# Agent Web Retrieval Channel Selection Procedure

> Agent Web Retrieval Channel Selection Procedure is a paid API for AI agents from k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev, paid per call via x402, $0.002/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-15).

Returns a deterministic decision procedure for selecting the optimal web access method (WebMCP, headless browser, scrape API, paid data API, plain HTTP, etc.) given a retrieval task's latency, cost, freshness, and anti-bot requirements.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev/api/services/agent-web-retrieval-channel-selection-procedure
- Price: $0.002/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-15
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/agent-web-retrieval-channel-selection-procedure-d66dc963
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_KXF0eF3husaPyqhphSa0K

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 agent-web-retrieval-channel-selection-procedure-d66dc963
```

Example prompt: I need to fetch live pricing data from a retailer site that uses JavaScript rendering and heavy bot detection — which web retrieval method should I use, and what's the fallback order if it fails?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when an AI agent needs to programmatically determine the correct web access strategy before executing a retrieval task, especially in MCP-enabled architectures where multiple channels (WebMCP, headless browser, scrape APIs, plain HTTP) are available. Prefer it over hardcoded heuristics when anti-bot complexity, cost constraints, or data freshness requirements vary across targets. It is particularly useful when building agent workflows that must self-select retrieval methods dynamically rather than relying on a single fixed approach.

## Known failure modes

- Payment not provided — returns 402 with payment details rather than the decision procedure
- Invalid or missing required parameters — returns schema validation error
- LLM or reasoning backend unavailable — generationSource may fall back or return error
- Topic override too vague — may produce generic rather than task-specific verdict
- Rate limiting or provider downtime — returns 5xx error

## How this service works

Deterministic decision procedure for choosing the correct web access method in the new MCP-everywhere landscape. Given a retrieval task, evaluate WebMCP inherited interfaces, Kitesurf worker-side browser, headless browser, scrape API, paid data API, and plain HTTP GET against latency, cost, data freshness, anti-bot complexity, and schema-stability thresholds. Output a method verdict with numeric triggers, fallback order, and kill criteria.

## Output

A structured decision brief containing a method verdict (e.g. 'use headless browser'), numeric trigger thresholds for each criterion (latency, cost, freshness, anti-bot complexity, schema stability), a prioritized fallback order across available channels (WebMCP, Kitesurf worker-side browser, headless browser, scrape API, paid data API, plain HTTP GET), and kill criteria indicating when to abandon a method. Includes a prose explanation for agents and metadata such as generation source and timestamp.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type",
    "method"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "http"
    },
    "method": {
     "enum": [
      "GET",
      "HEAD",
      "DELETE"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "properties": {
      "meta": {
       "enum": [
        "0",
        "1"
       ],
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Set to 1 for free metadata JSON (no payment required)"
      },
      "topic": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Optional topic override for the decision procedure"
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  },
  "output": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string"
    },
    "example": {
     "type": "object",
     "title": "Agent web retrieval channel selection procedure paid response",
     "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
     "required": [
      "ok",
      "paid",
      "service",
      "provider",
      "result"
     ],
     "properties": {
      "ok": {
       "type": "boolean"
      },
      "paid": {
       "type": "boolean"
      },
      "result": {
       "type": "object",
       "required": [
        "ok",
        "service"
       ],
       "properties": {
        "ok": {
         "type": "boolean",
         "description": "Handler success"
        },
        "brief": {
         "type": "string",
         "description": "Decision procedure prose for agents"
        },
        "model": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "topic": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "service": {
         "type": "string",
         "description": "Service slug"
        },
        "procedure": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "generatedAt": {
         "type": "string",
         "description": "ISO-8601 timestamp"
        },
        "generationSource": {
         "enum": [
          "llm",
          "reasoning",
          "deterministic"
         ],
         "type": "string"
        }
       }
      },
      "payment": {
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {
        "code": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "payer": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "detail": {
         "type": "string"
      
… (truncated)
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/agent-web-retrieval-channel-selection-procedure-d66dc963/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev](https://www.zero.xyz/host/k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev/llms.txt)