canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/aliexpress.com/aliexpress

# AliExpress Open Platform API

Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for the AliExpress Open Platform API, keeping it validated and agent-ready. The Open Platform exposes 185 endpoints for sellers, affiliates, dropshippers, and logistics partners to manage products, orders, shipping, payments, and refunds across the AliExpress marketplace. The API follows the TOP (Taobao Open Platform) gateway pattern - most operations are dispatched through a central gateway endpoint with method-specific paths under the /aliexpress/ prefix - and authenticates via app key and access token query parameters obtained through OAuth-style token endpoints.

## For AI agents

Operate on the AliExpress marketplace as a seller, affiliate, dropshipper, or logistics partner - manage products, orders, shipping, refunds, and affiliate links across 185 methods.

## Scope

Does not handle direct payment processing, off-marketplace fulfillment, or buyer-side checkout - use a payment gateway, third-party logistics provider, or AliExpress's consumer site for those. Use this API for marketplace seller, affiliate, dropshipper, and logistics-partner operations only.

## Capabilities

- Generate, refresh, and secure-refresh access tokens for AliExpress accounts via /auth/token endpoints
- Generate affiliate product links and pull product details, hot products, and promotional campaigns via /aliexpress/affiliate/* methods
- List, query, and inspect affiliate orders and commissions via /aliexpress/affiliate/order/list and /aliexpress/affiliate/order/get
- Submit shipment declarations and pack orders for AliExpress logistics via /aliexpress/asf/* methods
- Manage seller listings, categories, attributes, and images via /aliexpress/category, /aliexpress/seller, and /aliexpress/image methods
- Process refunds and returns through /aliexpress/refund methods and dropshipper-specific operations under /aliexpress/dropshipper

## Use cases

### Affiliate link generation for content sites

Content sites and price-comparison engines call /aliexpress/affiliate/link/generate with a tracking ID and one or more source URLs to receive trackable affiliate links. Combined with /aliexpress/affiliate/productdetail/get for live price and stock, sites can publish AliExpress deals with accurate data and earn commission on conversions.

Example prompt: POST /aliexpress/affiliate/link/generate with tracking_id and source_values containing the AliExpress product URL, then POST /aliexpress/affiliate/productdetail/get to enrich the listing

### Dropshipper order placement and tracking

Dropshippers integrate with /aliexpress/dropshipper methods to push customer orders into AliExpress, then pull shipment status and tracking information through /aliexpress/asf logistics endpoints. The flow keeps inventory off the dropshipper's books while still surfacing accurate ship and delivery dates to end customers.

Example prompt: Call the AliExpress dropshipper order-placement method with the customer order, then POST /aliexpress/asf/order/shipping/service/get to retrieve shipping options

### Marketplace seller catalog automation

Sellers automate listing creation by calling category and attribute lookup methods, then product creation methods under /aliexpress/seller and /aliexpress/category&attributes. Image uploads via /aliexpress/image complete the listing without using the seller dashboard, enabling bulk PIM-driven catalog management.

Example prompt: Call /aliexpress/affiliate/category/get to discover the target category, look up required attributes, then create the listing through the seller-product creation method

### Agent-driven affiliate research

An AI assistant connecting through Jentic can search AliExpress for hot products in a niche, pull product details, generate trackable affiliate links, and return a curated list to the user. Credentials and the access token stay in your Jentic One instance, so the agent never handles the raw app key or access token.

Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'find AliExpress hot products', load aliexpress_affiliate_hotproduct_query, execute for the niche, then call aliexpress_affiliate_link_generate for each selected product

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POST | /auth/token/create | Generate an access token from an authorization code |
| POST | /auth/token/refresh | Refresh an expired access token |
| POST | /aliexpress/affiliate/link/generate | Generate an affiliate tracking link |
| POST | /aliexpress/affiliate/productdetail/get | Get detailed product information |
| POST | /aliexpress/affiliate/hotproduct/query | Query hot products in a category |
| POST | /aliexpress/affiliate/order/list | List affiliate orders |
| POST | /aliexpress/asf/order/shipping/service/get | Retrieve shipping service options for an order |

## Key resources

- **Auth Tokens** — Access and refresh tokens for AliExpress account authorization
- **Affiliate Products** — Product details, hot products, smart-match, and category lookup for affiliates
- **Affiliate Orders** — Affiliate order listings and commission data
- **Logistics (ASF)** — Shipment declaration, packing, and shipping service endpoints
- **Seller Operations** — Listings, categories, attributes, and images for marketplace sellers
- **Refunds and Returns** — Refund and return management methods

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring the AliExpress Open Platform API by hand means managing its app_key plus access_token on the query string, choosing between the Singapore api-sg and US api-us gateways, and running the token create and refresh flow yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import the AliExpress Open Platform API from the API Directory, store the key and token once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** The AliExpress Open Platform API carries its targets in the request body rather than as path resources, so limit the agent to the operations it needs, such as generating an affiliate link or querying hot products. You choose the operations it may call, so token creation and refresh or order operations are not included unless you add them.
- **Credential handling:** Your AliExpress app key and access token are stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. They never enter the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'generate an affiliate link' or 'get affiliate product details', and Jentic returns the matching AliExpress operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Shopify API** — Run your own storefront rather than selling through a marketplace
- **Etsy API** — Marketplace API focused on handmade and vintage goods
- **eBay Marketing API** — Auction and fixed-price marketplace with strong second-hand and collectibles focus

## FAQ

### Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for the AliExpress Open Platform API?

AliExpress documents methods through its TOP-style developer portal but does not publish a packaged OpenAPI 3 specification. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call the Open Platform via structured tooling. It is validated against the live API and kept up to date. Get started with Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer.

### What authentication does the AliExpress Open Platform API use?

Two API key parameters passed in the query string: app_key (your registered application key) and access_token (obtained via /auth/token/create after the user authorizes your app). Through Jentic, both are stored in the vault and injected at request time.

### Can I generate affiliate links with this API?

Yes. POST /aliexpress/affiliate/link/generate with your tracking_id and the source product URLs. The response returns affiliate-trackable links suitable for embedding in content sites and apps.

### What are the rate limits for the AliExpress Open Platform?

The spec does not declare numeric rate limits. AliExpress applies per-app and per-method throttling that varies by service tier. Watch for error codes indicating throttling and refresh access tokens proactively before expiry to avoid mid-batch failures.

### How do I refresh an access token through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'refresh AliExpress access token', load refreshToken, and execute with the stored refresh_token. Jentic injects the app_key and stores the new access_token back in the vault for subsequent calls.

### Does this API include logistics endpoints?

Yes. The /aliexpress/asf/* methods cover shipment declaration, packing, and shipping service queries for AliExpress's logistics network, including DBS (Direct Business Shipping) and local-to-local fulfillment paths.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the AliExpress Open Platform API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, you decide which AliExpress operations the agent may call, so you can allow only what it needs, such as generating an affiliate link with /aliexpress/affiliate/link/generate or querying hot products with /aliexpress/affiliate/hotproduct/query. Since this API carries its targets in the request body rather than as path resources, scoping is done at the operation level: token creation and refresh via /auth/token, or order operations, stay excluded unless you explicitly add them. Your app key and access token are held by your own instance and injected at execution time, so the agent never sees the raw credentials it is authorized to use.