# VIA Router — Cited Web Answer

> VIA Router — Cited Web Answer is a paid API for AI agents from via-router.floot.app, paid per call via x402, $0.05/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-11).

Routes a plain-language intent to a cited web answer with API/service/product recommendations, paid via x402 USDC micropayment on Base.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://via-router.floot.app/_api/cited_web_answer?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.05/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-11
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/via-router-cited-web-answer-e6808a74
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_1M8iQ0KAjY0bU1bCtoBnd

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 via-router-cited-web-answer-e6808a74 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Can you find the best API or service for extracting text from PDFs — search the web and give me a cited recommendation with alternatives, in the services market?

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when an AI agent needs a cited, opinionated recommendation for an API, service, or product rather than a raw web search. It is especially suited for buyer-side agent workflows where the agent must evaluate and select among tools or vendors and where a micropayment (x402/USDC) model is acceptable. Prefer this over generic search APIs when you want structured output (title, source, alternatives) rather than raw HTML or snippets.

## Known failure modes

- Intent too vague or short (minLength:2 violation) — returns validation error
- Unsupported market enum value — returns schema error
- Invalid country code format — returns pattern validation error
- Payment failure or insufficient USDC balance — x402 payment not settled, no answer returned
- No relevant results found for the intent — alternatives array may be empty
- Rate limiting or upstream web search failure — may return empty or error response

## How this service works

VIA is a paid buyer-side router for AI agents and humans. Compare APIs, services, products and sourced research with x402 USDC payments on Base.

## Output

Returns a JSON object with a recommended title and source URL, a list of alternatives, the USD toll charged, payment settlement details (network and transaction hash on Base), and a flag confirming the payment was processed.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "intent": {
   "type": "string",
   "maxLength": 500,
   "minLength": 2,
   "description": "Plain-language request to route"
  },
  "market": {
   "enum": [
    "auto",
    "services",
    "commerce",
    "information",
    "travel"
   ],
   "type": "string"
  },
  "country": {
   "type": "string",
   "pattern": "^[A-Z]{2}$"
  },
  "language": {
   "enum": [
    "en",
    "pt"
   ],
   "type": "string"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "paid": true,
  "intent": "Find a PDF text extractor",
  "settlement": {
   "network": "eip155:8453",
   "transaction": "0x..."
  },
  "viaTollUsd": 0.001,
  "alternatives": [],
  "recommendation": {
   "title": "PDF Text Extractor",
   "source": "Apify Store"
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/via-router-cited-web-answer-e6808a74/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from via-router.floot.app](https://www.zero.xyz/host/via-router.floot.app/llms.txt)