Mercado Libre
Platform · this deep dive is built from the official pages of the platform itself and of the tools that support it.
Overview
Mercado Libre ("free market" in Spanish) is Latin America's trading platform: a marketplace, the Mercado Pago payment service, Mercado Envíos logistics and the Mercado Ads advertising account within a single perimeter. It is not a social network but a storefront with its own search ranking, paid formats and strict rules for how listings are put together.
The platform belongs to MercadoLibre, Inc. — a company listed in the US, which means it is obliged to publish verifiable figures: almost everything below about the audience is taken from its SEC filings, not from press releases.
The second distinctive feature is unusually open developer documentation. The API Docs section serves, without a login, descriptions of publishing items, photo requirements, advertising campaigns, seller reputation and moderation. On Mercado Libre you can check things that on most marketplaces are hidden behind a seller account.
Who's here
The company reports in its shareholder letter for the first quarter of 2026 (the three months ended 31 March 2026): 84 million unique active buyers against 67 million a year earlier, 83 million active users of fintech services, merchandise volume of 18,951 million dollars, 722 million units sold. The owner of the figures is named directly: this is the company's own reporting, filed with the SEC.
The same document gives the definition: "unique active buyers" are users who made at least one purchase during the period; from the second quarter of 2025 the metric includes food delivery. This cannot be compared with the "active users" of social networks: it is about a purchase, not about opening an app.
The company gives a country breakdown selectively: volume in Brazil grew 38% year on year excluding currency effects, and the number of unique buyers grew 32%.
The Argentine seller-facing storefront gives figures of its own without a counting date: 16 million unique buyers, more than 300 million items sold, 65% of deliveries within 48 hours. This is a marketing page of the platform, and it carries no date.
The geography can also be seen in the site codes in the documentation — MLA (Argentina), MLB (Brazil), MLM (Mexico), MLC (Chile), MCO (Colombia), MLU (Uruguay) and a separate CBT for cross-border trade: they are listed in the description of listing types.
Getting started
You become a seller through ordinary registration: an identity document and an email address are needed, and tax data can be added later if you operate as a company.
The seller's storefront is a page inside the platform, not a separate site. A branded "official store" is not given to everyone: to get into Official Stores you have to approach the platform's commercial adviser, and one user may have several brands with a permanent link of the form /tienda/<name>.
An application for the API is not created automatically: completing the KYC procedure in full is mandatory, without exceptions; the logo is a PNG of 400×400 pixels under 100 KB; the redirect address must use HTTPS. As of the check date anonymous requests to the API do not go through: a request to https://api.mercadolibre.com/sites returned us a 403 with the code PA_UNAUTHORIZED_RESULT_FROM_POLICIES — our observation on 28 July 2026.
What you can publish
The listing type determines both visibility and cost. The documentation describes three: free — no more than 10 active listings, no sales commission and the lowest visibility; gold_special ("Clásica") — no limit on quantity, with only the sales commission payable; gold_pro ("Premium") — a higher commission, but instalments are available to the buyer. The set differs by country: in Argentina only gold_special is available, and in Uruguay, since 15 November 2023, free and gold_special.
The photo requirements are published in full: the maximum size accepted is 1920×1920 pixels and the minimum is 500×500; files up to 10 MB in JPG, JPEG and PNG formats; the number of images depends on the category. The item description is plain text: fonts cannot be changed and text cannot be made bold, and the error item.description.type.invalid occurs if HTML tags, emoji or special characters remain; up to 10 images and a link to a YouTube video can be added to the description.
Recommendations for the listing: a title structure of "item + brand + model + attributes", no more than 10 main photographs on a white background, no more than 100 combinations of variations per item; the title cannot be changed after the first sale. For cross-border items titles are not translated automatically.
How to grow
The platform calculates "listing quality" and shows it to the seller: the /performance resource gives a score from 0 to 100 and three levels, and in the example response you can see the requirements that affect the search results — a universal product code (without which, in the platform's wording, "visibility is lost") and a minimum of three photographs.
