Amazon Creators API vs Google Shopping for AI agents
Amazon Creators API is Amazon's REST product catalog API for Amazon Associates, which replaced the deprecated Product Advertising API 5.0. Google's commerce developer tools are for sellers: Merchant API manages a merchant's own Merchant Center products, and UCP on Google lets merchants sell inside AI Mode in Search and Gemini.
The short answer
- Amazon Creators API: Affiliate publishers who already earn Amazon Associates sales and want live Amazon catalog data with tracked links.
- Google Shopping: Merchants who want their products shown and sold in Google Shopping, AI Mode and Gemini, not developers who want to search products.
Side by side
| Amazon Creators API | Google Shopping | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Amazon's product catalog by keyword, filters and browse node (SearchItems), plus item lookup by ASIN, product variations and the category tree. | – |
| Returns | Product details for items, their variations and browse-node (category) information; GetItems takes up to 10 item IDs per call. | – |
| Before the first call | An approved Amazon Associates account for the target marketplace with at least 10 qualifying sales in the past 30 days, then registration for API access in Associates Central and generated credentials (OAuth 2.0 client credentials). | Merchant API needs a Merchant Center account and a Google Cloud project; UCP on Google is joined through a waitlist. |
| Acting on a result | Affiliate links: results are tied to your Associates Partner Tag, and buying happens on Amazon; the Associates rules forbid you placing orders on an Amazon site. | Nothing for outside agents; UCP checkout happens inside Google's own AI Mode and Gemini. |
| Limits on keeping or showing results | Product data other than images may be cached for up to 24 hours; images may not be stored (image links up to 24 hours); ASINs may be kept indefinitely. Shown prices need a date/time stamp. | – |
| AI in its terms | Program content may not be used to develop or improve large language, multimodal or machine-learning models. Separate Agent Terms require any agent using the content to identify itself in every request and not conceal that it is an agent. | – |
| Coverage | Amazon marketplaces worldwide; credentials work across marketplaces, but API access must be approved in each region and needs a Partner Tag for that marketplace. | – |
| MCP server | No official server listed | – |
Where Openpath fits
Openpath has no products listed yet. Sellers can list a product on Openpath today, free, and agents will find it through the same search as jobs and businesses. Get listed.
Questions people ask
What do I need before I can use Amazon Creators API?
An approved Amazon Associates account for the target marketplace with at least 10 qualifying sales in the past 30 days, then registration for API access in Associates Central and generated credentials (OAuth 2.0 client credentials).
Is Amazon Creators API free?
Its pages listed no free use when we read them on October 15, 2026.
Sources
Every line about another company comes from its own pages. Prices and terms change, so check the source before you rely on one.
Amazon Creators API, read on October 15, 2026:
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/paapiv5-deprecation: “The Amazon Product Advertising API 5.0 (PA-API 5) has been deprecated and is being replaced by the Creators API.”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/paapiv5-deprecation: “Product Advertising API is deprecated. Please migrate to Creators API using the migration guide at”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/introduction: “The Creators API is a REST-based API that provides programmatic access to Amazon's product catalog data”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/introduction: “Search for products using keywords, filters, and browse nodes”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/introduction: “Have at least 10 qualifying sales within the past 30 days to access the PA API through the Creators API”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/introduction: “Be enrolled in the Amazon Associates program for your target marketplace”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/frequently-asked-questions: “You will need a valid Partner Tag for the target marketplace and Creators API access approved in that region.”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi/docs/en-us/frequently-asked-questions: “Yes. Your credentials work globally across all marketplaces.”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/policies: “You may store other Product Advertising Content that does not consist of images for caching purposes for up to 24 hours”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/policies: “you may store individual Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs) for an indefinite period”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/policies: “You will include a date/time stamp adjacent to your display of pricing or availability information”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/policies: “You will not make any orders or engage in other transactions of any kind on an Amazon Site”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/policies: “develop or improve large language or multimodal models, machine learning models or related technology”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/policies: “No Agent may access, use, or interact with Program Content unless, at all times, it identifies itself”
- affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/policies: “Not conceal or obfuscate that any access, use, or interactions are from an Agent”
Google Shopping, read on October 15, 2026:
- developers.google.com/merchant/api/overview: “The Merchant API enables automation of account, product, and inventory management within Merchant Center”
- developers.google.com/merchant/ucp: “Adopt UCP to enable agentic actions on AI Mode in Google Search and Gemini, starting with direct buying.”
- developers.google.com/merchant/ucp: “You remain the Merchant of Record.”
- developers.google.com/merchant/ucp: “Join the waitlist”
- developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview: “The Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers.”
- developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview: “Existing Custom Search JSON API customers have until January 1, 2027 to transition to an alternative solution.”