Amazon Creators API 2026: Essential PA-API Migration Guide
The Amazon Creators API is here, and it replaces the Product Advertising API (PA-API v5) that Amazon affiliate stores have relied on for years. If you run an Amazon affiliate store, you have likely seen the warning emails or the deprecation notice on the PA-API docs. There is a lot of confusion flying around, so here is a clear rundown of what is happening, when it is happening, and what the Amazon Creators API means for you.
Good news up front: if you are a FreshStore customer, none of this applies to you. You do not need an Amazon API key. You do not need a developer account, Creators API credentials, or any technical setup. FreshStore handles the Amazon integration for every store, and the migration to the Creators API happens behind the scenes ahead of Amazon’s deadlines. It really is that easy. Read on if you want the detail.
Key dates at a glance
Three dates matter here:
- January 31, 2026: Offers V1 on the PA-API is retired. After this date, live pricing and availability data is only available through the new Creators API (Offers V2).
- April 30, 2026: Amazon officially deprecates the PA-API v5. This is the date Amazon’s own documentation uses.
- May 15, 2026: The PA-API v5 endpoint is switched off. Any app, plugin, or service still calling the old endpoint will stop working.
If you are running anything that talks to Amazon’s product data directly, you need to be on the Creators API well before May 15, 2026.
What is the Amazon Creators API?
The Creators API is Amazon’s replacement for the PA-API 5.0. It is the same idea (programmatic access to Amazon product data for affiliates and creators), but rebuilt with a new authentication system, a new endpoint, and a cleaner data format.
The core operations are the same ones you already know:
- Keyword search for products
- ASIN lookup and product detail
- Variation data
- Category and browse node data
- Offers (pricing, availability, Prime eligibility)
The four big changes:
- New endpoint (the old PA-API URLs will not work)
- OAuth 2.0 authentication instead of AWS signature signing
- New credentials issued in Associates Central (your old AWS keys do not carry over)
- lowerCamelCase payloads (so
ItemIdsbecomesitemIds, and so on)
Common questions about the Amazon Creators API
When does the PA-API expire?
The PA-API is deprecated on April 30, 2026, and the endpoint is shut down on May 15, 2026. Offers V1 within the PA-API has an earlier cutoff of January 31, 2026.
Can I still use the PA-API right now?
Yes. The PA-API v5 keeps running until Amazon pulls the plug on May 15, 2026. But the clock is ticking and you should plan your migration, not leave it to the last week.
What happens if I do not migrate?
Calls to the PA-API will start failing. Any feature that pulls live Amazon product data (pricing, stock, product details, search) will break on whatever tool or plugin is still using the old endpoint. You would need to switch to a tool that supports the Creators API, or move to a solution that does not depend on the API at all.
Will my AWS Access Key and Secret Key work with the Creators API?
No. This is one of the biggest changes. The Creators API does not use AWS Signature authentication. You need to generate brand new credentials inside Associates Central under Tools, Creators API. The new credentials are a Credential ID and Credential Secret pair, used with OAuth 2.0.
How do I register for Creators API credentials?
Only the primary account owner of the Amazon Associates account can create Creators API applications. The steps are:
- Sign in to your Amazon Associates account
- Open Associates Central
- Go to Tools, then Creators API (or visit affiliate-program.amazon.com/creatorsapi directly)
- Click Create Application and give it a name
- Click Add New Credential to generate your keys
- Copy the Credential Secret immediately, it is only shown once
Who can access the Creators API?
You need a fully approved Amazon Associates account. Amazon also requires at least 10 qualified sales in the previous 30 days before your account can use the Creators API. If your account drops below that threshold for 30 straight days, access is temporarily revoked, and restored automatically once your referred sales are shipping again.
Can I get access to the Amazon Creators API without making sales?
No, not directly. Amazon requires at least 10 qualified sales in the previous 30 days before they will issue Amazon Creators API credentials, and there is no workaround if you are registering for your own credentials. The only real exception is FreshStore. Because FreshStore handles the Amazon integration for every store, you do not need your own Creators API credentials at all, which means the 10-sales threshold does not apply to you. A brand new FreshStore store with zero sales can start pulling live Amazon product data straight away.
What are the rate limits?
New credentials start at 1 request per second (1 TPS), with a daily cap of 8,640 requests for the first 30 days. From there, the limit scales based on how many qualified sales your Associates account is generating. Higher sales means higher rate limits. This is the same scaling model Amazon has used since PA-API 5.0.
Which marketplaces are supported?
Creators API credentials are region based, not marketplace based. One set of credentials covers an entire region:
- North America: US, CA, MX, BR
- Europe: UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, EG, IN, IE, PL, SA, SE, TR, AE
- Far East: JP, SG, AU
If you work across multiple regions, you need a separate credential set for each.
What about Offers V1?
Offers V1 inside the PA-API is going away earlier than the rest, on January 31, 2026. Offers V2 is only available through the Creators API. So if your tool relies on live pricing or Prime status, your real deadline is January 2026, not May.
What is changing for developers?
If you maintain your own integration, expect:
- A new endpoint URL (not the old webservices.amazon.com PA-API hosts)
- OAuth 2.0 client credentials flow, not AWS signature v4
- Tokens that expire in about an hour, so cache them
- JSON request bodies with lowerCamelCase keys
- Slightly restructured response payloads
Most SDKs and affiliate plugins are releasing updated versions with Creators API support. Check with whatever tool you are using to confirm it is on the roadmap.
What this means for FreshStore users
Nothing, really. We are already working through the Amazon Creators API migration behind the scenes. Your store will continue pulling product data, pricing, and availability without interruption. We did the same thing when PA-API v4 was retired in 2020, and we are doing it again now.
If you use FreshStore’s built-in product import, search, or sync, it will keep working. You do not need to generate new Amazon credentials, swap API keys, or update plugin settings. Our team is handling the switch on the back end.
You also do not need any Amazon sales for the API to work. The 10-qualified-sales threshold only applies to people creating their own Creators API credentials, which FreshStore customers never have to do. Even a brand new store with zero sales keeps pulling live Amazon product data through FreshStore without issue.
What you should do now
If you are a FreshStore customer: nothing. Sit tight.
If you run your own affiliate tooling outside FreshStore: check that your tool or plugin supports the Creators API, and if it does not yet, start planning your migration. January 31, 2026 is the first hard deadline. May 15, 2026 is the absolute last.
As always, if you have questions, reach out to FreshStore support and we will help you get sorted.