Mercado Ads is internal advertising against search queries. The overview page warns that the feature is available only in Brazil, Mexico and Chile; the page was updated on 12 December 2025. The entry threshold for Product Ads is described literally: a yellow reputation or higher, registration of at least 15 days, a minimum of sales — 1 for companies and 10 for private individuals, and no overdue invoices. The same page covers the budget mechanics: daily spend can reach double the figure set, drawing on the remainder from previous days, and a target ROAS is set in a range from 1x to 35x.
Promotions differ in who sets the price: in sales it is set by the seller and approval is required, in co-funded campaigns the seller accepts the platform's offer, and a seller's own campaign is limited to 14 days.
The built-in analytics are modest but specific. Views are counted as unique per day, appear within 48 hours, the query depth is limited to 150 days, and they do not work for cross-border items. Demand: the /trends resource returns the week's 50 queries.
Path to monetization
The platform does not pay authors: there is one way of earning here — selling goods, and the outgoings are commissions. It does not publish exact rates openly: the commission depends on the country, the category, the listing type, the logistics and the price, and is calculated by the listing_prices resource. The documentation shows an example response for Argentina at a price of 5000 pesos: gold_pro — a sales commission of 2000 pesos, of which the percentage part is 36% and the fixed part 200 pesos, with an instalment surcharge of 23; gold_special — 850 pesos, a percentage part of 13% and a fixed part of 200 pesos; free — 0. This is an illustration from the documentation (the page was updated on 15 April 2026), not a rate card for your category.
The same page describes a change in the cost structure: the fixed fee now depends not only on the item's price but also on the type of logistics and the delivery method; it was switched on country by country — Brazil on 2 March, Argentina on 12 March, Colombia on 23 March, Chile on 6 April, Mexico on 8 April; without the parameters logistic_type, shipping_mode and billable_weight the calculation will not match what is actually charged.
Tools and automation
The official API covers almost the whole cycle: items, images, descriptions, the catalogue, variations, stock, orders and shipments, returns and claims, post-sale correspondence, promotions, invoices, metrics and advertising — the composition can be seen from the list of application permissions.
The event model is built on notifications, and the requirements are strict: an HTTP 200 response within 500 milliseconds, otherwise the subscription to the topic is switched off, and failed attempts are repeated for an hour. Bulk extraction is limited: walking through with offset works up to about 1000 results, beyond which the search_type=scan mode is needed.
Limits and rules
Seller reputation is calculated automatically and affects everything, including access to advertising: completed orders over the last 3 months plus the days of the current month are taken into account; if there are fewer than 40 completed orders in the history, the whole history is used. The thresholds for the claims rate differ by country: in Mexico the light green level applies at a rate no higher than 2%, and red above 7%; in Brazil the boundaries are 3%, 7% and 12%, and in Colombia and Chile 5%, 7% and 10%; order handling time must be kept within 3 days.
Sanctions are described as a ladder: a first breach — a warning, then a repeat warning and a 2-day suspension, then an ultimatum and a 5-day suspension. The legal framework is set by the developer programme terms: the platform reserves the right to limit the number of API calls at its own discretion and to revoke access keys at any moment, and developing services that compete with its own is directly prohibited.
Who it's for
It suits those who sell physical goods in Latin America and are ready to work with someone else's search results: the quality of the listing, the completeness of the data, reputation and dispatch speed matter more here than external traffic.
It does not suit authors and bloggers: there is no money for publications here. Approach with care, too, if you are counting on advertising alone: Product Ads requires reputation and a sales history, and Mercado Ads is declared on the page we checked for three countries only.
Verified data
The checked data this deep dive rests on.
About the platform
the platform describes itself as follows: «Compre productos con Envío Gratis en el día en Mercado Libre. Encuentre miles de marcas y productos a precios increíbles.»
