Precise, verifiable definitions of the terms that recur in Amazon operations and in using an MCP server. Every entry is self-contained: written to be read by people, search engines and AI assistants.
An open protocol that lets an AI assistant (such as ChatGPT or Claude) connect to external data sources and tools in a standard way. Instead of bespoke integrations, the AI talks to an MCP server that exposes tools and data.
In Vendooly: Vendooly is an MCP server for Amazon exposing read tools and operational actions.
The service that implements MCP: it receives requests from the AI assistant, translates them into calls to APIs or databases, and returns data or performs actions within authorized permissions.
In Vendooly: the MCP server turns natural-language questions into SP-API and Amazon Ads API calls while keeping the organization, seller account and marketplace context.
Amazon's official set of APIs for sellers. It covers catalog, listings, orders, FBA inventory, pricing, reports and Account Health. It replaced the older MWS. Access requires OAuth authorization ("Login with Amazon") with specific scopes.
Amazon Advertising's official API, separate from SP-API and with its own OAuth authorization. It manages Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display campaigns, plus keywords, targets, bids, budgets and performance reports.
In Vendooly: performance (ACoS, spend, clicks) comes from reports; configuration (state, budget, bids) from campaign listing endpoints.
The web portal third-party sellers use to manage their Amazon account: products, orders, inventory, pricing, advertising and metrics. Programmatic access to the same account is done through SP-API, without sharing the password.
A single Amazon national store, identified by a marketplace ID (e.g. APJ6JRA9NG5V4 = amazon.it). A seller can operate on several marketplaces; each has its own prices, availability and rules.
The seller account + marketplace pair: the finest operational leaf. It is the key Vendooly anchors performance data to, because two different sellers can operate on the same marketplace and must be kept apart.
ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number): the identifier of a product in Amazon's catalog, shared by all sellers on the same page. SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): the internal code a single seller uses to identify its own offer on that ASIN.
A seller's offer on an ASIN: price, quantity, condition, handling time and attributes. A healthy listing is published, with complete attributes and no blocking errors.
See also listing automation with human control.
A listing removed from search results and from sale because of a quality or compliance problem: missing image, absent required attribute, policy violation. It is not deleted, but it does not sell until the problem is fixed.
Stock sitting in FBA centers but not attached to an active offer (often due to a suppressed or deactivated listing). It takes up space and generates cost without being sellable.
The Add to Cart button assigned to a single offer when several sellers compete on the same page. Winning the Buy Box means capturing most of the sales; assignment depends on price, availability, fulfillment method and seller metrics.
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon): stock is in Amazon centers that handle shipping, returns and support. FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant): the seller stocks and ships. The method affects cost, Buy Box and Prime eligibility.
Adjusting an offer's price, manually or automatically, to stay competitive for the Buy Box while protecting margin. Good repricing always works within a floor price.
The minimum price a repricing rule must never go below. It protects margin and prevents a race to the bottom. Its opposite is the ceiling, the maximum price.
A bulk submission to SP-API (via the Feeds/Listings API) to update many listings, prices or quantities in one operation. A feed is processed asynchronously and returns a result report with any per-row errors.
The dashboard of metrics Amazon uses to judge a seller's reliability: order defect rate, late shipments, policy violations, complaints. A low score can lead to account suspension.
See also Account Health audit.
Amazon Ads' three formats. Sponsored Products promotes single products in search results; Sponsored Brands promotes a brand and multiple products; Sponsored Display reaches audiences on and off Amazon.
ACoS: ad spend ÷ ad-driven sales (%). Lower is more efficient. ROAS: the inverse, sales ÷ spend. TACoS: ad spend ÷ total sales (organic + ads); it measures advertising's impact on the whole business.
OAuth is the standard by which a seller authorizes an app to access their account without sharing the password. On Amazon it is called Login with Amazon (LWA). The app receives a scoped token, revocable at any time.
In Vendooly: SP-API and Amazon Ads require separate OAuth authorizations. See security and data protection.
A short-lived SP-API token needed to read buyer personal data (PII), such as an order's shipping address. It has a restricted scope and a short lifetime: a privacy control imposed by Amazon.
The model where the AI can read data and prepare an action, but any write to Amazon (price, stock, listing, budget, bid) requires explicit confirmation by a person before it runs.
In Vendooly: it is the non-negotiable safety rule. See what Vendooly is not.
Connect an authorized seller account, ask natural-language questions about real data, and keep every write under human approval.
Vendooly