of downloaded CSVs, tapping into the API is a must. In a fast-paced e-commerce environment, manual processes are just too slow and prone to error. Keep in mind your competitors have found a faster, more useful approach: API automation.
Getting Started with the Seller Partner API
There is no need to hire a Seller Partner API developer or build your integrations. Openbridge fully supports the legacy of Amazon MWS APIs and is adopting the new Selling Partner APIs. As the SP-API matures, we will migrate legacy Amazon Amazon MWS services to the new model.
By using a pre-built, fully-managed Amazon MWS (and upcoming Amazon SP-API connector), sellers can increase selling efficiency, reduce labor requirements, and improve customer response time. Scale swiftly and accelerate your Seller operations with our world-class data integration service.
Get started with Amazon MWS today and then transition to the Seller Partner API when it is released. Learn more about API automated for Amazon here:
Code-free, fully-automated Amazon MWS API Connector
References
Amazon Releases Modern Selling Partner API (SP-API) was originally published in Openbridge on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
source https://blog.openbridge.com/amazon-releases-modern-selling-partner-api-sp-api-2a5641341c28?source=rss----4c5221789b3---4