Self-description: this is the platform's claim about itself, not an independent assessment
source, checked 2026-07-28
the marketplace operator is MercadoLibre, Inc.; the developer programme terms are concluded with Mercado Libre Inc. and its affiliated companies
The preamble to the API terms of use
source, checked 2026-07-28
country site codes: MLA (Argentina), MLB (Brazil), MLM (Mexico), MLC (Chile), MCO (Colombia), MLU (Uruguay) and a separate CBT for cross-border trade
Listed in the description of listing type availability
source, checked 2026-07-28
Who's here
the company reports 84 million unique active buyers for the three months ended 31 March 2026 (67 million a year earlier)
The shareholder letter for Q1 2026, exhibit 99.1 to form 8-K
source, checked 2026-07-28
«unique active buyers» are users who made at least one purchase on the marketplace during the reporting period; from Q2 2025 the metric includes food delivery
The metric definition is given by the company itself; it is not comparable with the MAU of social networks
source, checked 2026-07-28
the company reports 83 million monthly active users of fintech services for Q1 2026 (64 million a year earlier)
The company's reporting filed with the SEC
source, checked 2026-07-28
merchandise volume for Q1 2026 was 18,951 million US dollars, with 722 million units sold
The company's reporting; a year earlier 13,330 million and 492 million
source, checked 2026-07-28
the company reports 38% year-on-year growth of volume in Brazil excluding currency effects and 32% growth in the number of unique buyers
The company's claim in the shareholder letter
source, checked 2026-07-28
the Argentine seller-facing storefront claims 16 million unique buyers, more than 300 million items sold and 65% of deliveries within 48 hours; no counting date is given
A marketing page of the platform, without a date
source, checked 2026-07-28
Getting started
to register as a seller, according to the platform, an identity document and an email address are needed; tax data can be added later
The FAQ section of the Argentine seller page
source, checked 2026-07-28
Business terms
a branded «official store» (Official Stores) is not given to everyone: to join you have to approach the platform's commercial adviser; a user may have several brands with a permanent link of the form /tienda/<name>
Documentation updated 27.02.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
What you can publish
listing types: free (no more than 10 active listings, no sales commission, minimum visibility), gold_special («Clásica»), gold_pro («Premium», a higher commission, instalments available); gold_special and gold_pro have no quantity limits
Documentation updated 30.12.2025
source, checked 2026-07-28
in Argentina only gold_special is available; in Uruguay, since 15 November 2023, only free and gold_special remain; in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Chile gold_special and gold_pro are available
The set of types differs by country
source, checked 2026-07-28
images: the maximum size accepted is 1920×1920 pixels and the minimum 500×500, files up to 10 MB in JPG, JPEG and PNG formats; for images wider than 800 pixels zoom is switched on; the maximum number of images depends on the category
Documentation updated 24.03.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
images are counted both in the main pictures array and in the variations, so the total number may exceed the category limit while the gallery is formally small
The cross-border trade FAQ section
source, checked 2026-07-28
Images. "The maximum size we accept is 1920 x 1920 px (F version) and the minimum is 500 x 500 px (M version)"; "If the image has higher resolution, it will be resized for version F", "If the image is smaller than the minimum, it will be the same size (we will not enlarge the image)". "You're allowed to upload pictures up to 10 MB in the following formats: JPG JPEG PNG". "RGB pictures are highly recommended over CMYK pictures". "For pictures wider than 800 pixels, a zoom widget is activated". In the text of an error the platform advises: "Te recomendamos usar 1200 x 1200 para poder hacer zoom"
the minimum of 500 x 500 px is counted after the white margins have been cut off — the platform warns that the margins are removed with an allowance of 10%
source, checked 2026-08-04
Video. A clip for a product: "Format: MP4, MOV, MPEG, or AVI", "Maximum file size: 280 MB", "Minimum resolution: 360x640 pixels", "Vertical video". In the hint to an error the codecs are named: "use common export settings, like MP4 with the H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec". Clips are uploaded only to active listings and only on the seller's local platforms
the codecs are named in the hint to an error and not in the list of requirements — this is a recommendation, not a prohibition
source, checked 2026-08-04
"Duration: minimum 10 seconds, maximum 61 seconds" — from 10 to 61 seconds
both bounds are declared
