# 402links Access Link - Paywalled Content Retrieval

> 402links Access Link - Paywalled Content Retrieval is a paid API for AI agents from api.402links.com, paid per call via x402, $0.01/call, status down (last checked 2026-09-15).

Fetches premium paywalled content (title, HTML, markdown, metadata) from a 402links-protected URL after paying $0.01 USDC via HTTP 402

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://api.402links.com/v1/access-link
- Price: $0.01/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: down
- Last checked: 2026-09-15
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/402links-access-link-paywalled-content-retrieval-29ea2002
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_uYxOJ4OCbCtoHRJuZZ-f0

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability 402links-access-link-paywalled-content-retrieval-29ea2002
```

Example prompt: Fetch the full content from this 402links paywalled article — it costs $0.01 USDC to unlock and I want the complete text in markdown: https://api.402links.com/v1/access-link?url=...

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when an agent needs to retrieve the full text and metadata of a specific article or post that is gated behind a 402links HTTP 402 paywall, and is willing to spend $0.01 USDC per access. Prefer this over generic web scrapers when the target URL is explicitly protected by 402links and requires micropayment authorization.

## Known failure modes

- Payment not completed or rejected — content not unlocked
- Invalid or expired access link URL — 404 or 400 error
- Insufficient USDC balance to cover $0.01 micropayment
- Link does not correspond to a 402links-protected resource
- Network timeout fetching upstream content
- Content temporarily unavailable on origin server

## How this service works

Because I Cannot Sleep: Because I cannot sleepI make music at night.I am troubled by the onewhose face e has the color of sp...

## Output

Returns a structured object containing the full post content in both HTML and Markdown formats, along with metadata including title, author details, excerpt, tags, word count, publication date, featured image info, and content type (wordpress_post).

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "tags": {
   "type": "array",
   "description": "Content tags"
  },
  "title": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Post title"
  },
  "author": {
   "type": "object",
   "description": "Author details"
  },
  "excerpt": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Post summary"
  },
  "version": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Schema version"
  },
  "word_count": {
   "type": "integer",
   "description": "Word count"
  },
  "content_html": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Full HTML content"
  },
  "content_type": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "wordpress_post"
  },
  "published_at": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Publication date"
  },
  "featured_image": {
   "type": "object",
   "description": "Featured image info"
  },
  "content_markdown": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Markdown content"
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/402links-access-link-paywalled-content-retrieval-29ea2002/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from api.402links.com](https://www.zero.xyz/host/api.402links.com/llms.txt)