Product Search For Amazon Documentation

Quick Answer

PaapiPlugin (Product Search for Amazon, or PSFA) is a free WordPress plugin that turns your site into a searchable Amazon storefront. Install it from the WordPress admin under Plugins, Add New, enter your Amazon API credentials in Settings, then drop the [psfa_search] shortcode on any page. No coding required.

Getting Started

Get up and running with Paapi Product Search in just a few minutes. Follow these steps to install and configure the plugin.

Quick install: activate the plugin, paste your Amazon API credentials, test the connection, then drop [psfa_search] on any page. The five steps below take only a few minutes, and no coding is required.

  1. Install the Plugin

    Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress admin. Search for "Paapi Product Search for Amazon" and click Install Now, then Activate.

  2. Configure API Credentials

    Navigate to Settings → Paapi Product Search. Enter your Amazon API credentials (see API Credentials section below).

  3. Test Your Connection

    Click the Test Connection button to verify your credentials are working correctly.

  4. Add the Shortcode

    Add the shortcode [psfa_search] to any page or post where you want the product search to appear.

  5. Customize (Optional)

    Explore the Appearance and Layout pages to personalize colors, styles, dark mode, fonts, and more.

Requirements: WordPress 5.0+, PHP 7.4+, cURL extension enabled, and valid Amazon Product Advertising API credentials.

Managed API Beta

The Managed API (Beta) runs Amazon product search for you. You get a free Managed API key, paste your Amazon Associate tag, and run a search. There are no AWS keys to wire up and no Creators API or PA-API approval to wait for. Your Amazon Associate tag is always yours, and every product link is tagged to you.

30-second setup: get a free Managed API key, paste your Amazon Associate tag, and run a search. No AWS keys, no Creators API or PA-API approval needed.

  1. Get a free Managed API key

    In Settings → Paapi Product Search, open the Credentials tab and choose the Managed API (Beta) option to generate your free key. No credit card, nothing to apply for.

  2. Paste your Amazon Associate tag

    Enter your Amazon Associate tag (your Amazon Associates ID). This is how Amazon tracks your affiliate commissions, and it stays yours on every search.

  3. Run a search

    Add the [psfa_search] shortcode to any page or post, then run a search to see live Amazon results on your site.

Free quota: 20 searches per day and 600 searches per month on the free tier. Premium ($39/yr) raises this to 1200 searches per month.

Prefer to bring your own credentials? You can use the Creators API (recommended) or PA-API v5 (legacy) instead. See the API Credentials section below for both setup paths.

API Credentials Setup

Watch this quick tutorial to learn how to set up your API credentials:

You'll need Amazon API credentials to use this plugin. We support two authentication methods:

OAuth 2.0 (Creators API) - Recommended

The Creators API is Amazon's newer authentication method and is recommended for new users.

  1. Sign up for Amazon Associates

    Join the Amazon Associates program if you haven't already.

  2. Apply for Creators API Access

    Visit the Creators API page and apply for access.

  3. Get Your Credentials

    Once approved, you'll receive your Client ID and Client Secret.

  4. Configure in Plugin

    In the plugin settings, select OAuth 2.0 (Creators API) as your Authentication Type. Enter your Client ID, Client Secret, Credential Version (usually "1"), and select your Auth Region and Marketplace.

AWS Signature V4 (PA-API) - Legacy

The traditional PA-API v5 authentication method. Still fully supported.

  1. Sign up for Amazon Associates

    Join the Amazon Associates program if you haven't already.

  2. Apply for PA-API Access

    Visit Product Advertising API credentials and apply for access.

  3. Get Your Credentials

    Once approved, you'll receive your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key.

  4. Configure in Plugin

    In the plugin settings, select AWS Signature V4 (PA-API) as your Authentication Type. Enter your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key.

Important: Your Associate Tag (Amazon Associates ID) is required for both authentication methods. This is how Amazon tracks your affiliate commissions.

Shortcode Usage

Watch this tutorial to learn how to build different search experiences with shortcodes:

Use the [psfa_search] shortcode to add the product search to any page or post.

