# ShopData API — Complete LLM & AI Agent Technical Reference (llms-full.txt)

> Real-time REST & Remote MCP API for global retail, social commerce, local secondhand, and cross-border wholesale e-commerce intelligence: Amazon (Search, ASIN BuyBox & SKU Matrix, Verified Reviews), Walmart, Etsy Handmade, TikTok Shop (Search + Full Product/Variants/Top Reviews), Facebook Marketplace (Search + Listing Detail), Alibaba 1688 Factory Wholesale MOQ Ladders, Taobao / Tmall, and Shopee.
> Base URL: `https://api.shopdataapi.com` | Main Website: `https://shopdataapi.com`
> Remote MCP Server (Streamable HTTP): `https://api.shopdataapi.com/mcp` | 1-Click OAuth 2.1 Connector: `https://mcp.shopdataapi.com/v1/mcp`
> AI Skill Manifest: `https://shopdataapi.com/SKILL.md` | MCP Registry Manifest: `https://shopdataapi.com/server.json`
> OpenAPI 3.1 Spec: `https://shopdataapi.com/openapi.json` | Compact Summary: `https://shopdataapi.com/llms.txt`
> Free Browser Tools: `https://shopdataapi.com/tools/ecommerce-api-pricing-calculator` | `https://shopdataapi.com/tools/wholesale-margin-calculator` | `https://shopdataapi.com/tools/amazon-asin-extractor` | Live Status: `https://shopdataapi.com/status`

## 1. Authentication, Remote MCP & Core Architecture

- **Base URL**: `https://api.shopdataapi.com`
- **Authentication Header**: Pass either `x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key` OR `Authorization: Bearer sd_live_your_api_key` on every request.
- **1-Click Remote MCP & OAuth 2.1 (Claude Web, ChatGPT Connectors, Cursor)**:
  - 1-Click OAuth 2.1 DCR + PKCE `S256` Connector URL (read-only `mcp:tools:read` scope): `https://mcp.shopdataapi.com/v1/mcp`
  - API-Key Streamable HTTP Endpoint (public `initialize` & `tools/list`): `https://api.shopdataapi.com/mcp` (alias: `https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/mcp`)
- **Free Trial & Sandbox Streak ($3.20 / 32,000 Total Free Credits)**: Every new account receives **$1.20 (12,000 Free Credits)** immediately upon sign-up at `https://shopdataapi.com/signup` with zero credit card, plus **+$2.00 (+20,000 Credits)** via the Developer Sandbox Streak (`POST /v1/rewards/claim`).
- **Zero Charge on Empty Searches & Errors**: Any search returning 0 items or 4xx/5xx error response deducts **0 Credits**.
- **Latency SLA**: Warm PostgreSQL 16 + Redis DB 4 Cache: `15–40 ms`; Live Multi-Rail Upstream Marketplace Fetch: `0.8–2.2 s`.

## 2. Pricing & Record-Based Credit System ($1 = 10,000 Credits)

| Data Type / Endpoint | Credits | PAYG ($9+) | Pro ($69/mo) | Business ($199/mo) | Batch Size |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Marketplace Search & Reviews (`/v1/*/search`, `/v1/*/reviews`) | 2 Credits / item | $0.20 / 1K items | $0.115 / 1K items | $0.08 / 1K items | 20–48 items/call |
| TikTok Shop Product, SKU Variants & Top Reviews (`/v1/tiktok-shop/product`) | 3 Credits / call | $0.30 / 1K calls | $0.17 / 1K calls | $0.12 / 1K calls | 1 full product + SKUs + reviews |
| Facebook Marketplace Search & Listing Detail (`/v1/facebook-marketplace/search`, `/v1/facebook-marketplace/item`) | 5 Credits / call | $0.50 / 1K calls | $0.29 / 1K calls | $0.20 / 1K calls | Up to 24 listings or 1 detail |
| Full Product, SKU Matrix & 1688 MOQ Detail (`/v1/amazon/product`, `/v1/walmart/product`, `/v1/1688/item`, `/v1/taobao/item`) | 10 Credits / call | $1.00 / 1K calls | $0.58 / 1K calls | $0.40 / 1K calls | 1 full product + SKU tree |

