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AMZScratchpad

AuthorizationFailed (AccessDeniedException): Amazon Creators API error

HTTP 403AccessDeniedExceptionAccess & eligibility (403)Documented by Amazon

What it means

Your login worked, but this credential may not use the API, most often because the credential itself has expired.

Message returned by the API: Authorization check failed for the requested operation.

Typical causes

  • The credential was revoked or deleted in Associates Central.
  • Legacy v2.x credential: observed response "Your credentials have expired. Please create a new one from https://partnernet.amazon.de/creatorsapi".
  • The operation is not enabled for this credential.

How to fix it

  1. Read the message field. It usually tells you whether the credential expired.
  2. In Associates Central → Tools → Creators API, add a new credential to your application and use its Version 3.x values.
  3. Update every system that uses the old credential; delete the old one afterwards.

Not sure which part fails? Run Test credentials in the Scratchpad. It checks the token, the API access and the partner tag separately.

Example response

{
  "type": "AccessDeniedException",
  "message": "Your credentials have expired. Please create a new one from https://partnernet.amazon.de/creatorsapi",
  "reason": "AuthorizationFailed"
}

Note: The "credentials have expired" message was observed on 2026-11-04 with a v2.2 credential; the docs only list the generic message.

Related errors

  • AssociateNotEligible: Your credentials are valid, but your Associates account currently does not qualify for API access (10 qualified sales in the last 30 days).
  • invalid_client: Amazon’s token endpoint rejected your Credential ID or Secret, so no access token was issued.