Express Flows

Express Flows are agent-optimized interaction endpoints that let AI agents complete tasks on your site with 99% reliability — compared to 60–80% for visual browser automation (CUA).

The Problem with Visual Automation

AI agents like ChatGPT Operator, Gemini Mariner, and Perplexity Comet use visual browser automation (Computer Use Agents / CUA) to interact with websites. This approach has fundamental limitations:

How Express Flows Work

Instead of requiring agents to visually navigate your site, Express Flows expose structured endpoints that agents can call directly:

Agent Request                        Your Site
─────────────                        ─────────
"Add to cart: SKU-123, qty 2"   →   POST /agent/cart/add
                                     { sku: "SKU-123", qty: 2 }
                                ←   { success: true, cartId: "..." }

The agent gets a structured response in milliseconds instead of spending 30+ seconds navigating a visual checkout flow.

Supported Flow Types

Product Inquiry

Agent asks about product details, availability, or pricing.

GET /agent/products/:id
→ Returns structured product data with real-time pricing and inventory

Add to Cart

Agent adds items to a shopping cart on behalf of a user.

POST /agent/cart/add
{ sku: string, quantity: number, variantId?: string }
→ Returns cart state with totals

Lead Capture

Agent submits a lead form (demo request, quote, contact).

POST /agent/leads
{ name: string, email: string, company?: string, message: string }
→ Returns confirmation with reference number

Booking / Scheduling

Agent books an appointment or schedules a demo.

POST /agent/bookings
{ type: string, datetime: string, attendees: object[] }
→ Returns booking confirmation

Custom Flows

Define any workflow as an Express Flow endpoint. The capabilities manifest tells agents what’s available.

Capabilities Manifest

Express Flows are discoverable via a capabilities manifest that agents read automatically:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "flows": [
    {
      "id": "product-inquiry",
      "name": "Product Inquiry",
      "description": "Get detailed product information",
      "method": "GET",
      "path": "/agent/products/:id",
      "parameters": {
        "id": { "type": "string", "description": "Product ID or SKU" }
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "add-to-cart",
      "name": "Add to Cart",
      "description": "Add a product to the shopping cart",
      "method": "POST",
      "path": "/agent/cart/add",
      "body": {
        "sku": { "type": "string", "required": true },
        "quantity": { "type": "number", "required": true, "default": 1 }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Setup

1. Define your flows

Create flow definitions in your Inception Agents configuration:

import { defineFlows } from '@inception-agents/core';

const flows = defineFlows({
  'product-inquiry': {
    method: 'GET',
    path: '/agent/products/:id',
    handler: async (params) => {
      const product = await getProduct(params.id);
      return { product };
    },
  },
  'add-to-cart': {
    method: 'POST',
    path: '/agent/cart/add',
    handler: async (body) => {
      const cart = await addToCart(body.sku, body.quantity);
      return { cart };
    },
  },
});

2. Register with the edge worker

Express Flows are served by the Inception Agents edge worker alongside your normal site content. The edge worker detects agent traffic and routes to the appropriate flow.

3. Verify

Test your Express Flows are accessible:

curl -H "User-Agent: GPTBot/1.0" \
  https://your-domain.com/agent/products/SKU-123

Billing

Express Flow interactions are tracked and billed separately from page views:

• Only verified interactions count toward billing
• Each interaction is cryptographically signed
• Failed or incomplete interactions are not billed
• See your Express Flow usage in the dashboard under Analytics → Interactions

API Endpoints

For full API documentation, see the REST API Reference.