## 3. Complete Endpoint Reference & Code Samples

### Search Amazon Products & BuyBox Prices (`GET /v1/amazon/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/amazon-search
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Search real-time Amazon products by keyword across 18 marketplaces. Cost: 2 Credits / product returned (0 Credits if empty).
- **Parameters**:
  - `query` (query, required): Search keyword (aliases: q, keyword, search_term). 
  - `country` (query, optional): Amazon marketplace ISO-2 code (US, UK, DE, JP, CA, FR, IT, ES, AU, MX, IN). 
  - `page` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/amazon/search?query=ceramic+mug" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/amazon/search?query=ceramic+mug",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get Amazon Product Details & SKU Matrix by ASIN (`GET /v1/amazon/product`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/amazon-product
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Retrieve full Amazon product details, BuyBox seller, gallery images, feature bullets, and SKU variation matrix by ASIN or URL. Cost: 10 Credits / product.
- **Parameters**:
  - `asin` (query, required): 10-character Amazon ASIN or full Amazon URL. 
  - `country` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/amazon/product?asin=B0CRMP3RQT" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/amazon/product?asin=B0CRMP3RQT",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get Verified Amazon Customer Reviews by ASIN (`GET /v1/amazon/reviews`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/amazon-reviews
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Extract verified-purchase customer reviews, star ratings, variant attributes, and review images for an Amazon ASIN. Cost: 2 Credits / review returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `asin` (query, required):  
  - `country` (query, optional):  
  - `page` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/amazon/reviews?asin=B0CRMP3RQT" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/amazon/reviews?asin=B0CRMP3RQT",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Search Walmart Products & Rollback Prices (`GET /v1/walmart/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/walmart-search
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Search Walmart.com products by keyword with real-time prices, list prices, fulfillment badges, and ratings. Cost: 2 Credits / product returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `query` (query, required):  
  - `page` (query, optional):  
  - `sortBy` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/walmart/search?query=ceramic+mug" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/walmart/search?query=ceramic+mug",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get Full Walmart Product & SKU Details (`GET /v1/walmart/product`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/walmart-product
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Retrieve full Walmart product pricing, stock status, seller info, and SKU matrix by item ID or walmart.com URL. Cost: 10 Credits / product.
- **Parameters**:
  - `id` (query, required): Walmart numeric item ID or full walmart.com/ip/... URL. 

