Amazon Creators API vs SerpApi Google Shopping API 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. SerpApi Google Shopping API is a paid third-party API that scrapes Google Shopping results and returns them as JSON.
The short answer
- Amazon Creators API: Affiliate publishers who already earn Amazon Associates sales and want live Amazon catalog data with tracked links.
- SerpApi Google Shopping API: Seeing what Google Shopping shows for a query, across many stores, without a seller account.
Side by side
| Amazon Creators API | SerpApi Google Shopping API | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Amazon's product catalog by keyword, filters and browse node (SearchItems), plus item lookup by ASIN, product variations and the category tree. | Google Shopping results for a query, localised by country (gl) and location. |
| Returns | Product details for items, their variations and browse-node (category) information; GetItems takes up to 10 item IDs per call. | Position, title, price, rating, source (store) and a link per result, plus a token for a detailed product page. |
| 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). | A SerpApi account and API key. |
| Free | Not stated on its pages | Free plan: 250 searches a month; only successful searches count. |
| Paid | Not stated on its pages | Starter plan $25 a month for 1,000 searches. |
| 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. | Each result links to its Google Shopping page and names the store; no checkout. |
| 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. | SerpApi keeps search data for 31 days, or not at all with its ZeroTrace mode (Enterprise only); its legal cover is for collecting the data, not for how you use it. |
| 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. | Not stated on its pages |
| 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. | Any country Google Shopping serves, chosen with the gl country code. |
| MCP server | No official server listed | Official hosted MCP server at mcp.serpapi.com (needs a SerpApi API key). |
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.
What do I need before I can use SerpApi Google Shopping API?
A SerpApi account and API key.
Is SerpApi Google Shopping API free?
Free plan: 250 searches a month; only successful searches count.
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”
SerpApi Google Shopping API, read on October 15, 2026:
- serpapi.com/google-shopping-api: “Scrape Google Shopping results automatically with SerpApi. Position, price, rating, source, link, and more”
- serpapi.com/google-shopping-api: “Parameter defines the country to use for the Google search. It's a two-letter country code.”
- serpapi.com/pricing: “Only successful searches are counted toward your monthly searches. Cached, errored, and failed searches are not.”
- serpapi.com/legal: “Search data is retained for 31 days after the search is completed, after which it expires and is deleted automatically.”
- serpapi.com/legal: “SerpApi assumes liability for the lawful collection of public search data ... not for how that data is ultimately used.”
- serpapi.com/integrations/mcp: “SerpApi MCP Server is available as a hosted service at mcp.serpapi.com.”
- serpapi.com/pricing: “Free $ 0 / month Get Started 250 searches per month”
- serpapi.com/pricing: “Starter $ 25 / month Get Started 1,000 searches per month”