There are many sources of data Amazon shares with Sellers, but not all are created equal. There are some key differences between these data sources in terms of accuracy, reliability, and availability.
For example, queryable data might be the most customizable, API reports might be the most reliable, but real-time reports are the most readily available — and each type of data could be the best choice for a specific need or application.
When choosing one data source over another, there are of course pros and cons. We’re breaking down each source of data on Amazon, so you understand the nuances between them and when each type is necessary depending on your use cases.
Sources of Amazon Data
Each of these sources of data requires a very different approach and level of understanding by the team who’s interacting with it. Choosing to use real-time data means you’ll have more up to date info, but it might not be 100% accurate, and could change later as Amazon removes fraud and duplicate clicks, etc.
Relying on Amazon’s standard APIs like the SP-API or Ads API is generally the most accurate source of truth, but you’ll also be at least 1 day behind (if you’re a Vendor, you’ll more likely be 3-4 days behind). And while queryable data from a clean room like AMC might be the most customizable – where you can get exactly what you need, it’s the most cumbersome to actually pull down, and can take a long time to produce insights from when compared to the other options.
API Data
The first source of data are the reports from Amazon’s most standard or basic APIs, such as the Selling Partner API or the Advertising API. This data is generally pulled through software, whether via your own custom software or a software partner like Kapoq. Ads data is usually updated by Amazon once per day, while the Selling Partner API (SP-API) updates information on certain reports hourly (like the orders report).
There are some drawbacks to API data — namely, that it can be costly to maintain these API connections in-house. Constantly updating your integration to accurately pull data from Amazon requires a lot of time and knowledge, so it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it type of integration. Additionally, the data from an API integration is anywhere from 1 to 4 days behind, so it doesn’t provide you with the most real-time data.
Real-Time Data
The second type of data is real-time data, which is pulled through specific APIs like Rapid Retail Analytics or Amazon Marketing Stream. This data is near real-time, so you’re not getting exactly of-the-moment data, but it’s the most up-to-date data you can programmatically get from Amazon.
Rapid Retail Analytics is great for big shopping events like Prime Day, so you can get the most current data to be able to adjust your strategy on the fly. Additionally, you can use RRA to view peak shopping times and analyze for dayparting opportunities.
Amazon Marketing Stream delivers hourly updates on your campaign metrics for your Advertising campaigns. This data is also near real-time, similar to RRA, so you can make updates as needed. Marketing Stream can help you determine campaigns that are going out of budget mid-day, especially helpful during peak event days.
Despite its robustness, real-time data has some drawbacks. First, there’s the added complexity of ingesting data hourly, and how you should set up your database infrastructure to support that added grain of data. This is a complex process that requires expertise and likely is the job of a full-time software engineer to structure the databases appropriately. Additionally, the cost of pulling and storing that much data every day could add up to equal a rise in your operating costs.
Queryable/Custom Data
Queryable or custom data is available when a user makes a specific request (in the form of a query) to get the data they want.
Data like this is made available through services like Amazon Marketing Cloud. According to Amazon’s website, “AMC allows businesses to integrate insights from various sources, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, email marketing channels, and their own first-party insights. This integration enables businesses to create a unified view of their customers and their interactions across different channels.”
While queryable data is excellent because of its customization — you can pull exactly what you need — it’s less ideal for the more general data needs of an organization. Sure, you can use AMC to pull daily sales numbers, but due to the manual nature of writing those queries, it’ll be much slower and more cumbersome than using Amazon’s standard APIs to get the same information.
Kapoq and Data
Kapoq integrates with Rapid Retail Analytics, Amazon Marketing Stream, and Amazon Marketing Cloud—which means you get access to near real-time data with the click of a button. There’s no need to build your own complicated API connections, manually pull reports, or have to pull data from multiple sources. All data is available in one place, so you can avoid having fractured datasets and instead see the full picture of your Amazon business.
Many other platforms integrating with Amazon’s SP-API would still likely only pull the data once per day, but Kapoq actually pulls data from SP-API hourly, if it’s available. This means you can have up-to-date orders reports as often as every hour. This might seem simple, but it requires a sophisticated setup that not all software partners offer.
Let Kapoq do the heavy lifting for your Amazon data — sign up for your free demo today!
