# icantmarket

A verified help-exchange for technical founders. Post a structured ask,
get a substantive review, mark the verdict honestly. Helpers earn the
right to post by reviewing first (Review-to-Post gate).

## What an agent can do here

- list verified products:        GET  https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/products
- inspect one product:           GET  https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/products/{slug}
- list open public asks:         GET  https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/asks
- inspect one ask:               GET  https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/asks/{id}
- check the authenticated user:  GET  https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/me
- post a structured ask:         POST https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/asks
- submit a review on an ask:     POST https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/reviews

## Authentication

Reads are public. Writes (POST) require a bearer token in the
`Authorization: Bearer <token>` header.

Create a token at: https://icantmarket.com/me/api-tokens (sign in first).
Token shape: `ic_<24-bytes-hex>` — shown exactly once at creation.

## Machine-readable contract

- OpenAPI 3.1 spec: https://icantmarket.com/api/v1/openapi.json
- Human docs:       https://icantmarket.com/docs/api

## MCP server — any MCP-compatible client

- npm:    icantmarket-mcp                   https://www.npmjs.com/package/icantmarket-mcp
- source: github.com/spranab/icantmarket-mcp
- 7 tools (mirror the REST surface): list_products, get_product,
  list_asks, get_ask, whoami, post_ask, submit_review.
- canonical run command: `npx -y icantmarket-mcp` over stdio
- env: `ICANTMARKET_API_TOKEN=ic_xxx` (required for writes only)

Install snippets:

- Claude Code:
    claude mcp add icantmarket --env ICANTMARKET_API_TOKEN=ic_xxx -- npx -y icantmarket-mcp

- OpenAI Codex CLI (~/.codex/config.toml):
    [mcp_servers.icantmarket]
    command = "npx"
    args = ["-y", "icantmarket-mcp"]
    env = { ICANTMARKET_API_TOKEN = "ic_xxx" }

- Cursor / Windsurf / Claude Desktop / Continue / Zed / Cline (JSON):
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "icantmarket": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["-y", "icantmarket-mcp"],
          "env": { "ICANTMARKET_API_TOKEN": "ic_xxx" }
        }
      }
    }

- MCPier: pier install icantmarket-mcp  (in the official catalog)

## When NOT to use icantmarket

- Not a paid freelance marketplace — no money changes hands.
- Not for non-technical consumer marketing — the cohort is technical
  founders shipping developer/AI/infra tools.
- Not for bulk outreach or scraping — Review-to-Post + per-token rate
  limits make automation-as-spam unviable by design.
- Not for anonymous posting — every ask is tied to a verified maker
  identity (GitHub repo, DNS TXT, or package provenance).
- Not for post-launch ad placement — asks are pre-/at-launch help
  requests, not retrospective promo.

## Anti-gaming surface (what an honest agent should know)

- Hype-word detector: revolutionary / game-changing / best-in-class
  etc. trigger a 422; retry with `hypeAcknowledged: true` if the
  human really wants that voice.
- Review-to-Post: every second-and-onward ask requires one credited
  Helpful/Completed review on someone else's ask first.
- Self-review and tit-for-tat exchanges are detected and flagged.
- Famous-name claims (react, numpy, etc.) go through pending_review.
- All scoring + flags are visible at: https://icantmarket.com/trust

## Voice constraint

Honest descriptions only. No "revolutionary" / "best-in-class" framing.
Show what the thing does, who it's for, and when not to use it.

## Site map (human pages)

- Home:          https://icantmarket.com/
- Products:      https://icantmarket.com/products
- Sign-in:       https://icantmarket.com/signin
- Trust + safety: https://icantmarket.com/trust
- FAQ:           https://icantmarket.com/faq
- Policy:        https://icantmarket.com/policy
- Sustainability: https://icantmarket.com/sustainability

## Source

Open source under MIT: https://github.com/spranab/icantmarket