Basic Usage

[psfa_search]

Shortcode Parameters

Attribute Values Description
category Any Amazon category Pre-select a category (e.g., Electronics, Books, Fashion, Home)
query Any text string Pre-fill the search query
brand Any brand name Filter results by brand
sort Relevance, Price:LowToHigh, Price:HighToLow, AvgCustomerReviews, NewestArrivals, Featured Sort order. Default: Relevance
hide_search true, false Hide search bar. Default: false
hide_filters true, false Hide filter panel. Default: false
hide_category_banner true, false Hide category header. Default: false
pagination infinite, button, none Pagination style. Default: infinite
count 2 to 20 Number of products to display. Only applies when pagination="none". Default: 20

Examples

Electronics page with pre-filled query:

[psfa_search category="Electronics" query="laptop"]

Minimal display (no search bar, no filters):

[psfa_search category="Books" hide_search="true" hide_filters="true"]

Sorted by price with Load More button:

[psfa_search sort="Price:LowToHigh" pagination="button"]

Tip: Use the visual Shortcode Builder in the plugin settings to easily generate shortcodes without memorizing parameters.

Features

Free Features

Live Product Search

Real-time search using Amazon's PA-API v5. Your visitors search Amazon directly on your site.

Autocomplete Suggestions

Search suggestions appear as visitors type. Helps them find products faster.

Grid Display

Products displayed in a responsive grid layout. Looks great on desktop, tablet, and mobile.

Neutral Base Color

Clean, modern design with neutral tones and orange accent color. The default appearance for all users.

5 Categories

Electronics, Books, Fashion, Toys & Games, and Home & Garden.

Smart Filters

Filter by category, brand, price range, condition, availability, and merchant.

Sorting Options

Sort by relevance, price (high/low), reviews, featured, or newest arrivals.

Infinite Scroll & Load More

Choose infinite scroll or manual "Load More" button. Up to 50 products (5 pages).

Shortcode Builder

Visual tool in admin panel. Build shortcodes without writing code.

Shortcode Parameters

Pre-set category, query, brand, sort, hide search/filters, pagination type, and auto-detect.

Responsive Design

Mobile-first layout that looks great on all devices and screen sizes.

API Response Caching

Search results cached for 30 minutes and product data for 1 hour. Manage and clear cache from the dedicated Cache page.

Premium Features Premium

6-Axis Appearance System

Mix and match base colors, accent colors, card styles, border radius, dark mode, and fonts.

4 Premium Base Colors

Stone, Slate, Zinc, and Gray base palettes in addition to the free Neutral default.

17 Accent Colors

Choose from 17 Tailwind accent colors including orange, blue, emerald, rose, violet, and more.

5 Card Styles

Vega, Nova, Maia, Lyra, and Mira card style presets for unique product card designs.

Dark Mode

Elegant dark theme with off-white text and elevated cards. Works with any base color.

5 Border Radius Levels

None, Small, Medium, Large, or Full rounded corners on cards, buttons, and inputs.

15 Google Fonts

Choose from 15 Google Fonts plus system default. Applied globally across all product text.

List Layout

Horizontal rows with detailed product information. Perfect for comparison content.

All 26 Categories

Full access to Amazon's entire product catalog including Automotive, Beauty, Grocery, and more.

Unlimited Pagination

Load up to 100 products (Amazon's API limit). No more 5-page restriction.

Prime & Deals Filters

Filter for Prime-eligible products, Free Shipping, or discounts of 10%, 25%, 50%+.

Product Badges & Deal Features

Best Seller badges, discount labels, Lightning Deal badges, deal timers, and Low Stock warnings.

Button & Icon Customization

Custom button text and option to hide the Amazon icon for a white-label look.

Priority Support

Direct email support with faster response times for premium users.

Add-ons $19/yr each

Product Boxes

Display individual Amazon products with shortcodes. Search-to-Save workflow, feature bullets, winner badges.

Comparison Tables

Side-by-side product comparisons with winner badges, star ratings, and responsive mobile layouts.

Analytics

Track searches, clicks, impressions, and filter usage. Admin dashboard with charts, date range picker, and CSV/JSON export.

Caching

The plugin automatically caches API responses to reduce Amazon API calls, speed up page loads, and stay within rate limits. No configuration needed - caching works out of the box.

