Amazon dominates the online retail landscape, holding 37.6% of the U.S. e-commerce market in 2025—leaving competitors like Walmart far behind. With over 310 million users and 353 million products, Amazon’s reach is unrivaled. In fact, 89% of consumers say they prefer shopping on Amazon over other retailers. Amazon also commands 10.4% of the overall U.S. retail market, making its influence nearly impossible to ignore.
For businesses trying to stay ahead, learning how to scrape Amazon data is critical. From tracking competitor prices to analyzing product reviews and seller rankings, Amazon’s public data holds invaluable insights. But scraping Amazon is notoriously difficult, and maintaining your own scraper can be a nightmare. That’s where a dedicated solution like Traject Data’s Rainforest API comes in.
In this article, we’ll show you how to scrape Amazon data with an API—efficiently, responsibly, and at scale.
What Is an Amazon Scraper API?
An Amazon scraper is a tool or script designed to automatically extract data from Amazon product pages. These tools can be hand-coded or powered by pre-built solutions like Traject Data’s Rainforest API, which dramatically reduces complexity.
Scraping Amazon manually often involves writing custom code, rotating proxies, managing user agents, and constantly updating selectors when Amazon changes its HTML. Using a professional-grade API takes care of all of that for you.
Is It Legal to Scrape Amazon with an API?
The answer is… it depends. Scraping publicly available data (such as product listings, pricing, and reviews) is generally legal when done responsibly and for legitimate business purposes. However, you should always:
- Review and comply with Amazon’s terms of service
- Avoid scraping personal data
- Respect copyright and trademark laws
Most importantly, work with a provider that takes care to comply with legal and ethical best practices—like Traject Data.
Why Scraping Amazon Is So Challenging
Amazon does not make it easy for scrapers. Here’s why:
- Dynamic Page Structures: Amazon frequently updates its layout and runs A/B tests, which can break traditional scrapers.
- CAPTCHAs & Anti-Bot Measures: These defenses detect and block automated tools.
- Rate Limiting: Too many requests in a short time? Amazon will throttle you.
- Legal Risk: Navigating the legal gray areas of scraping requires careful consideration.
- Data Cleanup: Extracted data often needs validation, deduplication, and formatting.
- Scalability: Extracting millions of records requires reliable infrastructure and optimization.
Instead of handling all these issues manually, many turn to a purpose-built Amazon scraper API.
How to Scrape Amazon Product Data Effectively
So, how do you actually scrape Amazon data responsibly?
The best option is using a dedicated API that’s designed for Amazon’s structure. APIs like Traject Data’s Rainforest API eliminate the need for proxy management, CAPTCHA solving, and HTML parsing.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Rainforest API
Here’s how to start scraping Amazon with Traject Data’s Rainforest API:
1. Sign Up for an API Key
Head to Traject Data and sign up to get your unique API key. This key acts like your password—keep it secure.
2. Review the API Documentation
Read the Rainforest API documentation to understand the available endpoints and parameters. You’ll find examples for search results, bestsellers, seller profiles, reviews, and more.
3. Make Your First Request
Here’s a simple example to retrieve bestselling products for “memory cards” on Amazon.com:
plaintext
https://api.rainforestapi.com/request?api_key=demo&type=bestsellers&url=https://www.amazon.com/s/zgbs/pc/516866
Replace "demo" with your actual API key.
Visit the Rainforest documentation for common parameters.
This returns structured JSON data in real time—including product names, prices, ASINs, and ranking positions. You can integrate this directly into your data pipeline or BI tool.
4. Send the Data to Your Favorite BI Tool
Traject Data’s Rainforest API integrates easily with platforms like Looker, Tableau, and Power BI. You can filter, sort, and analyze data to fit your specific goals.
Why Choose Traject Data’s Amazon Rainforest API?
The Rainforest API is designed to make scraping Amazon data scalable, legal, and developer-friendly.
✅ Easy Integration
Plug into your data stack using standard HTTP requests. No proxy rotation or headless browsers required.
✅ Rich, Real-Time Data
Access live data for search results, product pages, reviews, seller feedback, and much more.
✅ Clean, Structured Output
Receive pre-parsed, ready-to-use JSON—no scraping or post-processing needed.
✅ Scalable & Reliable
Enterprise-grade infrastructure supports large-scale data extraction with uptime and speed guarantees.
✅ Developer Support & Documentation
Get started fast with code samples, SDKs, and responsive support.
Start Scraping Amazon Data Today
If you’re looking to understand the Amazon marketplace, track competitor trends, or power your ecommerce analytics, don’t build your own scraper from scratch. Traject Data’s Rainforest API offers a reliable, secure, and scalable way to get the data you need—without the headaches.
👉 Sign up for free to try the Rainforest API
👉 Explore the full Rainforest API documentation
👉 Watch the Rainforest API “Get Started” video
Ready to See What Traject Data Can Help You Do?
We’re your premier partner in web scraping for SERP data. Get started with one of our APIs for free and see the data possibilities that you can start to collect.