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/walmart/product?id=2659627283" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/walmart/product?id=2659627283",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Search Etsy Handmade & Vintage Listings (`GET /v1/etsy/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/etsy-search
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Search Etsy listings with handmade shop details, Star Seller status, prices, and review counts. Cost: 2 Credits / listing returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `query` (query, required):  
  - `limit` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/etsy/search?query=ceramic+mug" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/etsy/search?query=ceramic+mug",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get Etsy Listing Buyer Reviews (`GET /v1/etsy/reviews`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/etsy-reviews
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Extract verified buyer reviews for an Etsy listing_id. Cost: 2 Credits / review returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `listing_id` (query, required):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/etsy/reviews?listing_id=1510223855" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/etsy/reviews?listing_id=1510223855",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Search 1688 Factory Wholesale Listings & MOQ Price Ladders (`GET /v1/1688/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/1688-search
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Search China 1688.com factory wholesale offers with MOQ tiered prices (CNY & USD), Verified Super Factory badges, repurchase rates, and 30d sales. Cost: 2 Credits / item returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `keyword` (query, required):  
  - `page` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/1688/search?keyword=%E9%99%B6%E7%93%B7%E9%A9%AC%E5%85%8B%E6%9D%AF" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/1688/search?keyword=%E9%99%B6%E7%93%B7%E9%A9%AC%E5%85%8B%E6%9D%AF",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get 1688 Factory Item MOQ Ladder & SKU Inventory Matrix (`GET /v1/1688/item`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/1688-item
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Retrieve complete 1688 wholesale item details including MOQ tiered pricing (CNY & USD), SKU inventory matrix, and factory verification. Cost: 10 Credits / item.
- **Parameters**:
  - `item_id` (query, required):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/1688/item?item_id=1088453066793" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/1688/item?item_id=1088453066793",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Search Taobao & Tmall Retail Products (`GET /v1/taobao/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/taobao-search
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Search Taobao and Tmall listings with CNY/USD retail prices, Tmall flagship badges, and monthly sales. Cost: 2 Credits / item returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `keyword` (query, required):  
  - `page` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/taobao/search?keyword=%E6%89%8B%E6%9C%BA%E5%A3%B3" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/taobao/search?keyword=%E6%89%8B%E6%9C%BA%E5%A3%B3",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get Taobao / Tmall Item Details & SKU Matrix (`GET /v1/taobao/item`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/taobao-item
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Fetch full Taobao or Tmall item details and SKU combinations by item_id. Cost: 10 Credits / item.
- **Parameters**:
  - `item_id` (query, required):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/taobao/item?item_id=862339102275" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/taobao/item?item_id=862339102275",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Search Shopee Southeast Asia Marketplace Products (`GET /v1/shopee/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/shopee-search
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / Item (From $0.08/1K)
- **Description**: Search Shopee products across SG, MY, TH, VN, PH, ID, TW, and BR. Cost: 2 Credits / item returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `keyword` (query, required):  
  - `country` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/shopee/search?keyword=mug" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/shopee/search?keyword=mug",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Search TikTok Shop Viral Products & GMV Sales (`GET /v1/tiktok-shop/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/tiktok-shop-search
- **Cost**: 2 Credits / item ($0.08–$0.20 / 1K items)
- **Description**: Search trending TikTok Shop products with live pricing, 30-day sales volume, and shop ratings. Supports GET query params and POST JSON body. Cost: 2 Credits / item returned.
- **Parameters**:
  - `keyword` (query, required):  
  - `region` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/tiktok-shop/search?keyword=mug" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/tiktok-shop/search?keyword=mug",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get TikTok Shop Product, SKU Variants & Top Reviews (`GET /v1/tiktok-shop/product`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/tiktok-shop-product
- **Cost**: 3 Credits / call ($0.12–$0.30 / 1K calls)
- **Description**: Retrieve complete TikTok Shop product intelligence by product_id, id, or full TikTok Shop URL (supports GET query params and POST JSON body; aliases: /v1/tiktok-shop/item, /v1/tiktok/product). Returns all 10 core commerce fields: price, list_price, stock, sold_count, shop ({id, name, rating, url}), variants (SKU list), images, rating, rating_count, and top_reviews. Cost: 3 Credits / call ($0.30/1K PAYG, $0.12/1K Business; 0 Credits on 404/empty).
- **Parameters**:
  - `product_id` (query, required): TikTok Shop numeric product_id, id, or full TikTok Shop product URL. 
  - `region` (query, optional): TikTok Shop storefront region (US, GB, ID, MY, TH, VN, PH, SG). 

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/tiktok-shop/product?product_id=1730073687428142070" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/tiktok-shop/product?product_id=1730073687428142070",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Search Facebook Marketplace Local & Shipping Listings (`GET /v1/facebook-marketplace/search`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/facebook-marketplace-search
- **Cost**: 5 Credits / call ($0.20–$0.50 / 1K calls)
- **Description**: Search real-time Facebook Marketplace listings by keyword and city/location (supports GET query params and POST JSON body; aliases: /v1/facebook/marketplace/search, /v1/fb-marketplace/search). Returns price, list_price, image, images, date_listed, status, location, delivery, condition, and seller. Cost: 5 Credits / call ($0.50/1K PAYG, $0.20/1K Business; 0 Credits if empty).
- **Parameters**:
  - `query` (query, required): Search keyword (aliases: q, keyword). 
  - `location` (query, optional): City or region name (alias: city). 
  - `limit` (query, optional):  

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/facebook-marketplace/search?query=couch" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/facebook-marketplace/search?query=couch",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