Two-Layer Cache

Layer TTL Description
Search Cache 30 minutes Full API responses are cached per unique search query. Identical searches within 30 minutes are served instantly without hitting Amazon's API.
Product Cache 1 hour Individual product data is cached per ASIN. Shared across all addons (Product Boxes and Comparison Tables) so the same product is only fetched once.

Cache Admin Page

The dedicated Cache page in the plugin settings gives you full visibility into cached data:

  • Summary cards showing product entries, search entries, and total cached items
  • Entries table with type filter (Product / Search), search/filter bar, sortable columns, and virtual scroll for large datasets
  • Detail modal - click any entry to see full metadata (keywords, category, brand, price, search parameters, cache key, and TTL)
  • Clear All Cache button to force fresh data from Amazon

Auto-Invalidation

Search cache is automatically cleared when you change your Marketplace or Associate Tag in settings, ensuring results always match your current configuration.

Tip: If prices or product data look stale, visit the Cache page and click Clear All Cache, then refresh your site. This is also useful after updating product listings on Amazon.

Customization Premium

Premium users have access to extensive customization options to match the product search with your site's design.

6-Axis Appearance System

Premium users can mix and match 6 independent axes to create thousands of unique combinations:

Axis Options Availability
Base Color Neutral (default), Stone, Slate, Zinc, Gray Free (Neutral) / Premium (others)
Accent Color 17 Tailwind colors: Orange (default), Blue, Emerald, Rose, Violet, Amber, Cyan, Fuchsia, Indigo, Lime, Pink, Purple, Red, Sky, Teal, Yellow, Green Premium
Card Style Vega (default), Nova, Maia, Lyra, Mira Premium
Border Radius None (0), Small (0.3rem), Medium (0.5rem, default), Large (0.75rem), Full (1.0rem) Premium
Dark Mode Light (default) or Dark - elegant dark theme with off-white text and elevated cards Premium
Font System default + 15 Google Fonts (Inter, Roboto, Lato, Poppins, Montserrat, Open Sans, etc.) Premium

Additional Options

Custom Button Text

Change the buy button label from the default "Buy on Amazon" to any text you prefer.

Hide Amazon Icon

Remove the Amazon icon from buy buttons for a cleaner, white-label appearance.

Free users: You can still customize the appearance by adding custom CSS to your theme's stylesheet using the .psfa- prefixed classes.

Troubleshooting

"Invalid credentials" or "Connection failed" error
  • Double-check your API credentials are entered correctly (no extra spaces)
  • Verify your Amazon Associates account is active and in good standing
  • Make sure you've selected the correct Authentication Type (OAuth 2.0 or AWS Sig V4)
  • For OAuth 2.0, confirm your Auth Region matches your marketplace
  • Ensure your Associate Tag is correct (it's your Amazon Associates ID)
Products not loading or blank page
  • Check if your server has the cURL extension enabled
  • Verify PHP version is 7.4 or higher
  • Try disabling caching plugins temporarily to test
  • Check browser console for JavaScript errors
  • Ensure your WordPress site uses HTTPS
Search works but filters don't update results
  • This may be a caching issue - exclude the search page from full-page caching
  • Check that AJAX requests are not being blocked by security plugins
  • Ensure jQuery is loading correctly on your site
Styling looks broken or doesn't match theme
  • Your theme's CSS may be overriding plugin styles - use more specific selectors
  • Clear any CSS caching (minification plugins, CDN cache)
  • Premium users: try resetting to default theme settings first
  • Check that the plugin's CSS file is loading (Network tab in browser dev tools)
"No products found" for every search
  • Your API credentials may have insufficient permissions - reapply for API access
  • The selected marketplace may not have products matching your search
  • Try a broader search term without filters
  • Check if your Amazon Associates account has been flagged for low sales (API access can be revoked)
Premium features not working after purchase
  • Go to your Account Dashboard and download the premium plugin ZIP
  • Deactivate and delete the free version, then install the premium ZIP
  • Activate the premium plugin and enter your license key in settings
  • If issues persist, contact support

Still need help? Free users can post on the WordPress Support Forum. Premium users have access to priority email support via the Account Dashboard.