# Walmart Connect Ads setup for PopMCP

You paste the Consumer ID, auth token and RSA private key that Walmart's Partner Onboarding Hub issues to an approved Walmart Connect API partner, then pick an advertiser that granted your partner account access in Ad Center.

- Auth: API credentials
- Setup time: 20 min
- API base URL: https://developer.api.walmart.com (Sponsored Search), https://developer.api.us.walmart.com (Display)
- Credentials screen: https://advertising.walmart.com/onboard/agencypartner
- Provider docs: https://developer.walmart.com/advertising-partners-search/docs/introduction-to-walmart-connect-ads-apis

## Approval required before this works

Walmart offers the Walmart Connect Ads APIs only to Walmart Connect Partner Network (WCPN) partners. You apply through the Partner Onboarding Hub, and Walmart reviews your application, a sandbox demo and a recorded production demo before it issues production credentials. Each advertiser then has to grant your partner account access in Ad Center.

- Typical wait: Not published. Walmart's developer docs give no timeframe for any stage: the onboarding form, the sandbox demo review or the production demo review. Each stage can come back by email with a request to fix and resubmit, so plan for several rounds rather than a fixed date.
- Cost: Walmart's developer docs state no fee for joining the Partner Network or for API access. Technology Enabled Agencies provide billing information and W8 or W9 forms as part of onboarding.
- Blocked until approved: Everything. Without WCPN API partner status there is no Consumer ID or auth token, so no request can be signed. After approval, PopMCP still reaches only the advertisers that granted your partner account access under Admin > API partner access, and a Reporting Only partner can read and request snapshot reports but cannot create or edit campaigns.
- Works meanwhile: Read the public API reference and Walmart's Postman collection, and generate your RSA key pairs. Once the hub issues sandbox credentials, connect PopMCP with Environment set to sandbox to work against Walmart's test advertisers while the demos are reviewed.

## Before you begin

- Walmart Connect Partner Network (WCPN) API partner status. Walmart offers the Ads APIs only to WCPN partners, and new partners apply through the Partner Onboarding Hub, which takes Walmart's review.
- Full-Service API partner access if the AI should create or edit campaigns. Reporting Only partners can run reads and snapshot reports only.
- OpenSSL, or another tool that makes an RSA key pair, and the private key kept as an unencrypted PEM file.
- At least one advertiser whose Ad Center admin has granted your partner account access under Admin > API partner access.
- Credentials from one environment at a time: sandbox and production each have their own Consumer ID, auth token and key.

## Get your credentials

### 1. Join the Walmart Connect Partner Network

Sign in to the Partner Onboarding Hub with a Walmart.com account, or your Supplier or Seller login. Choose the partner type that fits (Technology provider or Technology Enabled Agency for API access), fill in the onboarding form with your exact company name, tax ID and entity type, accept the legal agreement, and add your integration and security contacts. Existing API partners skip this step.

Screen: https://advertising.walmart.com/onboard/agencypartner

### 2. Generate an RSA key pair

On your own machine run `openssl genrsa -out private_key.pem 2048`, then `openssl rsa -in private_key.pem -pubout -out public_key.pem`. Upload only `public_key.pem` to Walmart. Keep `private_key.pem` safe and without a passphrase: PopMCP signs every request with it and cannot use a password-protected key.

### 3. Upload the sandbox public key and build the sandbox demo

In the hub's technical integration step, upload your public key for sandbox. Walmart issues sandbox credentials: a Consumer ID, an auth token and a key version. Build the sandbox demo, add 3 to 5 production advertiser IDs where the hub asks (with the box confirming each advertiser authorized you), and mark it Ready for Review.

Screen: https://advertising.walmart.com/onboard/agencypartner

### 4. Get production credentials

Once Walmart approves the sandbox demo, upload your production public key to receive production credentials. Then build the production demo and upload the link to a 5 to 10 minute video walking through it, following Walmart's API Integration Checklist.

Screen: https://advertising.walmart.com/onboard/agencypartner

### 5. Have each advertiser grant your partner account access

An advertiser's Ad Center admin adds your company under Admin > API partner access. Only advertisers that have done this appear in PopMCP's advertiser list.