---

### Get Facebook Marketplace Listing Condition, Description & Seller (`GET /v1/facebook-marketplace/item`)
- **Documentation URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/docs/facebook-marketplace-item
- **Cost**: 5 Credits / call ($0.20–$0.50 / 1K calls)
- **Description**: Fetch full Facebook Marketplace listing details by ID or URL (supports GET query params and POST JSON body; aliases: /v1/facebook-marketplace/listing, /v1/facebook/marketplace/item, /v1/facebook/marketplace/listing). Returns price, list_price, description, condition, location, delivery, seller, images, date_listed, and status. Cost: 5 Credits / call ($0.50/1K PAYG, $0.20/1K Business; 0 Credits on 404).
- **Parameters**:
  - `id` (query, required): Facebook Marketplace numeric listing ID or full facebook.com/marketplace/item/... URL (alias: listing_id). 

```bash
curl "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/facebook-marketplace/item?id=1500578701963217" \
  -H "x-api-key: sd_live_your_api_key"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.shopdataapi.com/v1/facebook-marketplace/item?id=1500578701963217",
    headers={"x-api-key": "sd_live_your_api_key"},
    timeout=30,
)
print(res.json())
```

## 4. Engineering Guides & Architecture Blueprints

### Rainforest API Pricing Breakdown (2026): Per-Request Costs vs. ShopData API
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/guides/rainforest-api-pricing
- **Summary**: Detailed 2026 Rainforest API pricing audit: compare $59–$499/mo expiring request plans ($0.01–$0.02/req) against ShopData API ($0.08–$0.20/1K items, $9 non-expiring PAYG).
- **Quick Answer**: Rainforest API charges $59/mo for 2,500 credits ($23.60 per 1,000 requests), $199/mo for 15,000 credits ($13.27/1K), and $499/mo for 50,000 credits ($9.98/1K), and unused monthly credits expire at billing cycle reset. ShopData API bills by normalized product record (2 Credits = $0.0002 nominal, down to $0.00008 on Business) with non-expiring PAYG packs starting at $9.00 (90,000 Credits).
- **Key Takeaways**:
  - Rainforest API's entry Starter plan costs $59/month for 2,500 requests ($0.0236 per request), making small-to-mid FBA repricers and catalog trackers expensive to run continuously.
  - Every paginated search page and review page on Rainforest API consumes another full request credit—fetching 100 reviews across 10 pages costs 10x a single call.
  - ShopData API charges 2 Credits ($0.00008–$0.0002) per search/review item and 10 Credits ($0.0004–$0.001) per full ASIN detail, with 0 Credits charged on empty or HTTP 404 responses.
  - You can start with 12,000 free Credits ($1.20) or a non-expiring $9 Indie Starter Pack—and query Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, 1688, and Taobao with one API key.

### Best Keepa API Alternative (2026): Real-Time Live BuyBox & Multi-Marketplace JSON
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/guides/keepa-api-alternative
- **Summary**: Frustrated by Keepa API EUR/month token refill throttling, compressed CSV integer arrays, and stale cached prices? Switch to ShopData API for live Amazon, Walmart & 1688 JSON.
- **Quick Answer**: Use Keepa if your sole requirement is 5-year historical Amazon price charts. Switch to ShopData API when you need real-time live BuyBox prices, readable UTF-8 JSON (instead of Keepa's KeepaTime minutes + compressed integer arrays), bursty 90–600 RPM throughput without token-bucket stalls, and unified Walmart, Etsy, 1688, and Taobao endpoints from $9 PAYG.
- **Key Takeaways**:
  - Keepa API gates throughput by a strict per-minute token refill rate (starting around €49/mo for 20 tokens/min), stalling bursty catalog refreshes unless you upgrade to €129–€459+/mo tiers.
  - Keepa encodes prices in cents and timestamps in 'Keepa Time minutes since 2011' inside 2D integer arrays—requiring custom binary/array parsers before LLMs or TypeScript apps can read a single product.
  - ShopData API returns clean, human- and LLM-ready JSON (`price: 24.99`, `is_prime: true`, `variations: [...]`) across Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, 1688, Taobao, TikTok Shop, and Shopee.
  - Pay in USD via Stripe (Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay) or 0%-fee Crypto starting with 12,000 free Credits ($1.20) or a $9 non-expiring Indie Starter Pack.

