generated: '2026-07-21'
method: searched
source: https://developer.sovrn.com/docs/authorization
description: Cross-cutting request/response conventions for the Sovrn Commerce
  (formerly VigLink) APIs, captured from the Sovrn Developer Center and derived
  from the harvested OpenAPI definitions.
authentication:
  style: apiKey
  schemes:
  - name: Secret Key header
    header: Authorization
    format: secret {SECRET_KEY}
    notes: The word "secret" must be followed by a space before the key. Secret
      keys are site-specific — different sites in the same account use different
      secret keys. Generated in the Sovrn Platform under Commerce Settings.
    used_by:
    - Campaigns API
    - Real-Time Reports API
    - Merchant Group Summaries API
    - Product Promo Codes API
    - Price Comparisons API
    - Commerce MCP Server
  - name: API key query parameter
    parameter: key
    in: query
    notes: The public Commerce API key (found on the account page at
      commerce.sovrn.com) is passed as a `key` query parameter on the Link Check
      and Bid Check APIs.
    used_by:
    - Link Check API
    - Bid Check API
  cross_link: authentication/viglink-authentication.yml
idempotency:
  supported: false
  notes: No idempotency-key contract is documented for the Commerce APIs; the
    read-heavy surface (checks, reports, summaries) is naturally idempotent GETs.
pagination:
  style: mixed
  notes: The Real-Time Reports APIs are windowed by date rather than paginated —
    each request is limited to one day of data (clickDate, commissionDate, or
    updateDate in yyyy-mm-dd format); to get a period, call once per day. The
    Merchant Group Summaries API uses page/pageSize parameters with
    totalItems/perPage in the response.
  cross_link: openapi/viglink-reports-openapi.yml
dates:
  format: yyyy-mm-dd
  notes: At least one date (clickDate, commissionDate, or updateDate) is required
    on each Real-Time Reports call. Delta queries use updateDate to request only
    transactions updated on a given day.
filtering:
  notes: Reports responses can be filtered by clickDate, commissionDate,
    updateDate, campaignIds, merchantGroupIds, and programType; campaignIds and
    merchantGroupIds accept comma-separated numeric ID lists.
versioning:
  scheme: uri-path
  examples:
  - https://viglink.io/v1 (Real-Time Reports)
  - https://comparisons.sovrn.com/api/affiliate/v3.5 (Price Comparisons)
error_envelope:
  format: application/json
  notes: No RFC 9457 problem+json. The Campaigns API uses a Google-style envelope
    (error.code/message/errors[] with reason/location); the Link Check API returns
    message/exception/status/timestamp.
  cross_link: errors/viglink-problem-types.yml
rate_limits:
  signaling: 429 Too Many Requests (documented on Merchant Group Summaries APIs);
    exceeding limits may result in the API key being temporarily blocked or throttled.
  published:
  - Real-Time Reports APIs — 1 request every 60 seconds
  - Merchant Group Summaries APIs — 1 request every 10 seconds
  cross_link: rate-limits/viglink-rate-limits.yml