---
title: "Coverage Cat Developer Quickstart"
description: "Coverage Cat quickstart with discovery JSON, OpenAPI, runtime markdown skills, auth setup, and sandbox-first guidance."
canonical: "https://www.coveragecat.com/developers/quickstart"
last-updated: "2026-10-02"
---

# Coverage Cat Developer Quickstart

## 1. Register the default consumer MCP when your runtime supports MCP

Use the no-OAuth default consumer MCP manifest first:

```
https://www.coveragecat.com/.well-known/mcp.json
```

For local Codex direct transport setup, use:

```
https://www.coveragecat.com/api/consumer/mcp
```

Consumer-operated agents should stay on the default consumer MCP subset:

- `umbrella_consumer_prefill`
- `homeowners_consumer_prefill`
- `consumer_intake_issues`
- `consumer_intake_patch`
- `umbrella_consumer_select`
- `umbrella_consumer_bind`
- `umbrella_consumer_attach`
- `umbrella_consumer_payment`

For umbrella, that subset stays valid through `payment_needed`, optional agentic payment collection, and `payment_url` fallback; do not switch to delegated tools just to reach checkout. For homeowners, stay on the consumer subset through review and quote follow-up, then let Coverage Cat's consumer portal finish final bind.

## 2. Read the Coverage Cat discovery document

Fetch the discovery JSON first:

```sh
curl https://www.coveragecat.com/api/agent
```

That document lists the delegated purchase flows, read-only tools, auth setup endpoints, and doc URLs.

## 3. Download the public OpenAPI contract

Use whichever format your runtime prefers:

```sh
curl https://www.coveragecat.com/api/agent/openapi.yaml
curl https://www.coveragecat.com/openapi.json
```

## 4. Choose the right runtime skill

- Umbrella delegated purchase: `/api/agent/skill.md`
- Homeowners delegated purchase and direct handoff: `/api/agent/homeowners/skill.md`

The HTML guides at `/ai/skills`, `/ai/skills/umbrella`, and `/ai/skills/homeowners` provide more context for humans and search engines.

## 5. Set up auth only when the flow requires it

Read `/developers/auth` before you call any delegated umbrella endpoint or the delegated homeowners endpoint. Coverage Cat issues operator-scoped bearer keys through the OTP flow:

```sh
POST /api/agent/key/request
POST /api/agent/key/confirm
POST /api/agent/key/rotate
```

Humans who need a browser-safe walkthrough should start with `/developers/get-api-key`.

## 6. Rehearse the homeowners flow in sandbox first

Use the sandbox doc at `/developers/sandbox`. Coverage Cat supports both:

- A browser sandbox at `/intake?ltp=owned_homes&sandbox=homeowners`
- A delegated homeowners API sandbox using `sandbox: true` only on the first create call
- A delegated umbrella API sandbox using `sandbox: true` only on the first draft call

## 7. Link your agent to the public guide and repo assets

Coverage Cat's public skills repo is `https://github.com/Coverage-Cat/skills`. Link agents to `/agents.txt`, `/.well-known/agents.txt`, `/agents.md`, `/.well-known/agents.md`, `https://github.com/Coverage-Cat/skills/blob/skills/AGENTS.md`, and `https://github.com/Coverage-Cat/skills/tree/skills/skills` when you want them to work from the published instructions rather than a copied prompt.

## 8. Use the official Coverage Cat CLI when scripting from a shell

Coverage Cat also ships an official CLI project for discovery, MCP, read-only tools, and authenticated API requests:

- Docs: `/developers/cli`
- Package name: `@coveragecat/cli`
- Homebrew tap: `Coverage-Cat/coveragecat`
- Source: `https://github.com/Coverage-Cat/coveragecat-cli`
- Homebrew formula source: `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Coverage-Cat/homebrew-coveragecat/main/Formula/coveragecat.rb`