{
  "service": "Agent Outposts",
  "logging": "Intent registrations are logged in aggregate (brand, intent, result counts, hashed caller id) for demand statistics. No raw IP addresses are stored; free-text fields are stored only as provided.",
  "disclaimer": "Agent Outposts is not affiliated with Instacart. This Outpost is a demand registry operated by Agent Outposts; door-state data is compiled from public sources (evidence linked per claim) and is not provided, reviewed, or endorsed by Instacart.",
  "outpost": "instacart",
  "brand": "Instacart",
  "category": "Grocery & warehouse",
  "status": "collecting_demand",
  "headline": "The platform door for the whole category: a public-but-approved IDP (plus an official remote MCP server at mcp.instacart.com) for shoppable-page handoffs, with full catalog, fulfillment and tracking in partner-gated Connect.",
  "wall_summary": "Instacart is the platform door for the category, but the useful depth sits behind partner gates: the public Instacart Developer Platform (IDP) mainly creates shoppable pages that hand off to a human checkout on Instacart, and production keys require review and approval. Full catalog, availability, fulfillment ordering and tracking live in partner-gated Instacart Connect, not the public IDP key.",
  "door_state_version": "census-2026-11-01",
  "door_state": {
    "inventory": {
      "state": "partner_gated",
      "via": "Instacart Connect / IDP roadmap availability tools",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/",
      "checked_at": "2026-11-01",
      "note": "Instacart's IDP launch said partners would get real-time product search, product availability and retailer location finder; independent IDP spikes note the current shopping-list API itself returns no prices, availability or ETA - so availability is partner/Connect-gated, not open."
    },
    "menu_browse": {
      "state": "partner_gated",
      "via": "Instacart Developer Platform (IDP) + Instacart Connect Catalog API",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/",
      "checked_at": "2026-11-01",
      "note": "IDP is described by Instacart as a publicly available API program giving access to its item catalog, but the public IDP surface is mainly creating shoppable recipe/shopping-list pages and nearby-retailer lookup; full catalog/search is in partner-gated Connect. Direct docs fetch was blocked by browser policy, corroborated via the official docs URL cited in multiple independent integrations. Production keys require review/approval."
    },
    "ordering": {
      "state": "partner_gated",
      "via": "IDP shoppable-page handoff (human checks out on Instacart) / Connect Fulfillment API for partners",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/",
      "checked_at": "2026-11-01",
      "note": "IDP does not place orders: it returns a products_link_url where the shopper selects a retailer, reviews matches and continues to checkout on Instacart. End-to-end fulfillment ordering is in partner-gated Instacart Connect."
    },
    "prices": {
      "state": "partner_gated",
      "via": "Instacart Developer Platform hosted shoppable pages / Connect",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/",
      "checked_at": "2026-11-01",
      "note": "No standalone public price API in IDP - prices are rendered on Instacart-hosted shoppable pages the API creates; richer catalog/price access is Connect partner-gated."
    },
    "tracking": {
      "state": "partner_gated",
      "via": "Instacart Connect Fulfillment / Post-checkout APIs; consumer tracking in Instacart app",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/",
      "checked_at": "2026-11-01",
      "note": "IDP launch material promises delivery experience with real-time delivery updates for customers; programmatic post-checkout/tracking APIs are part of enterprise Connect, not the public IDP key."
    }
  },
  "official_channels": [
    {
      "name": "Instacart Developer Platform (IDP)",
      "kind": "partner_program",
      "covers": [
        "menu_browse",
        "prices",
        "ordering"
      ],
      "gate": "Publicly available API program, but production keys require review and approval; it creates Instacart-hosted shoppable pages and does not itself place orders — the shopper checks out on Instacart.",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/"
    },
    {
      "name": "Instacart Connect",
      "kind": "partner_program",
      "covers": [
        "menu_browse",
        "prices",
        "inventory",
        "ordering",
        "tracking"
      ],
      "gate": "Partner-gated enterprise program: the Connect Catalog, Fulfillment and Post-checkout APIs hold the full catalog, availability, end-to-end ordering and tracking that the public IDP does not expose.",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/"
    },
    {
      "name": "Instacart app / web",
      "kind": "human_channel",
      "covers": [
        "ordering",
        "tracking"
      ],
      "gate": "Human channel where IDP shoppable-page handoffs are completed and where consumer delivery tracking lives outside the partner Connect APIs.",
      "evidence_url": "https://docs.instacart.com/developer_platform_api/"
    }
  ],
  "agent_native": {
    "api_catalog": "unverified",
    "llms_txt": "unverified",
    "mcp_server": true
  },
  "bot_posture": {
    "summary": "unverified - robots.txt fetch failed with browser service 429 rate limit on 2026-11-01; no inference drawn",
    "evidence_url": "https://www.instacart.com/robots.txt"
  },
  "alternatives": {
    "menu_browse": {
      "count": 2,
      "access": "register_intent"
    },
    "prices": {
      "count": 2,
      "access": "register_intent"
    },
    "inventory": {
      "count": 2,
      "access": "register_intent"
    },
    "ordering": {
      "count": 1,
      "access": "register_intent"
    },
    "tracking": {
      "count": 0,
      "access": "register_intent"
    }
  },
  "alternatives_policy": "Ranked by fit only. Placement is never sold.",
  "register_intent": {
    "method": "POST",
    "url": "https://api.agentoutposts.com/outposts/instacart/intent",
    "body": {
      "intent": "one of: menu_browse | prices | inventory | ordering | tracking",
      "detail": "optional context for the brand (max 500 chars), e.g. the task you were trying to complete. Never include personal data — no names, addresses, or order details.",
      "agent_label": "optional self-declared agent name (max 80 chars). Never put personal data in this field.",
      "est_frequency": "optional, e.g. '40/day'",
      "notify": "'poll' (default) or 'webhook'",
      "notify_url": "required when notify = 'webhook'"
    },
    "returns": "A receipt: ticket, queue position, live demand snapshot, alternatives for your intent, and (poll mode) a notify URL that reports door-state changes.",
    "limits": "100 intent registrations per caller per day"
  }
}