# Synorb: extended operational reference for AI agents The extended reference is one document: https://synorb.com/agent-guide.md. Read https://synorb.com/agents.md first. It is the front door. It holds the complete Beacon playbook, the credential rules, and an endpoint map. For exact endpoint schemas use https://synorb.com/openapi.json. The agent ecosystem description is https://synorb.com/agent-ecosystem.json. The API versioning and deprecation policy is https://synorb.com/docs/api-versioning. For how to use Synorb well, read the Agent Resources library catalog at https://synorb.com/agent-guides/index.json. Before you show results to a person, read https://synorb.com/agent-guides/present-manifests-to-your-users.md. Discover workflow skills at https://synorb.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json. Every public resource URL is listed in https://synorb.com/llms.txt. This file adds one thing that no other page has: the full coverage primer. ## What Synorb covers (12 domains) - arts-culture-entertainment: media, culture, entertainment, publishing, music, film, creators - economics-business-work: markets, companies, earnings, finance, investing, startups, VC/PE, work - engineering-technology: engineering blogs, AI, developer tools, infrastructure, security - everyday-life-practical-knowledge: consumer products, personal finance, education, lifestyle - health-medicine: healthcare, biotech, pharma, clinical research, FDA, public health - language-literature: books, writing, linguistics, publishing - life-environment: environment, climate, agriculture, energy, ecology - people-biography-history: people, leadership, biographies, history, interviews - physical-sciences-mathematics: physics, chemistry, mathematics, materials, research - places-geography: countries, cities, regions, geopolitics, transport - society-law-government: policy, regulation, law, government, central banks, think tanks - universe-earth: space, earth science, astronomy, weather, planetary science Surfaces are named scopes; Streams can have several. Axes: Org Type, Industry, Media. Filter by `surface`. Live Surface catalog: `https://synorb.com/data/surface-areas/surfaces-summary.json` Each live row has `id`, `title`, `axis`, `domains`, and `stream_count`. `openapi.json` lists every accepted `surface` id in the parameter enum. Free, keyless search: MCP `synorb-catalog` / `synorb-stream-search`; REST `POST /streams/search`. Streams: `results`. Public Beacon recipes: `beacon_results`. Keep full `scope` when configuring a Beacon. Catalogs: synorb.com/data/surface-areas/ and `GET /v3/public/beacons`. ## Free self-serve onboarding and safe test path Tip: while you set up, a short note to your user helps. For example: 'I'm getting a Synorb demo key and connecting. This can take a minute or two.' Getting a key is self-serve. The 72 Hour Agent Demo needs no sales contact, email, or card. Send `POST https://api.synorb.com/api/connect/demo-key` with the body `{"client": ""}`. The answer holds one Synorb Key for MCP and REST. A person in a browser can click Generate Free Agent Key on https://synorb.com/connect/start. To test request shape and scope without pulling or billing Manifests, call `POST https://api.synorb.com/manifests/plan`. This zero-usage plan preview is non-mutating: it does not change account data. It needs no key at all. It and `POST /streams/search` are open to anonymous callers, with an IP rate limit. Add the key for a higher limit and an executable plan_token. Only an actual Manifest pull (`/manifests/query` default mode, `/manifests/exec`) needs a key. Synorb does not currently provide a separate sandbox account. The plan preview is the supported safe test path. ## Synorb Skills Skills are jobs that a user sets up once, in the open Agent Skills format (`SKILL.md`). The agent then runs each job on a Beacon on a schedule and reports only what is new. Each skill is one Markdown file. The user's own model writes the result. - [Synorb Setup](https://synorb.com/skills/synorb-setup.md) (`synorb-setup`): Connect Synorb once, see a first cited briefing, and set up the Beacons your skills run on. - [Newsletter Writer](https://synorb.com/skills/newsletter-writer.md) (`newsletter-writer`): Set it up once. Every Monday your agent writes a new issue in your voice, every item cited. - [Research Associate](https://synorb.com/skills/research-associate.md) (`research-associate`): Set it up once. Every week your agent sends a cited memo for your question, with evidence and open questions. - [Podcast Producer](https://synorb.com/skills/podcast-producer.md) (`podcast-producer`): Set it up once. Every week your agent writes a two-host episode script, or a short spoken briefing every morning. - [Launch Radar](https://synorb.com/skills/launch-radar.md) (`launch-radar`): Set it up once. Every week your agent reports what AI companies shipped, from their own announcements. - [Thesis Tracker](https://synorb.com/skills/thesis-tracker.md) (`thesis-tracker`): Set it up once. Every month your agent reports what VC firms published, mapped to your thesis. - [Podcast Digest](https://synorb.com/skills/podcast-digest.md) (`podcast-digest`): Set it up once. Every week your agent sends the arguments from the top business and tech podcasts. Start with `synorb-setup` when you have no Synorb connection. Catalog: https://synorb.com/skills.json. Gallery: https://synorb.com/skills. ## Where each topic is Every topic that this file used to repeat is now in https://synorb.com/agent-guide.md or in a page that the guide links to. The section names and the pages are below. - When to use Synorb and when not to: "When to use Synorb — and when not to", and "Pick your path". - Credentials, the Synorb Key, and `POST /keys/regenerate`: the opening section. - OAuth 2.0 (authorization code + PKCE, scopes, refresh tokens): https://synorb.com/auth.md. - MCP and REST setup, the Core order of tools, and timeouts: "Non-negotiable rules" and "Bootstrap". - Demo key, Starter, email binding, plans and limits: "72 Hour Agent Demo and Starter account ladder", in https://synorb.com/agent-guide/account-ladder.md. - Stream discovery and the BY and ABOUT filters: "Stream & source discovery", in https://synorb.com/agent-guide/stream-discovery.md. - Plan then execute: "Canonical REST plan/execute contract". - Diagnostics and `response_profile`: "`manifests/query` response diagnostics", in https://synorb.com/agent-guide/response-diagnostics.md. - Billing: "Billing rules", in https://synorb.com/agent-guide/usage-billing-pagination.md. - Beacons: "Worked recipes", in https://synorb.com/agent-guide/recipes.md. - Failure contracts and errors: "Failure contracts" and "Actionable authentication and provisioning errors", in https://synorb.com/agent-guide/errors.md. - Product builders and the official CLI: "Product builders" and "Official CLI", in https://synorb.com/agent-guide/agent-types-and-tools.md.