source, checked 2026-08-04
The number of images depends on the product branch: "There are um maximum images per item allowed to publish according to the category", and the error reads "Items in category … cannot exceed X pictures". The images of product variations are counted as well: "If you set images in the main pictures array and also in variations, the effective total may exceed the category limit". The size of one image — up to 10 MB. For clips a daily limit is announced: "Uploading clips is subject to a limit set by the daily review capacity of the moderation team, which is capped at 1,000 clips per day"
the limit on the number of images depends on the product branch, the platform publishes no single figure; the daily limit for clips — https://global-selling.mercadolibre.com/devsite/working-with-clips
source, checked 2026-08-04
Text length. Sources diverge: There is no number of characters for the title and the description of a listing on the documentation pages checked. There is a requirement as to the form of the description: "The description must be in plain text", "Remove HTML tags, emojis, or special characters from plain_text" — and at the same time the answer to a frequently asked question says the opposite: "Plain text newline characters (\n) do not render as visible line breaks. You must send the description as HTML, replacing \n with <br> or using <p> tags"
the source contradicts itself: the description page requires plain text without markup, while the frequently asked questions section (https://global-selling.mercadolibre.com/devsite/cbt-publication-titles-descriptions-and-rendering) requires the description to be sent as HTML markup
source, checked 2026-08-04
Content
the item description is plain text: fonts cannot be changed and text cannot be made bold; HTML tags, emoji and special characters cause the error item.description.type.invalid; up to 10 images and a link to a YouTube video can be added to the description
Documentation updated 10.06.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform's recommendations: a title structure of «item + brand + model + attributes», no more than 10 main photographs on a white background, no more than 100 combinations of variations per item; the title cannot be changed after the first sale
Documentation updated 28.12.2022; the date is old and the set of recommendations may have changed
source, checked 2026-07-28
titles of cross-border items are not translated automatically: a localised title for each country has to be supplied yourself in sites_to_sell
The platform's direct wording: translation of titles is not provided for by design
source, checked 2026-07-28
Sources diverge: the cross-border trade help requires the opposite: the \n character is not rendered as a line break, and the description must be sent as HTML with <br> or <p> tags
A DISCREPANCY within the platform's own documentation: the item-description page requires plain text, the CBT page requires HTML
source, checked 2026-07-28
Promotion
promotion types differ in who sets the price: in sales (DEAL) the price is set by the seller and approval is required, in co-funded campaigns the seller accepts the platform's offer, and a seller's own campaign is limited to 14 days
The summary table of campaign types, updated 06.02.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
Advertising
according to the documentation Mercado Ads is available only in Brazil, Mexico and Chile
Page updated 12.12.2025
source, checked 2026-07-28
access to Product Ads requires a yellow reputation or higher, registration on the platform for at least 15 days, a minimum of sales (1 for companies, 10 for private individuals) and no overdue invoices
Documentation updated 03.07.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
a campaign's daily spend can reach double the figure set, drawing on the unspent remainder of previous days; a target ROAS is set in a range from 1x to 35x
Since December 2025 the acos_target field has been replaced by roas_target
source, checked 2026-07-28
Analytics
the /performance resource gives a listing quality score from 0 to 100 and three levels (Bad, Average, Good); among the requirements in the example response are a universal product code and a minimum of three photographs
The /health resource is declared deprecated and is being replaced by /performance
source, checked 2026-07-28
listing views are counted as unique per day, appear within 48 hours, and the query depth is limited to 150 days; the resource does not work for cross-border (CBT) items
Documentation updated 30.12.2025
source, checked 2026-07-28
the /trends resource returns the week's 50 search queries: the 10 fastest-growing over two weeks, the 20 most in demand and the 20 most popular
The data is updated weekly
source, checked 2026-07-28
How the money works here
"Programa de afiliados y creadores" — the platform's affiliate programme for creators and audience owners; separate sections: "Programa de afiliados" and "Campañas para Creadores"