### Keepa API Pricing Breakdown (2026): Token-Per-Minute Cost vs. Flat JSON API
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/guides/keepa-api-pricing
- **Summary**: 2026 Keepa API pricing breakdown: €49–€1,699/mo EUR token/min buckets & 60-min expiry vs ShopData API ($0.20/1K items, $9 non-expiring PAYG, 12K free).
- **Quick Answer**: Keepa API has no free tier and bills €49/mo (20 tokens/min) up to €879–€1,699+/mo (500–1,000+ tokens/min) in advance, where unused tokens expire after 60 minutes and live BuyBox + offer lookups consume 3–12 tokens per ASIN. ShopData API charges a flat $0.20 per 1,000 search items ($0.08/1K on Business) and $1.00 per 1,000 full ASIN details ($0.40/1K on Business), starting with 12,000 free Credits ($1.20) and a $9 non-expiring Indie Starter Pack.
- **Key Takeaways**:
  - Keepa API plans start at €49/mo (~$53/mo for 20 tokens/min) and scale through €129/mo (60/min), €459/mo (250/min), €879/mo (500/min), and €1,499–€1,699+/mo enterprise tiers—with zero free API sandbox and mandatory monthly EUR pre-payment.
  - Unused Keepa tokens expire strictly 60 minutes after generation (`max bucket = refillRate × 60`). If your cron job runs twice a day, over 90% of the daily tokens you paid for evaporate unused.
  - 1 Keepa token only buys a cached historical snapshot: enabling `buybox=1` (+2 tokens), `offers=20` (+6 tokens per 10 offers), and `update=0` live Amazon refresh inflates real cost to 6–12+ tokens per ASIN.
  - ShopData API bills strictly by returned JSON record ($0.08–$0.20/1K search items, $0.40–$1.00/1K full ASIN details) with non-expiring $9 PAYG packs, 30–600 RPM burst concurrency, and Walmart, Etsy, 1688 & Taobao included.

### Etsy API Alternative (2026): Extract Live Product Listings, Prices & Reviews in JSON
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/guides/etsy-api-alternative
- **Summary**: Skip Etsy Open API v3 Commercial Access manual review, 10 QPS / 10K QPD caps & DataDome 403 blocks. Extract Etsy listings & reviews at $0.08–$0.20/1K.
- **Quick Answer**: Official Etsy Open API v3 locks third-party tools behind a two-step manual approval gate (`Personal App` review followed by manual `Commercial Access` vetting), enforces `x-limit-per-day` sliding-window quotas (default 10 QPS / 10,000 QPD), and prohibits competitive price/trend scraping. ShopData API provides instant self-serve `GET /v1/etsy/search` and `GET /v1/etsy/reviews` JSON endpoints at $0.20 per 1,000 items ($0.08/1K on Business)—paired with 1688 factory wholesale, Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok Shop under one API key.
- **Key Takeaways**:
  - Etsy Open API v3 splits keys into `Seller Apps` (locked strictly to your own shop) and `Personal -> Commercial Access` apps requiring two sequential manual reviews and strict Trademark/caching compliance.
  - Direct HTTP or Playwright scraping against `etsy.com` hits DataDome TLS/JS fingerprinting (`HTTP 403 Forbidden`) within a few requests unless backed by managed residential rotation.
  - ShopData API exposes `GET /v1/etsy/search` and `GET /v1/etsy/reviews` immediately upon signup (12,000 free Credits = $1.20, 0 Credits deducted on empty/error responses).
  - Combine Etsy handmade trend discovery with `GET /v1/1688/search` (blank craft & POD supply MOQs), `GET /v1/amazon/search`, and `GET /v1/tiktok-shop/search` in one unified workflow.

