Magento 2 Product API: Different Types and Key Features

• What Is Magento 2 Product API?

• Different Types of Magento 2 Product API

• Key Features of Magento 2 Product API

• Difference Between Magento 2 Product API and Magento 2 Rest API

• Common Use Cases of Magento 2 Product API

• FAQs

• Summary

What Is Magento 2 Product API?

The Magento 2 product API enables developers to manage and interact with product data programmatically.

The Magento 2 API uses REST or GraphQL protocols to exchange data between Magento and external systems. The API supports:

• Adding, updating, or deleting products

• Managing inventory

• Syncing catalog data with third-party tools like ERP or CRM systems

Developers can use it to automate product imports and build custom apps for eCommerce platforms.

Features like filtering and searching help API simplify product management. It also enhances flexibility and scalability. It is an essential tool for creating advanced Magento 2-based solutions.

Different Types of Magento 2 Product API

1. Product Management API

It is the core API for managing product data in Magento 2. It enables operations such as adding, updating, and deleting products.

Features:

• Create new products with attributes like name, SKU, price, etc.

• Update product details such as descriptions or status.

• Delete products by SKU.

2. Product Attribute API

The API focuses on managing product attributes and attribute sets. It helps create dynamic product catalogs.

Features:

• Retrieve, create, or update product attributes.

• Manage attribute sets and assign them to products.

• Configure attributes for specific product types.

3. Product Media API

The API deals with media assets like product images and video galleries. It ensures visually appealing product displays.

Features:

• Add new media items, including images or videos, to products.

• Update or delete existing product media.

• Retrieve details about media galleries.

4. Configurable Product API

The API is designed to manage configurable products and their associated simple product variations.

Features:

• Create configurable products and define their options, such as color or size.

• Assign child products to a configurable product.

• Retrieve or update configurations.

5. Inventory API

This API manages stock data for products. It helps businesses track and control inventory effectively.

Features:

• Retrieve stock levels for specific products.

• Update stock levels programmatically.

• Manage inventory across multiple sources. It is useful for multi-location setups.

6. Product Pricing API

The API enables programmatic control over product pricing. These include special prices and tiered pricing.

Features:

• Retrieve or update product prices.

• Set special prices and validity periods.

• Define tiered pricing for bulk purchases.

7. Search and Filter API

The API provides advanced querying capabilities to search and filter product data. It is based on specific criteria.

Features:

• Search products by attributes like name, SKU, or price range.

• Use complex filters to narrow down results.

• Retrieve products for specific customer groups or store views.

Key Features of Magento 2 Product API

1. Product Information Retrieval

• Accessing product details via API is efficient and tailored to your needs.

• You can retrieve comprehensive product details, including:

  1. Attributes

  2. Images

  3. Categories

• Use search criteria like SKU, name, or category to search and filter only the relevant products. You can optimize the data you receive.

• For extensive catalogs, pagination support ensures faster and more organized retrieval of data.

2. Category Integration

• Categories help structure your product catalog, and the API simplifies their management.

• Assign products to categories programmatically. It helps simplify catalog organization.

• Fetch category details for easier catalog updates. These include:

  1. Name

  2. Description

  3. Associated products

3. Media and Images

• Product images and media galleries are useful for eCommerce. The API provides powerful tools for handling them.

• You can upload, update, or delete product images directly using API calls.

• The tool also enables you to retrieve all media associated with a product. These include:

  1. Images

  2. Videos

  3. Other assets

4. Multi-Store Support

• Magento supports multi-store setups. API ensures compatibility across different stores and languages.

• Retrieve or update product details specific to each store view. These include localized names and descriptions.

• Manage product information for different languages. It enhances global store operations.

5. Security and Performance

• The API is built with enterprise-grade security and efficiency in mind.

• Several authentication methods provide secure access. These include:

  1. OAuth 1.0: A powerful authentication mechanism used for secure connections.

  2. Token-Based Authentication: Use a customer access or admin token for API calls.

  3. Session Authentication: Optional for frontend interactions.

• It ensures that only authorized users can interact with the system.

• Pagination and filtering options reduce the load on servers with efficient data handling. It also helps improve response times by delivering only the required data.

• The API is designed to handle large-scale operations. It ensures smooth integration with external systems.

6. API Endpoints

• Magento 2 product API provides specific endpoints to perform product-related operations. Common endpoints include:

  1. Create Product: POST /products. Submit a JSON payload with product details to create new products.

  2. Update Product: PUT /products/{SKU}. Send updated data for an existing product identified by SKU.

  3. Get Product Details: GET /products/{SKU}. Use GET requests to fetch product details, attributes, or stock levels.

  4. Delete Product: DELETE /products/{SKU}. Remove a product from the catalog by making a DELETE request.

• Each endpoint corresponds to a particular action and accepts data in JSON format.

