Tutorial / Product walkthrough

Run one controlled agent-spend loop

This is the walkthrough tutorial. Follow it in order to see what Coffer is for, how the product is used, and why the buyer should care: an agent requests paid work, Coffer checks it before cost, an approver decides when needed, and the team keeps evidence.

Start with workspaceOpen read-only reviewRead the guide
What Coffer does

Stops uncontrolled agent spend before cost

The agent asks Coffer before a paid API, MCP tool, x402 endpoint, wallet, or manual rail action. Coffer checks policy, amount, vendor, budget, duplicate risk, and approval need.

How you use it

Run one request through the control loop

Create a workspace, create the starter request, approve or reject it, inspect the Spend Decision Record, then connect one external agent request.

Why use it

Finance and operators get proof, not guesswork

Every useful run leaves policy decision, approval, audit, ledger/export, and API evidence so the buyer can decide whether the workflow should repeat or become paid.

01

Follow the tutorial path

Each step has the action, the expected result, and the reason it matters.

  1. 01
    Start the tutorial in a control-only workspace.

    Create the customer workspace

    Do this

    Use Create workspace if you are the owner. Teammates should use an invite link instead.

    You should see

    A dashboard checkpoint with no card required and no funds moving.

    Why it matters

    The product starts from a safe control room, not from payment setup.

    Create workspace
  2. 02
    Generate the first agent, vendor, policy, and approval-required spend request.

    Create the starter request

    Do this

    From the dashboard checkpoint, create the starter setup for the safe $120 research API request.

    You should see

    Spend Requests shows a pending Spend Decision Record and Approval Inbox gets the request.

    Why it matters

    This shows Coffer catching the agent spend intent before cost exists.

    Open Control Room
  3. 03
    Make the first before-cost decision.

    Approve or reject before cost

    Do this

    Open Approvals, inspect vendor, amount, purpose, budget impact, policy, duplicate check, and history, then approve or reject.

    You should see

    The decision is attached to the Spend Decision Record with reviewer evidence.

    Why it matters

    Coffer is useful because the agent pauses for control instead of spending first and explaining later.

    Open Approvals
  4. 04
    Read what Coffer preserved after the decision.

    Inspect the evidence chain

    Do this

    Open the Spend Decision Record and check policy result, approval evidence, audit events, ledger state, export state, and API payload.

    You should see

    A buyer-readable record of what was requested, what was decided, and what evidence exists.

    Why it matters

    The evidence chain is the reason finance, operators, and founders can trust the control loop.

    Inspect records
  5. 05
    Move from dashboard-only proof to a real agent asking Coffer before cost.

    Connect one external agent

    Do this

    Open Agent API, create a starter-scoped key after first proof, run the stored-key request template, then check the decision response.

    You should see

    External Agent Run Trace shows the agent asked Coffer before a paid action could run.

    Why it matters

    This proves workflow pull: Coffer is controlling an agent path, not just displaying a sample record.

    Open Agent API
  6. 06
    Use evidence to decide, not speculation.

    Decide whether the workflow deserves paid rollout

    Do this

    If the same agent, vendor, owner, approval rule, and volume will repeat, open Paid Pilot and save the buyer brief.

    You should see

    A buyer brief, success plan, proof status, and explicit Stripe/payment boundary.

    Why it matters

    Paid usage should start only when a repeated workflow has proof and a buyer can defend why now.

    Open Paid Pilot
02

What the walkthrough proves

After the tutorial, a buyer should be able to repeat the product story without reading the full guide.

ControlThe agent asked before cost and Coffer checked policy, vendor, amount, budget, and approval need.
DecisionA human approval or rejection is recorded when policy requires it.
EvidenceThe SDR, audit trail, ledger/export state, and API response explain what happened.
BoundaryWorkspace setup and proof do not charge a card; Stripe opens only from explicit paid readiness.
03

Stop before payment unless there is repeated proof

The walkthrough ends with a decision, not an automatic charge.

Workspace creation, starter proof, and buyer brief do not charge a card. Paid checkout opens only after approved external-agent proof, buyer scope, billing permission, and explicit Stripe checkout readiness.