### Amazon PA-API 5.0 Alternative (2026): Query ASINs & Reviews Without Associates Sales Quotas
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/guides/amazon-paapi-alternative
- **Summary**: Locked out of Amazon Product Advertising API (PA-API 5.0) due to the 3-sale/180-day quota, 1 TPS throttle, or missing customer reviews? Query live Amazon data instantly with ShopData API.
- **Quick Answer**: ShopData API is a zero-approval drop-in alternative to Amazon PA-API 5.0. Sign up in 10 seconds to get a live `sd_live_...` API key with 12,000 free Credits—no Amazon Associates account, no 180-day qualifying sales quota, no AWS SigV4 request signing, and full access to `/v1/amazon/search`, `/v1/amazon/product`, and `/v1/amazon/reviews`.
- **Key Takeaways**:
  - Amazon PA-API 5.0 requires an approved Amazon Associates affiliate store with qualifying referred sales every 30–180 days, and explicitly prohibits internal BI, repricing, and SaaS analytics use cases.
  - PA-API 5.0 removed customer review text (`CustomerReviews` only returns a link/iframe) and never exposes `4K+ bought in past month` sales velocity badges.
  - PA-API requests require complex AWS Signature Version 4 (`HMAC-SHA256`) header signing; ShopData API uses a single `x-api-key: sd_live_...` header.
  - Every ShopData API account starts with 30 RPM on Free and scales immediately to 60–600 RPM without tying your engineering uptime to affiliate clicks.

### Walmart Product & Price API Guide (2026): Access Live Catalog & Stock Without Seller Approval
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/guides/walmart-api-pricing
- **Summary**: Query real-time Walmart.com keyword search, Rollback pricing, WFS fulfillment badges, UPC/GTINs, and seller stock without Walmart Impact Affiliate or Seller Center approval.
- **Quick Answer**: Official Walmart Affiliate (`walmart.io`) and Marketplace Seller APIs are free only if you are an approved Walmart Seller or Impact Affiliate publisher—and neither lets external brands monitor competitor Rollback pricing freely. ShopData API exposes `GET /v1/walmart/search` (2 Credits/item = $0.08–$0.20/1K) and `GET /v1/walmart/product` (10 Credits/item = $0.40–$1.00/1K) with instant self-serve API keys and zero Akamai/PerimeterX blocks.
- **Key Takeaways**:
  - Direct HTTP scraping of `walmart.com` triggers PerimeterX (`px-captcha`) blocks almost immediately without enterprise residential TLS fingerprinting.
  - ShopData API handles anti-bot rotation automatically and bills strictly on HTTP 200 non-empty responses—0 Credits on 404 or empty searches.
  - Pair `/v1/walmart/product` with `/v1/amazon/product` to protect Amazon BuyBox eligibility (Amazon suppresses BuyBoxes when Walmart.com undercuts your retail price).
  - Start free with 12,000 Credits ($1.20) or top up $9 PAYG with zero monthly lock-in.

### 1688 & Taobao / Tmall Product API Guide (2026): Extract MOQ Price Ladders & SKU Matrices
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/guides/1688-taobao-api-guide
- **Summary**: Query live 1688.com factory wholesale MOQ price tiers and Taobao/Tmall SKU matrices via REST JSON—no Chinese business license, Alipay account, or `mtop` cookie signing needed.
- **Quick Answer**: International developers cannot self-register for official 1688 or Taobao Open Platform keys without a mainland China business entity, and direct scraping fails immediately on Alibaba's `h5api` `mtop` dynamic token signature (`_m_h5_tk`) and slider CAPTCHAs (`baxia` / `x5sec`). ShopData API provides dual-rail, pre-authenticated `GET /v1/1688/{search,item}` and `GET /v1/taobao/{search,item}` endpoints starting at 2 Credits ($0.00008–$0.0002) per item.
- **Key Takeaways**:
  - Bypass mainland Chinese `营业执照` corporate entity walls and `x5sec` / `_m_h5_tk` anti-bot signatures completely—authenticate with a standard `sd_live_...` key.
  - `GET /v1/1688/item` extracts factory MOQ quantity ladders (e.g. `2–49 pcs: ¥10.50`, `50–499 pcs: ¥8.10`, `500+ pcs: ¥6.35`), Super Factory (`实力商家`) status, repurchase rates, and per-SKU stock.
  - `GET /v1/taobao/item` normalizes complex Taobao/Tmall `propPath` color/size combinations into clean SKU price & inventory objects for dropshipping ERPs and sourcing agents.
  - Built-in multi-rail failover automatically switches between primary and backup 1688/Taobao upstream pools if any upstream node throttles.