the programme names are taken from the headings of the official Mercado Libre pages; the content of these pages cannot be read by machine
source, checked 2026-08-04
Pricing
the fixed fee now depends not only on the item's price but also on the type of logistics and the delivery method; switched on country by country: Brazil 2 March, Argentina 12 March, Colombia 23 March, Chile 6 April, Mexico 8 April
Without the logistic_type, shipping_mode and billable_weight parameters the calculation will not match what is actually charged
source, checked 2026-07-28
an example from the documentation for Argentina at a price of 5000 pesos: gold_pro — a sales commission of 2000 pesos (a percentage part of 36%, a fixed part of 200 pesos, an instalment surcharge of 23), gold_special — 850 pesos (13% and 200 pesos), free — 0
This is an EXAMPLE API response from the documentation (page updated 15.04.2026), not a tariff for a particular category; the actual rate is calculated by the listing_prices resource and requires a token
source, checked 2026-07-28
Limits and restrictions
seller reputation is calculated from completed orders over the last 3 months plus the days of the current month; if there are fewer than 40 completed orders in the history, the whole history is used
Documentation updated 15.12.2025
source, checked 2026-07-28
claims rate thresholds: Mexico — light green at no more than 2%, yellow 2–4%, orange 4–7%, red above 7%; Brazil — 3%, 7%, 12%; Colombia and Chile — 5%, 7%, 10%
The thresholds differ by country
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform's policy is to keep order handling time within 3 days; exceeding it harms reputation
The platform's wording
source, checked 2026-07-28
Restrictions
sanctions for breaches: the first — a warning, then a repeat warning and a 2-day suspension, then an ultimatum and a 5-day suspension
The /infractions resource returns the reason and the way to fix it; the result limit is 20 records
source, checked 2026-07-28
Moderation
No separate form for appealing sanctions is published. For Brand Protection Program complaints, verbatim: «podrás utilizar el flujo de Mercado Libre para responder una denuncia» (our translation: you may use the Mercado Libre flow to respond to a complaint) — the seller replies with documents; the API returns a «fecha de vencimiento (plazo máximo para responder a la denuncia)» (our translation: expiry date, the maximum period for responding to the complaint). For listing moderations — remedy the cause named in the remedy field and return the listing to active
www.mercadolibre.com.* and developers...com.ar return 403 (robots.txt is 403 too — unavailable); the same document is open on the regional mirror developers.mercadolibre.co.cr — another permitted address of the same service
source, checked 2026-08-07
Legal
the API licence is described as limited, non-exclusive, revocable and non-transferable; the platform is entitled at its own discretion to limit the number of calls and to revoke access keys; developing services that compete with the platform's own services is prohibited
Sections 2.2.1–2.2.3 of the developer programme terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
API access
creating an application requires completing KYC in full «without exceptions»; the application name up to 50 characters, the description up to 150 characters, a PNG logo of 400×400 pixels under 100 KB, and the redirect address must be HTTPS
Documentation updated 02.06.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
the application's permission groups: users, publishing and synchronisation, questions and post-sale correspondence, advertising, business metrics, sales and delivery, promotions, invoicing
A list tied to the API resources
source, checked 2026-07-28
anonymous requests to the API do not go through: a request to https://api.mercadolibre.com/sites returned 403 with the code PA_UNAUTHORIZED_RESULT_FROM_POLICIES
OUR check on 28.07.2026; the link points to the documentation contents, since the API response itself is not a page
source, checked 2026-07-28
the application must respond HTTP 200 within 500 milliseconds, otherwise the platform switches off the subscription to the topic; failed attempts are repeated at increasing intervals for an hour
Documentation updated 23.06.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
paging through offset works up to about 1000 results; for a larger volume the search_type=scan mode with scrolling by scroll_id is needed
The cross-border trade FAQ section, updated 06.05.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
Languages
Sources diverge: the home page markup declares language versions for 17 Spanish-speaking countries and Brazil (pt-BR) plus x-default; the html tag has no lang attribute
source, checked 2026-07-28
Catalogue section: all similar See also: catalogue index · region: Latin America · scheduler comparison · find by situation · platform restrictions