Screen: https://advertising.walmart.com

### 6. Paste the credentials into PopMCP and choose an advertiser

Paste Consumer ID, Auth token and Private key (the whole `private_key.pem`, including the `-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----` line). Leave Environment as `production`, or type `sandbox` for sandbox credentials. Under More options, Key version is almost always `1`, and Advertiser IDs is only for when the advertiser list does not load. Then pick the advertiser to connect.

## Fields PopMCP asks for

- Auth type (connectionType): Walmart Connect's APIs are open to Walmart Connect Partner Network API partners. You receive a Consumer ID and auth token in the Partner Onboarding Hub (advertising.walmart.com/onboard) after uploading your RSA public key, and each advertiser grants your partner account access in Ad Center under Admin > API partner access.
- Consumer ID (consumerId) [required]: Issued with your API credentials in the Partner Onboarding Hub. Sandbox and production each have their own Consumer ID, auth token and key, so use all of them from the same environment.
- Auth token (authToken) [required]: The token Walmart issued with your Consumer ID (it looks like a UUID). With or without the word Bearer in front.
- Private key (privateKey) [required]: The private half of the RSA key pair whose public key you uploaded to Walmart (the private_key.pem file). Paste the whole file. It is stored encrypted and used only to sign your requests.
- Environment (environment): Leave as "production". Enter "sandbox" only for sandbox credentials, which reach Walmart's test advertisers.
- Key version (keyVersion): Shown with your Consumer ID in the Partner Onboarding Hub. Almost always 1.
- Advertiser IDs (advertiserIds): Leave blank to pick from every advertiser that granted your partner account access. Fill this in only if that list does not load; in Ad Center the Advertiser ID is the number in the page address under Reports > Advertiser.

## Verify

PopMCP lists the advertisers that granted your partner account access. After you pick one, the connection shows that advertiser as Connected, and walmart_ads_list_campaigns returns its Sponsored Search campaigns.

## Troubleshooting

### "Walmart rejected these partner credentials in Production"

Cause: The Consumer ID, auth token, private key and key version do not all come from the same environment, or the private key is not the pair of the public key you uploaded.

Fix: Use one environment's full set of values, set **Environment** to match, and paste the private key that belongs to the uploaded public key.

### "That is the PUBLIC key" or "That private key is password-protected"

Cause: The public half was pasted, or the private key is encrypted with a passphrase.

Fix: Paste the whole `private_key.pem`. For an encrypted key, export an unencrypted copy with `openssl pkcs8 -topk8 -inform PEM -in your_key -outform PEM -nocrypt -out private_key.pem` and paste that.

### "No advertiser has granted your partner account API access yet"

Cause: No advertiser has added your company under Admin > API partner access in Ad Center.

Fix: Ask the advertiser's Ad Center admin to grant access, or enter the Advertiser ID under **More options** and connect again.

### "Walmart Connect is still preparing the list of advertisers your partner account can reach"

Cause: Walmart builds the advertiser list as an asynchronous report, and the first one can take a minute.

Fix: Press Connect again shortly, or type the Advertiser ID under **More options**. In Ad Center it is the number in the page address under Reports > Advertiser.

### "Walmart has not enabled the Sponsored Search or Display API for this Consumer ID yet"

Cause: Walmart's gateway answers that the Consumer ID is not subscribed to the service, usually because the technical integration steps are not finished.

Fix: Finish the technical integration steps in the Partner Onboarding Hub, or contact your Walmart Connect partner manager.

### Writes fail with "You do not have access to this advertiser"

Cause: Your partner account has Reporting Only API access, which allows reads and snapshot reports but no campaign management.

Fix: Keep the connection to reporting, or ask Walmart Connect about Full-Service API partner access.

### 429 Too Many Requests

Cause: The partner used up its hourly operation limit. Every change in a request counts as an operation.

Fix: Wait about 10 minutes before retrying, and batch bid and keyword changes into fewer, larger requests.

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Source: https://www.docs.popmcp.com/docs/integrations/walmart-ads/