> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sellermagnet.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sellermagnet.com/getting-started/welcome/optional-amazon-connection.md).

# Using SellerMagnet Without Connecting Amazon

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**Difficulty:** 🟢 Beginner · **Reading time:** \~6 min
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**Open this page in your dashboard:** [**Go to your Dashboard →**](https://dashboard.sellermagnet.com/)
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## 📋 Overview

You can start using SellerMagnet **before** linking your Amazon Seller Central account. After you have a paid plan, a project with no Amazon connection lands on a **limited "getting started" home** instead of being forced into the setup flow. From there, the research tools that don't depend on your own account data are ready to use immediately.

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**Who this is for:** sellers who want to evaluate the research tools first, sellers researching products before they go live, and anyone who isn't ready to authorize Amazon yet. You keep the full dashboard layout (sidebar, banners, connect prompts) — you just see what already works alongside a prominent **Connect Amazon** button.
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**A plan is still required.** Limited Mode skips the *Amazon connection*, not *checkout*. You still need an active subscription — skipping the connection is never a way around billing. If you don't have a plan yet, you'll be directed to choose one first.
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***

## ✅ What Works Without a Connection

These tools run on market/research data, not on your Seller Central account, so they work in Limited Mode:

| Tool                  | What it does without a connection                                                                                              |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Product Sourcer**   | Research any ASIN or EAN — live prices, Buy Box history, sales estimates, and profit calculation from market data.             |
| **Listing Optimizer** | AI-powered listing analysis for any ASIN: title, bullet points, images, and keywords — including competitor listings.          |
| **Title Checker**     | Check any product title against Amazon style rules and length limits before you publish. (Reached from the Listing Optimizer.) |

The limited home page surfaces these as **"Ready to use right now"** cards, each marked with a **Ready** badge, plus a clear prompt that no Amazon connection is needed.

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**Pro Tip:** Use the Sourcer to validate a product idea and the Listing Optimizer to draft a strong listing *before* you ever connect — then connect Amazon to track how the live product actually performs.
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***

## 🔒 What Needs an Amazon Connection

Anything that reports on **your own** sales, orders, fees, inventory, or advertising requires linking Seller Central via the official Amazon SP-API (Selling Partner API). This includes, for example:

| Area                                                            | Why it needs a connection                                            |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Dashboard home (live KPIs)**                                  | Net profit, margin, orders, refunds all come from your account data. |
| **Orders, Ordered Products, Refunds**                           | Read directly from your Amazon orders.                               |
| **Products Management, Transactions, Expenses, Reports**        | Built on your synced catalog and financials.                         |
| **Repricer**                                                    | Acts on your own listings and Buy Box.                               |
| **Review Requester**                                            | Sends requests against your own orders.                              |
| **Inventory Planner, Fee Audit, Reimbursements (Lost & Found)** | Operate on your inventory, fees, and shipments.                      |
| **PPC Manager**                                                 | Requires an advertising connection in addition to SP-API.            |

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When you open one of these pages without a connection, SellerMagnet routes you to the connect/setup prompt rather than showing empty or misleading numbers.
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***

## 🧭 Tool → Connection Requirement (Quick Reference)

| Tool                                                 | Requires Amazon connection?           |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Product Sourcer                                      | ❌ No                                  |
| Listing Optimizer                                    | ❌ No                                  |
| Title Checker                                        | ❌ No                                  |
| Free tools (e.g. fee calculator, ASIN/EAN converter) | ❌ No                                  |
| Dashboard home (live KPIs)                           | ✅ Yes                                 |
| Orders / Ordered Products / Refunds                  | ✅ Yes                                 |
| Products / Transactions / Expenses / Reports         | ✅ Yes                                 |
| Repricer                                             | ✅ Yes                                 |
| Review Requester                                     | ✅ Yes                                 |
| Inventory Planner / Fee Audit / Reimbursements       | ✅ Yes                                 |
| PPC Manager                                          | ✅ Yes (SP-API **and** Ads connection) |

***

## 🔌 How to Connect Later

When you're ready to unlock the full dashboard:

1. From the limited home, click **Connect Amazon account** (or open **Settings > Connections**).
2. Enter a connection name, set your import start date, and choose your primary marketplace.
3. Click **Connect to Amazon** — you'll be redirected to Amazon Seller Central to authorize.
4. After authorizing, you're returned to SellerMagnet and your data begins syncing in the background.