## 5. Competitor Benchmarks

### ShopData API vs Rainforest API (rainforestapi.com)
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/compare/rainforest-api-alternative
- **Headline**: $0.08 vs $15.00 per 1,000 items (up to 92%+ savings).
- **Summary**: Rainforest API bills $59–$499+/mo for expiring Amazon-only request credits ($9.98–$23.60 per 1,000 requests). ShopData API delivers real-time Amazon BuyBox prices, child variations, and verified reviews—plus Walmart, Etsy, 1688 wholesale MOQs, Taobao, TikTok Shop, and Shopee—starting at $0.08–$0.20 per 1,000 items with non-expiring $9 PAYG packs.

### ShopData API vs Keepa API (keepa.com/#!api)
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/compare/keepa-api-alternative
- **Headline**: $0.08 vs €49/mo for clean live JSON without token-bucket stalls.
- **Summary**: Keepa API is great for 5-year historical BSR charts, but its leaky token-per-minute bucket (starting at €49/mo for 20 tokens/min) and compressed integer CSV arrays slow down real-time repricers, AI shopping agents, and cross-marketplace sourcing tools. ShopData API delivers live UTF-8 JSON across Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, 1688, and Taobao with up to 600 RPM burst capacity.

### ShopData API vs Amazon PA-API 5.0 (webservices.amazon.com/paapi5)
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/compare/amazon-paapi-alternative
- **Headline**: 5s Key vs Quota Gated with full verified buyer reviews & SaaS commercial rights.
- **Summary**: Amazon Product Advertising API 5.0 revokes access if your affiliate links don't generate qualifying sales, throttles new accounts to 1 request/second, requires AWS SigV4 cryptographic signing, and omits customer review text. ShopData API gives any SaaS app, AI agent, or analytics team instant access to Amazon search, ASIN details, and verified buyer reviews.

### ShopData API vs Oxylabs E-Commerce Scraper API (oxylabs.io)
- **URL**: https://shopdataapi.com/compare/oxylabs-ecommerce-scraper-alternative
- **Headline**: $0.08 vs $2.80 per 1,000 items with pre-normalized SKU & 1688 MOQ JSON.
- **Summary**: Enterprise web-unblocker APIs like Oxylabs and Bright Data charge $49–$500+/mo minimums and often return raw HTML or marketplace-specific DOM dumps while lacking turnkey 1688/Taobao factory MOQ schemas. ShopData API delivers pre-parsed, typed JSON across 7 Western and Asian marketplaces starting with 12,000 free Credits and $9 non-expiring PAYG.

## 6. Frequently Asked Questions

### How does the $1 = 10,000 Credits pricing model work across all 13 endpoints?

ShopData API uses one transparent ledger where $1.00 = 10,000 Credits. Marketplace search and buyer review endpoints (/v1/amazon/search, /v1/walmart/search, /v1/etsy/search, /v1/1688/search, /v1/taobao/search, /v1/shopee/search, /v1/tiktok-shop/search, /v1/amazon/reviews, /v1/etsy/reviews) cost 2 Credits per returned item ($0.20 per 1,000 items nominal, or $0.08 per 1,000 items on the $199/mo Business plan). Deep ASIN, SKU matrix, and 1688 MOQ ladder detail calls (/v1/amazon/product, /v1/walmart/product, /v1/1688/item, /v1/taobao/item) cost 10 Credits per product ($0.40–$1.00 per 1,000 products). Empty searches and HTTP errors always cost 0 Credits.

