affiliate-toolkit 3.8.5: Amazon Creators API Support + Why You Need to Migrate Before May 15, 2026

Version 3.8.5 is out — and it comes with one of the most important updates we've shipped in a while. Not just because of a new feature, but because of what's happening on Amazon's side that directly affects every affiliate using the Product Advertising API.

Here's what you need to know.

Amazon Is Retiring PA-API v5 on May 15, 2026

Amazon has officially announced that the existing PA-API v5 endpoint will be shut down on May 15, 2026. After that date, any product data requests going through the old endpoint will fail — meaning broken product boxes, missing prices, and dead affiliate links on your site.

This isn't a distant deadline. If you're running a content site or affiliate shop with hundreds of Amazon product integrations, you'll want to act well before the cutoff.

The replacement is Amazon's new Creators API — a modern endpoint designed for publishers, influencers, and affiliate partners. It provides the same core product data access as PA-API, but under a new authentication model tied to the Amazon Creators platform.

To access the Creators API via PA-API, you need an approved Creators account and at least 10 qualifying sales in the last 30 days.

What's New in v3.8.5: Native Creators API Support

affiliate-toolkit 3.8.5 adds full native support for the Amazon Creators API. You can now connect your Creators account directly inside the plugin and continue importing and displaying Amazon products without any interruption — before and after the PA-API v5 retirement.

How to connect your Creators account

1. Go to affiliate-toolkit → Settings → Amazon
2. Select the Creators API as your endpoint
3. Enter your Creators API credentials (access key + secret)
4. Save and test the connection

That's it. All existing shortcodes, product boxes, and list displays continue to work as before — the Creators API integration is fully backward-compatible with your existing content.

What Else Is New in v3.8.5

Beyond the Creators API, this release includes several quality-of-life improvements:

Gutenberg editor integration improved The affiliate-toolkit button in the Gutenberg editor now opens the Shortcode Generator directly as a modal overlay. You no longer need to leave the editor or open a separate tab to configure your product boxes.

Iframe mode for the Shortcode Generator A new distraction-free iframe mode is available for the Shortcode Generator — useful when you want to focus on configuring a product import without the surrounding WordPress UI in the way.

Improved null handling in product loading Product loading is now more resilient when product data is incomplete or temporarily unavailable from the API. This reduces error output and prevents broken displays when individual product fields are missing.

German translations updated The German plugin translations have been refreshed and are now fully up to date for this release.

Action Required: What You Should Do Now

If you're using affiliate-toolkit with Amazon products, here's your checklist:

• [ ] Update to affiliate-toolkit 3.8.5 via your WordPress plugin dashboard
• [ ] Create a Creators API application in your Amazon Associates / Influencer account under the Creators API section
• [ ] Generate API credentials (access key + secret key) for your new application
• [ ] Connect the Creators API in affiliate-toolkit → Settings → Amazon
• [ ] Test a product import to confirm the connection is working

Don't wait until May — migrating early gives you time to troubleshoot and ensures no affiliate revenue is disrupted by the deadline.

Who Is Affected?

Anyone using affiliate-toolkit with Amazon products via PA-API is affected by the upcoming retirement. This includes:

• Affiliate content sites displaying Amazon product boxes
• Comparison pages pulling live prices and product data
• Automated product list imports via the affiliate-toolkit importer

If you're using other affiliate networks (Awin, Tradedoubler, Tracdelight, etc.) through affiliate-toolkit, the Creators API change does not affect those integrations.

Further Resources

• Amazon Creators API documentation — step-by-step setup guide on Associates Central
• Questions? Reach out via [email protected]

affiliate-toolkit is a WordPress plugin for professional affiliate marketing — supporting Amazon, Awin, Tradedoubler, Tracdelight, and many more networks with native product boxes, Gutenberg blocks, and automated imports.