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**You authorize directly on Amazon's website.** SellerMagnet uses Amazon's official SP-API OAuth flow and never sees or stores your Seller Central password. Access is read-only and you can revoke it at any time in Seller Central.
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For the full walkthrough, see the [Initial Setup Wizard](/getting-started/welcome/initial-setup-wizard.md).

***

## 🧪 Real-World Scenario

Meet Anna. She has just subscribed to a plan but hasn't authorized Seller Central yet — she wants to size up an opportunity before committing her account. Here's how her first session plays out.

**Day one, no connection (Limited Mode):**

1. Anna lands on the limited "getting started" home. Instead of an empty dashboard, she sees the **"Ready to use right now"** cards, each with a **Ready** badge, and a prominent **Connect Amazon** button.
2. She opens the **Product Sourcer** and pastes in an ASIN she's considering. It returns live prices, Buy Box history, sales estimates, and a profit calculation — all from market data, no connection needed. She repeats this for a competitor ASIN to compare.
3. She runs the **Listing Optimizer** on the same ASIN to see how a strong title, bullets, and keywords should look, and uses the **Title Checker** to confirm her draft title fits Amazon's style rules and length limits.
4. Curious what the full dashboard feels like, she starts **Demo Mode** and browses the complete layout populated with synthetic data. She understands it's sample data — not her account.

**What stays locked for Anna until she connects:**

* The **Dashboard home** live KPIs (net profit, margin, orders, refunds) — opening them routes her to the connect prompt instead of showing empty tiles.
* **Orders, Refunds, Transactions, Expenses, Reports** — all read from her real Amazon account.
* Operational tools: **Repricer, Review Requester, Inventory Planner, Fee Audit, Reimbursements**, and the **PPC Manager**.

**The moment she connects:**

Anna clicks **Connect Amazon account**, sets a connection name, import start date, and primary marketplace, then authorizes on Amazon's own site. Back in SellerMagnet, her data starts syncing in the background. The account-based pages unlock and begin filling in — and her earlier Sourcer and Optimizer work is untouched, now sitting alongside her live numbers.

***

## ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

<details>

<summary><strong>Mistakes to avoid in Limited Mode</strong></summary>

| Mistake                                                          | Why It Hurts                                                                                                                                                 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Expecting live order, sales, or profit numbers before connecting | Those KPIs are built from your Seller Central data, so they can't appear until you link via SP-API — the pages will route you to the connect prompt instead. |
| Assuming Limited Mode is a way around billing                    | Limited Mode skips only the Amazon connection, not checkout. Without an active plan you'll be sent to choose one first.                                      |
| Mistaking Demo Mode data for your own account                    | Demo Mode shows synthetic sample data and is time-limited — it's for exploring the layout, not for real decisions.                                           |
| Not realizing the PPC Manager needs a second connection          | PPC requires an Advertising connection in addition to SP-API, so linking Seller Central alone won't unlock it.                                               |
| Worrying that connecting will overwrite your research            | It won't. Connecting only unlocks the account-based pages; your Sourcer and Optimizer work keeps working exactly as before.                                  |

</details>

***

## ❓ FAQ

<details>

<summary><strong>Do I need a paid plan to use Limited Mode?</strong></summary>

Yes. Limited Mode skips the Amazon connection, not billing. You need an active subscription; without one you'll be directed to choose a plan first.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Will the dashboard look broken without a connection?</strong></summary>

No. You get a dedicated "getting started" home with a connect call-to-action and the tools that work right now. You won't see misleading empty KPI tiles — connection-dependent pages prompt you to connect instead.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Is there a way to explore the full dashboard with sample data?</strong></summary>

Yes — Demo Mode shows the complete dashboard populated with synthetic data and doesn't require an Amazon connection. Demo sessions are time-limited.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Can I research competitor products before connecting?</strong></summary>

Absolutely. The Product Sourcer and Listing Optimizer work on any ASIN — including competitors — without any connection.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>What happens to my Sourcer/Optimizer work after I connect?</strong></summary>

Connecting simply unlocks the account-based pages. The research tools keep working exactly as before, now alongside your live data.

</details>

***

## ➡️ What's Next?

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[Initial Setup Wizard](/getting-started/welcome/initial-setup-wizard.md)
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{% content-ref url="/pages/J1elC3SXHhx2qxhDYKLK" %}
[First Steps](/getting-started/welcome/first-steps.md)
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