IMPORTANT: Amazon API changes obsolete the plugin; it will not work after 3/9/20

The Amazon Associates program recently announced that it will end support for the Product Advertising API version 4.0 on March 9, 2020. The program will migrate to a new version (version 5.0) of the API. Unfortunately, Amazon has chosen to remove support for retrieving customer product reviews from the new API. This change to the API renders obsolete the ScrapeAZon plugin because the plugin will no longer be able to retrieve reviews by using the API. Therefore, on March 9, 2020, the ScrapeAZon plugin will stop working.

In an effort to ease the transition for ScrapeAZon’s users, version 2.3.0 of the plugin is being made available via the WordPress Plugin Directory. ScrapeAZon 2.3.0 presents to admins a dismissable warning message to remind you that the plugin will cease to function as of March 9, 2020. Sites that currently use ScrapeAZon should remove all ScrapeAZon shortcodes and/or widgets from pages and posts, then deactivate and delete the ScrapeAZon plugin prior to March 9, 2020. This action will best mitigate the effects of Amazon’s transition to version 5.0 of the Product Advertising API.

If you do not deactivate and delete the ScrapeAZon plugin by March 9, 2020, version 2.3.0 of the plugin will display a dismissable admin notice to administrative users in order to remind you that this needs to be done. Any ScrapeAZon shortcodes that remain on your site will be automatically hidden (but not removed) by this version of the plugin as long as it remains activated. However, no calls to the Amazon Product Advertising API will occur.

Versions of ScrapeAZon earlier than 2.3.0 (2.2.9 and earlier) will also stop working correctly after March 9, 2020. However, if you have an earlier version of ScrapeAZon installed on your site, your site might display error messages from Amazon’s API. To avoid this without upgrading to ScrapeAZon 2.3.0, remove all ScrapeAZon shortcodes and/or widgets from your site, then deactivate and delete the plugin before March 9, 2020.

After March 9, 2020, the ScrapeAZon maintainers will be contacting the WordPress plugin team to formally close the plugin.

As with anything, it’s possible that Amazon will change their mind and reintroduce support for retrieval of reviews at some point. However, there are no plans to resurrect the ScrapeAZon plugin should this event occur. Authors who use ScrapeAZon might consider switching to the GoodReviews plugin for now. The GoodReviews plugin enables the display of Goodreads.com reviews on the author’s site.

Sellers of other Amazon products who currently use ScrapeAZon might consider searching for other, non-Amazon reviews plugins in the WordPress Plugins Directory.