7. Error Handling

Magento API provides detailed error responses to troubleshoot issues. HTTP status codes categorize errors into:

1. 400: Bad Request

2. 401: Unauthorized

3. 404: Resource Not Found

Difference Between Magento 2 Product API and Magento 2 Rest API

Feature	Product API in Magento 2	Rest API in Magento 2
1. Definition	It is a subset of the Magento REST API. It focuses on product-related operations.	It is a comprehensive API that allows access to all Magento store functionalities.
2. Scope	It focuses on managing product data, inventory, attributes, and media.	It covers all Magento entities. These include products, orders, customers, and configurations.
3. Key Operations	Create, update, retrieve, and delete products. Manage attributes and categories. Update stock and inventory. Handle product images.	Manage products, customers, orders, carts, and marketing tools. Access store configurations. Manage shipping and payment methods.
4. Granularity	It provides detailed endpoints for product-level actions. These include adding images or attributes.	It offers broader endpoints for all Magento features. It is less detailed for products.
5. Audience	Developers working on product-related tasks or integrations.	Developers needing full eCommerce functionality for storefronts or backend operations.
6. Data Retrieval	It focuses on fetching product-specific data. These include SKUs, prices, inventory, and categories.	It helps retrieve data for products, orders, customers, payments, and configurations.
7. Integration with Third-Party Tools	It is ideal for integrating PIM, ERP, or inventory management systems.	It is suitable for integrating CRM, marketing, and analytics tools.
8. Multi-Channel Support	It helps manage product data for marketplaces and external sales channels.	It provides broader multi-channel support. These include orders and customer syncing.
9. Inventory Management	It updates product inventory and stock levels programmatically.	It supports inventory updates. It lacks specialized tools for product-only tasks.
10. Best Suited For	Product catalog management and synchronization tasks.	Full-scale eCommerce integrations and custom storefront development.

Common Use Cases of Magento 2 Product API

Use Cases	Explanation
1. Samsung	Samsung integrates its Magento store with marketplaces like Amazon and Best Buy using the API. The API enables Samsung to push product information, prices, and stock updates to these platforms automatically. For instance, when Samsung launches a new Galaxy phone, the API ensures the product appears simultaneously on its Magento store and marketplace listings. It comes with uniform pricing and inventory status.
2. Adidas	Adidas uses the API to create personalized shopping experiences. For example, a returning customer interested in running shoes sees a curated catalog with new arrivals and relevant accessories. The API powers the personalization. It fetches user-specific product recommendations based on browsing history and past purchases.
3. Canon	Canon regularly updates product visuals, especially for its camera models and accessories. Canon uploads high-quality images and videos directly to the media gallery of each product using the API. When a new camera is launched, the API ensures all associated images are live on the website. These include different angles and demo videos. There is no manual intervention.
4. L’Oréal	L’Oréal manages multiple Magento stores tailored to different regions. The brand localizes product descriptions, pricing, and stock availability using the API. For instance, a moisturizer might have unique descriptions, packaging, and pricing for the US and French markets. The API ensures accurate data for each region’s store view.
5. Amazon (Kindle Division)	Amazon’s Kindle division integrates AI-driven tools with the Magento API. It helps enhance product recommendations. For example, customers purchasing a Kindle device are shown complementary products. It is done using data fetched through the API. These include covers or chargers, The API ensures these recommendations are relevant and updated in real time.

FAQs

1. How can I update a product using REST API in Magento 2?

Authenticate with a token in Magento 2 obtained via username and password. Send an API request with the product_id, custom_attributes, and attribute_code. It helps modify details like the qty or category_links. Refer to the REST API documentation for syntax and examples.

2. What is the process to create a simple product via REST API?

You need to create an API integration by generating an access token. Then, the RESTful API in Magento is used to send product data. These include attribute_set_id, tax_class_id, and type_id. The api allows adding attributes like url_key and is_in_stock to simplify product creation.

3. How does Magento 2 Product API help manage stock and inventory?

The API helps update stock_item details like backorders, manage_stock, and use_config_max_sale_qty. With custom APIs, Magento developers can optimize stock updates for products in your store. It ensures accurate inventory across all Magento 2 stores.

4. How does Magento 2 protect visitor data during API integration?

Magento uses authentication with tokens and encrypted preferences and interactions. It helps prevent fraudulent use of login data. Cookies like those used by Google help protect visitor data from unauthorized access. It also helps maintain secure e-commerce operations during API interactions.

Summary

Magento 2 Product API enables developers to manage product data programmatically using the REST API. The article explores the key features of the API, including:

• Add, update, and delete products with attributes like SKU and price.

• Manage product images and videos for engaging displays.

• Track and update stock across multi-location setups.

• Supports multi-store setups, secure access, and efficient data retrieval.

Optimize your eCommerce operations with the Magento 2 Product API. Pair it with reliable managed Magento hosting for smooth product management.