Register as a Public SP-API Developer

This topic explains how to register as a public developer for the Selling Partner API (SP-API).

Public developers:

• Build applications that serve sellers, vendors, or both.
• Obtain explicit authorization from each seller or vendor through OAuth.
• Must list their application in the Amazon Selling Partner Appstore, in accordance with the Amazon Services API Developer Agreement.

If you develop applications solely for internal use by your organization, you can register as a private developer. For details, refer to Register as a Private SP-API Developer.

Prerequisites

Before you begin registration, complete the following tasks:

• Review registration guidelines: Familiarize yourself with the registration recommendations.
• Have your website URL: When you register as a public developer, you must share a website URL that is publicly available and provides details about the services that your application offers to Amazon sellers. Websites that are not accessible, are under construction, have a security warning, or are log-in only are not accepted.
• Choose your roles: Developer profile registration requires you to select an initial set of roles, which determine which API operations and data that your application can access. To determine which API operations and data (and therefore which roles) your application needs, review the roles overview and role mappings documentation.

If you plan to request restricted roles (roles that provide access to personally identifiable information (PII)), you must also:

• Prepare for an architecture review: You will need to go through an architecture review with the SP-API Solutions Architecture team. The review includes a detailed explanation of data flows and protection controls for PII. This process can involve a demo through screen sharing.
• Prepare detailed use case information: Be prepared to answer questions related to PII with as much detail as possible to support your use case.

Understand the review process

Amazon evaluates developer applications through a comprehensive review process. There are two distinct review paths: a standard review for most applications, and a more rigorous review for applications that request access to restricted roles. To help you prepare a strong application, familiarize yourself with the following processes.

Standard review process

The standard review involves the following steps:

1. Amazon evaluates your developer profile and focuses on:

   • Application functionality.
   • Compliance with the Acceptable Use Policy.
   • Compliance with the Data Protection Policy.
   • Data security measures.

2. If Amazon needs additional information:

   • You receive questions through your case.
   • You must respond within five days.
   • Cases without responses within five days are closed.
   • Closed cases result in unchanged SP-API access.

Review process for restricted roles

If you apply for restricted roles as part of your developer profile, your developer profile review goes through the following three stages:

Stage 1: Business criteria review

Amazon reviews your developer application on a variety of technical and business criteria. These criteria include your business use case, launch readiness, geographic coverage, and the services listed on your public website. If you don't meet the criteria, Amazon rejects your application. If you meet the criteria, you move on to the next stage, which involves rigorous security reviews with Amazon.

Stage 2: Information/security architecture questions

This step focuses on your free-form responses about the information/security controls in place. After you are in compliance with Amazon's security policies, you are requested to provide detailed responses on fourteen additional security questions that Amazon sends through an attachment.

Stage 3: Data security assessment

In the final stage of evaluation, prior to getting access to restricted roles, you must go through a data security assessment. This assessment examines your application's data flow architecture and PII protection controls to determine your compliance with Amazon's policies.

To learn the additional requisites and vetting process for restricted roles, review the data security assessment requirements.

Register as a public developer

The first step in registration is to complete the developer profile form. This form collects essential information about:

• Your organization's contact details.
• The API data access that you need.
• Your security controls and use cases.
• Your compliance with Amazon's policies and agreements.

Complete all fields accurately and thoroughly. Amazon evaluates this information to create your case and determine next steps. You might be asked to provide additional information or documentation during the review process.

Take the following steps to complete your developer profile:

1. Log in to one of the following tools:

   • Solution Provider Portal: Log in, select Settings, and then choose Developer Profile.
   • Seller Central: Log in to the Seller Central URL for your marketplace, and then navigate to Apps and Services.

2. Navigate to Develop Apps. Then:

   • If you're a new developer and haven't completed a profile, choose Proceed to Developer Profile.
   • If you're an existing developer with a completed profile, choose View profile.

3. Complete (for new developers) or update (for existing developers) your developer profile:

   1. For Contact Information, enter your organization name, website, country, and the primary contact.

   2. For Data Access, choose Public Developer: I build and offer publicly available applications that are used by other sellers.

   3. If you already have a developer ID (for example, you previously registered as a developer in Seller Central or Vendor Central and now use the Solution Provider Portal), provide all of your organization's developer IDs separated by commas.

   4. For Roles, select the roles that you want to assume. For details about roles, refer to Roles in the Selling Partner API. If you select restricted roles, the form expands to include additional questions about your use case.

   5. For Use Cases, describe how you intend to use the SP-API.

   6. For Security Controls, carefully review and answer all the questions about your security practices. Your answers should accurately reflect how you implement the security requirements outlined in the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), the Data Protection Policy (DPP), and the Developer Agreement, which you can find at Policies and Agreements. Be sure to provide complete and accurate responses, and ensure that your answers to the free-form questions are fewer than 500 characters.

   7. After you review the policies and agreements, choose the check box to acknowledge your agreement.

   8. Choose Register.

4. Wait for next steps. Amazon sends case updates are sent to the administrator email address on file. If Amazon contacts you for more information, you must respond within five days to prevent case closure. For more information, refer to Check the status of your request to register as a developer.