### How does ShopData API compare to Rainforest API ($0.01–$0.02/req), Keepa, and Amazon PA-API 5.0?

Rainforest API charges $0.01 to $0.02 per single Amazon request ($10–$20 per 1,000 calls) and only covers Amazon. Keepa locks commercial API access behind €49–€1,299/mo token subscriptions without Walmart, Etsy, or 1688 sourcing data. Official Amazon PA-API 5.0 revokes access unless your Associates account continuously generates qualifying referral sales and throttles new keys to 1 TPS. ShopData API requires zero affiliate approvals, delivers Amazon + Walmart + Etsy + TikTok Shop + Shopee + 1688 + Taobao in one normalized JSON schema, and cuts unit costs by 90%+ ($0.08–$0.20 per 1,000 search items, $0.40–$1.00 per 1,000 ASIN details).

### Do 1688 and Taobao endpoints require Chinese business licenses, cookies, or domestic proxies?

No. Calling GET /v1/1688/search, /v1/1688/item, /v1/taobao/search, and /v1/taobao/item requires only your standard sd_live_ API key from any cloud server (AWS, GCP, Vercel, Hetzner, Cloudflare Workers). Every response returns structured factory MOQ price breaks (both original CNY and auto-converted USD), SKU color/size combinations, 30-day repurchase rates, and Verified Super Factory badges so you can compute real retail-vs-wholesale gross margins programmatically.

### What is the response latency for cached vs. live real-time marketplace requests?

Requests hitting our warm PostgreSQL 16 + Redis DB 4 catalog cache respond in 15–45 ms. Live upstream multi-rail queries (or paid requests passing ?fresh=1) automatically route across our redundant RapidAPI & SERP upstream pools in 1.2–2.6 seconds and write-through to the cache.

### Can I migrate from Rainforest API or connect AI agents via Remote MCP without custom glue code?

Yes. For teams migrating existing Rainforest API scripts, our gateway includes a /request compatibility alias (type=search, product, reviews) alongside our clean /v1/* REST endpoints. For AI shopping & sourcing agents (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, LangChain, CrewAI), connect directly to https://mcp.shopdataapi.com/v1/mcp via OAuth 2.1 or Bearer sd_live_... to unlock all 13 marketplace tools immediately.

### Am I charged when a search returns 0 products, an ASIN is 404, or an upstream call fails?

Never. ShopData API enforces a strict Charge-Before-Return & Zero-Charge-on-Error policy: 0-result searches, 404 unknown ASIN/item lookups, HTTP 400 validation errors, HTTP 429 rate-limit responses, and HTTP 5xx upstream errors all deduct 0 Credits.

### Should I start with the $9 Indie Starter Pack, a Monthly Plan, or a PAYG Credit Pack?

Every new account receives 12,000 free credits ($1.20) instantly plus up to +$2.00 (+20,000 credits) via the Developer Sandbox Streak. When ready to ship, solo builders love the $9 Indie Starter Micro-Pack (90,000 non-expiring credits, 60 RPM). High-volume teams choose Monthly Subscriptions ($19 Starter / 250k, $69 Pro / 1.2M, $199 Business / 5M credits) for +31% to +151% bonus credits, or larger PAYG Packs ($25 / 250k, $89 / 1.05M, $249 / 3.5M) that never expire.

### What are the RPM rate limits and concurrency tiers?

Free Trial accounts include 12,000 Credits at 30 RPM (2 RPS). Paid accounts unlock smooth production concurrency: 60 RPM / 3 RPS ($9 Indie Pack), 120 RPM / 4 RPS (Starter $19/mo or $25 PAYG), 300 RPM / 8 RPS (Pro $69/mo or $89 PAYG), and 600 RPM / 15 RPS (Business $199/mo or $249 PAYG). Need 1,000+ RPM? Contact us for a Dedicated Enterprise Key Pool.

### What payment methods and corporate invoices are supported?

We support both instant Stripe Checkout (Credit/Debit Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link — with downloadable PDF receipts and corporate EU VAT / Tax ID billing profiles) and 0%-fee Cryptocurrency via NOWPayments (USDT, USDC, SOL, BTC, BNB across Solana, Arbitrum, Polygon, BSC, Tron, and Ethereum) which automatically grants +5% Bonus Credits.

### What is your refund policy?

Payments made within the last 14 days are eligible for a pro-rated refund of unused purchased credits. Promotional signup and streak credits have no cash value.