General API problems

My API call is failing, where should I start?

• Check HTTP status and error body.
• Verify token (environment, token expiry, API scopes).
• Validate payload against the items schema/spec.
• Reproduce with a minimal curl call.
• Capture correlation/request ID and timestamp (UTC) for support.

How can I check if an API service is down or degraded?

Use the API Health Dashboard on developer.walmart.com. Persistent 500/503 errors may indicate service degradation—retry later and contact support with correlation IDs if unresolved.

Sandbox and production return different results, what should I do?

Confirm you’re using the correct base URL and credentials for each environment. Some validations or latency differ in sandbox; always re-test critical flows with a small canary in production.

Why did my Solution Provider app connection stop working?

App connections expire after one year. Reauthorize if expired. Check that OAuth scopes remain valid and credentials (Consumer ID/Private Key) haven’t been revoked.

Additional tips:

• Include correlation IDs (WM_QOS.CORRELATION_ID) in requests to aid support.
• Avoid concurrent updates to the same SKU to prevent ‘Resource Is Locked (423)’ errors.
• Track Walmart item spec version updates to prevent validation failures. For the latest item spec releases, refer to https://walmart-marketplace-group.readme.io/us-marketplace/docs/item-spec-versioning-and-diff-reporting.
• Monitor API traffic reports to identify recurring 4xx errors and systemic issues.

How do I report an issue or contact support?

Open a Support ticket. Include: environment, endpoint, full request/response (sanitized), correlation ID, timestamps (UTC), and frequency (one-off vs pattern). For suspected incidents (widespread 5xx), check the status/health page first.

My feed fails with ‘Malformed data’ or ERR_PDI_0001 / ERR_PDI_0034. What now?

These errors signal feed-file issues: missing elements, invalid characters, or incorrect field values. Validate feeds against the latest XSD, remove invalid symbols, and ensure required fields are present before resubmitting.