The rules around using Amazon product images on your site are confusing and have changed more than once. And the consequences for getting these rules wrong are real.
If your Amazon product images are broken right now, showing as empty placeholders across your posts, it's not just you. Amazon retired two different image systems in the past two years.
So, let me break down what’s allowed, what’s changed, and how to get the freshest Amazon product images on your blog (with zero code required).
Can Amazon affiliates use product images?
Yes. If you're in the Amazon Associates program, you can use Amazon product images on your blog.
But you can’t screenshot them, download them, or host Amazon affiliate images on your site yourself. That goes against Amazon’s rules and puts your affiliate account at risk.
Amazon requires that all of their product images be served through their official API. The image must come directly from Amazon's servers, stay current, and automatically update if the product listing changes.
📸 Your own photos are always fine. A shot of yourself using the French press you're reviewing adds personality and credibility. That's an A+ for authenticity.
Why are my Amazon affiliate images broken?
Amazon has changed its image policy twice in recent years. And both times left a lot of bloggers scrambling.
December 2023: Amazon discontinued static image links from SiteStripe. Any image embeds created through SiteStripe stopped working. If you added Amazon images before that date and never updated them, those images are broken on your site right now.
January 31, 2025: Amazon retired the Product Advertising API (PA API) and replaced it with the Amazon Creators API. If you set up Amazon image automation before this date, your credentials no longer work. Images won't update automatically until you switch to the new Creators API credentials.
This is why images that worked fine for years just stopped. Amazon changed the system twice.
The fix is connecting to the new Creators API.
Requirements to get Amazon Creators API access
Not every Amazon Associate can access the Creators API right away.
To qualify for the Creators API, you need to (per Amazon documentation):
- Be enrolled in the Amazon Associates program for your target marketplace
- Have a minimum of 10 qualifying sales within the past 30 days
- Register for API access through Associates Central
- Generate API credentials
- See Register for Creators API for detailed instructions.
New to Amazon Associates and not there yet? You can still use Tasty Links for text-only affiliate links while you build up your qualifying sales. More on that below.
How to add Amazon affiliate product images to your site with Tasty Links
Once you have Creators API access, setup takes about 5 minutes.
Tasty Links (our WordPress link plugin) connects to the Amazon Creators API and pulls Amazon product images automatically.
It's the perfect plugin for managing your Amazon affiliate links. Tasty Links makes it easy for you to connect your Amazon Creators API to your website. No HTML code or headaches!
Step 1: Install Tasty Links on your WordPress site
You'll need version 1.6 or higher to use the Creators API. Grab your subscription, install the plugin, and activate your license key under WP Tasty in your dashboard.
Once Tasty Links is activated, you're ready to go!
Need more help? Follow our easy-to-use support doc for getting Tasty Links up and running!
Step 2: Get your Amazon Creators API Credentials
If you're using text-only links, then you don't need Amazon API keys. But to add Amazon product images from Amazon, you must get your Creators API credentials.
Log in to your Amazon affiliate account. Click the hamburger menu → Tools. Then, find your Creators API credentials on that page.
You'll need four things: Credential ID, Secret, Version, and your Amazon Store ID.
Once you have them, go to WP Tasty → Tasty Links → Settings and enter your Credential ID, Secret, Version, and Amazon Store ID. Then, hit Save.
For the full walkthrough with screenshots, see the Tasty Links Amazon setup guide in our support docs.
Step 3: Add your Amazon affiliate links to Tasty Links
From WP Tasty → Tasty Links → Links, click the Add Amazon Link button. Then, it's a few quick clicks:
- Paste your SiteStripe text link.
- Add the keyword (or keywords) that you want your affiliate link to be associated with.
- Paste your copied Amazon link in the Link section.
- Adjust your link settings and save your link.
Tasty Links pulls the product image automatically.
That's it! Tasty Links pulls the product photos for you (with the Creator Credentials)!
From there, your text link will show up automatically whenever you use that keyword in a post.
Where to use Amazon product images on your blog
Once your product image is ready, you might wonder…”Okay, but where should it go?” 💭
Here are two spots in blog posts where they do the most work.
1. For food bloggers — your recipe card’s equipment section. It’s perfect for showing tools you used, like your go-to baking dish or trusty pizza cutter. Readers can see the product and buy it in one click.
2. A featured link block – Great for gift guides, product roundups, and anywhere you want a product to stand out. The image and link together are far more clickable than a text link alone
Both options keep things looking clean and organized, while still making your affiliate links easy to spot and easy to click.
What if you don't have API access yet?
Text-only links still work and still earn commissions.
Tasty Links doesn't require API credentials for adding Amazon affiliate links to WordPress. There are also plenty of alternative affiliate programs out there beyond Amazon.
In the meantime, set up your Amazon affiliate keywords in Tasty Links — product names, brand names, ingredient brands you link to regularly — and every mention of that keyword across your site automatically becomes an affiliate link. No Creator API needed.
Once you hit the qualifying sales threshold and get API access, adding images to those existing links is a one-time update.
Amazon product image FAQs
- Can I use product images from Amazon?
-
Yes, if you're an Amazon Associate. You can't download or host the images yourself. They must be served through the official Amazon Creators API. Tools like Tasty Links connect to the API for you automatically, so there's nothing technical to set up on your end.
- How do I get images for Amazon affiliate links?
-
Through the Amazon Creators API and an Amazon affiliate plugin like Tasty Links. Connect your credentials, paste your product link, and the image pulls automatically. If you don't have API access yet, text-only links work in the meantime.
- My Amazon affiliate images are broken or not showing — what happened?
-
Two likely causes: SiteStripe image links stopped working in December 2023, and the PA API was retired on January 31, 2025. If you set up Amazon image integration before either of those dates, you'll need to update your setup. See our Amazon Creators API setup guide for the fix.
- Are text links better than image links?
-
Text links blend into content naturally. Image links are more eye-catching and typically drive higher click rates. The best approach is usually both: auto-linked text keywords throughout your post, plus a featured link block or equipment section for key products.
Keep your affiliate links clean and compliant
Amazon's rules change. Links break. Products go out of stock.
Tasty Links keeps up with all of it: broken link alerts, automatic image updates through the Creators API, built-in disclosures, and keyword auto-linking that works across every post on your site.
Set it up once. Then go back to creating.
Tasty Links comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free.
If you found this post helpful, we’d love to keep sharing our best tips with you!
Sign up for the WP Tasty newsletter for more affiliate advice, content creator tips, and tools to grow your blog. 🍽️
If you have any questions, please check out our support docs to help or contact our support team!
