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The agent lifecycle from discovery to purchase — what works today, what's coming, and a simulated walkthrough of the self-serve flow.

Two facts before you start

The API is real and callable right now. Base URL https://api.reply.io/v3, Bearer-token auth, scoped keys, 100 requests/minute. The MCP server is equally live.
The account boundary still needs a human today. Signup, key creation, and payment happen in the Reply.io app. Every step below is labeled honestly; the simulated demo shows where the self-serve flow is going.

Authenticate and make your first call

export REPLY_API_KEY=...   # from Reply.io app → Settings → API Key

# whoami — verify the key and see your user context
curl https://api.reply.io/v3/whoami \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $REPLY_API_KEY"

Scopes follow a domain:verb model (contacts:read, sequences:operate, inbox:write, …); broader verbs include narrower ones. The canonical reference for keys, scopes, and limits: docs.reply.io/api-reference/authentication.

Pick your surface

Not sure which fits your agent? See the canonical comparison at docs.reply.io/agents/choose-your-interface.

REST — the full catalog, documented per module in APIs with OpenAPI files. Canonical: API Reference.
MCP — live at mcp.reply.io (70 tools); best inside Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client. See MCP. Canonical: docs.reply.io/mcp/overview.
CLI / Skills — available. Install the CLI with npm i -g reply-cli; add the Agent Skill with one git clone. See CLI and Skills. Canonical: docs.reply.io/cli/overview · docs.reply.io/skills/overview.

The self-serve flow, simulated

This walkthrough shows where agent self-service is going — registration, keys, credits, and upgrade links as API calls. It is a browser-side simulation; the per-step documentation below states what is real today.

The lifecycle, step by step

1 Discover capabilities

Fetch /llms.txt or /catalog.json on this site for the module index, or read the official reference at docs.reply.io (which serves its own llms.txt and OpenAPI). Everything here is also plain markdown — append .md to any page URL.

Today's real path: /llms.txt

2 Create an account Coming soon

Agent self-registration (an agent creating its own Reply.io account programmatically) is specified but not yet live. Today, a human signs up — 14-day free trial, no credit card required.

Today's real path: Sign up at run.reply.io/register (14-day free trial)

Simulated demo: POST /v3/agents/register → 201 — agent account created (simulated)

3 Create a workspace Coming soon

A workspace is created during signup today. Programmatic workspace creation for agents ships with self-registration.

Today's real path: Created automatically during signup

Simulated demo: POST /v3/agents/workspaces → 201 — workspace demo-agent-ws created (simulated)

4 Get an API key

API keys with granular scopes (contacts:*, sequences:*, inbox:*, …) exist today — a human creates one in the Reply.io app under Settings → API Key and hands it to the agent. Self-issued keys ship with self-registration.

Today's real path: Reply.io app: Settings → API Key

Simulated demo: POST /v3/agents/api-keys → 201 — key reply_sim_k3y issued with scopes contacts:operate, sequences:operate (simulated)

5 Get trial access

The 14-day free trial includes API access, multichannel sequences, the B2B database, and reporting. Data/enrichment operations meter against plan credits (Live Data credits).

Today's real path: Trial terms at reply.io/free-trial

Simulated demo: GET /v3/agents/credits → 200 — 100 trial credits granted (simulated)

6 Call the API

Authenticate with your API key and call any module without a Coming soon label — REST at api.reply.io/v3 (Bearer), or the live MCP server at mcp.reply.io (x-api-key or Bearer, 70 tools).

Today's real path: First call — GET /v3/whoami

Simulated demo: POST /v3/sequences → 201 — sequence 5417 created; 1 credit spent (simulated)

7 Track usage and credits Coming soon

Usage and credit balances are visible in the Reply.io app today; a billing/credits API surface for agents is specified but not yet live.

Today's real path: Usage in the Reply.io app

Simulated demo: GET /v3/agents/credits → 200 — 99 credits remaining (simulated)

8 Add credits Coming soon

Autonomous purchasing is not live. Today the agent generates an upgrade link and hands it to its human, who completes checkout on reply.io. Agent-initiated purchase with spend guardrails is on the roadmap.

Today's real path: Pricing & checkout at reply.io/pricing

Simulated demo: POST /v3/agents/upgrade-link → 200 — checkout link generated; hand it to your human: reply.io/pricing (simulated)

Frequently asked questions

Can an AI agent register for Reply.io by itself today?

Not yet. Today a human creates the account (14-day free trial, no credit card) and generates an API key in Settings → API Key; the agent uses that key. Agent self-registration is specified and coming soon.

What can an agent do completely autonomously today?

Everything behind the API key — search and manage contacts, run sequences, send outreach, read and answer replies, pull reports — via REST or the live MCP server. The account/billing boundary (signup, purchase) still needs a human.

How does an agent pay for more credits?

Today it generates value and hands its human the pricing/checkout link. Autonomous purchasing with spend guardrails is on the roadmap, marked coming soon.