Walmart Affiliate API vs SerpApi Google Shopping API for AI agents
Walmart Affiliate API is Walmart I/O's set of REST services for affiliates to search Walmart.com products and earn referral fees. SerpApi Google Shopping API is a paid third-party API that scrapes Google Shopping results and returns them as JSON.
The short answer
- Walmart Affiliate API: Affiliate publishers in the Impact network who want live Walmart.com prices and availability 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
| Walmart Affiliate API | SerpApi Google Shopping API | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Text search of the Walmart.com catalogue for items sold online, item lookup by item ID or UPC, taxonomy, reviews, trending items and recommendations; several categories are excluded. | Google Shopping results for a query, localised by country (gl) and location. |
| Returns | Item data including real-time price and availability; a responseGroup parameter sets which item fields come back. | Position, title, price, rating, source (store) and a link per result, plus a token for a detailed product page. |
| Before the first call | A Walmart.com account to log in to walmart.io, a registered application with an uploaded public key (which creates a consumer ID), and an Impact Radius publisher ID passed on calls. | 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: calls carry your Impact Radius publisher ID and you earn referral fees when shoppers buy on Walmart.com. | Each result links to its Google Shopping page and names the store; no checkout. |
| Limits on keeping or showing results | Not stated on its pages | 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. |
| Coverage | Walmart.com (United States). | 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 Walmart Affiliate API?
A Walmart.com account to log in to walmart.io, a registered application with an uploaded public key (which creates a consumer ID), and an Impact Radius publisher ID passed on calls.
Is Walmart Affiliate 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.
Walmart Affiliate API, read on October 15, 2026:
- walmart.io/apidocs/affiliates/introduction: “a useful collection of RESTful services that allow developers to earn referral fees”
- walmart.io/apidocs/affiliates/introduction: “Several categories are excluded from the API calls.”
- walmart.io/apidocs/affiliates/affiliate-marketing-api: “Perform text search on the Walmart.com catalogue and get matching items available for sale online.”
- walmart.io/apidocs/affiliates/affiliate-marketing-api: “Get real time item status including price and availability”
- walmart.io/apidocs/affiliates/affiliate-marketing-api: “Your Impact Radius Publisher Id”
- walmart.io/apidocs/affiliates/quickstart: “After the public key is uploaded, consumer id will be created for your application.”
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”