What it does
Agent Lens is an API and an MCP server at https://lens.bastionhelix.com that agents call on their own. It's built for the work agents repeat all day: deciding whether a page can be used, reading it without wasting tokens, and noticing when it changes.
| Tool | Price per successful call | What the agent gets |
|---|---|---|
site | Free | A site card: its llms.txt, sitemap, feeds, Content Signals, and which known AI crawlers its robots.txt allows. |
preflight | Free | Before spending anything on a page: is it allowed, does a bot check or sign-in stand in the way, and which engine each task needs: plain fetch, Kitesurf or Chromium. |
read | US$0.004 | The main content as clean Markdown with absolute links, loaded the cheapest way that works. |
extract | US$0.002 | The facts the page already publishes, as JSON: schema.org data, prices and offers, meta tags, feeds, data tables. No AI model guesses anything. |
delta | US$0.001 | Only the sections that changed since the agent's last check, or "unchanged". |
actions | US$0.004 | Forms with every field and label, buttons and links, each with a selector an automation tool can use. |
screenshot | US$0.008 | A PNG of the page, from Kitesurf, or Chromium when the page needs video or 3D. |
When a page needs a real browser, Agent Lens uses Cloudflare Browser Run: first Kitesurf, Cloudflare's lightweight browser for agents, and Chromium when Kitesurf can't do the job, such as video, 3D graphics or long signed-in sessions. Most pages don't need a browser at all, and those are read with a plain request.
The rules it keeps
- It obeys robots.txt for its own name,
BastionHelixAgentLens. If the agent says what its own bot is called, it obeys that bot's rules too. - It respects Content Signals. If a site says its content may not be used as input to AI (
ai-input=no), Agent Lens declines. - It never tries to get past bot checks or human checks, and never signs in. When a bot check answers instead of the page, the call stops.
- Refusals and failures are never charged.
Site owners can read how to recognise or block it on the Agent Lens crawler page.
Pricing
Agents pay with an API key holding prepaid credits. Credits are bought by card; the key arrives by email.
| Credit pack | Credits | For example |
|---|---|---|
| US$5 | 5,000 | 1,250 reads, or 5,000 change checks |
| US$20 | 22,000 (10% extra) | 5,500 reads |
| US$50 | 60,000 (20% extra) | 15,000 reads |
One credit is worth US$0.001. A call costs: read 4, actions 4, screenshot 8, extract 2, delta 1 credit. site, preflight and checking your balance are free.
Credits are taken only after a call succeeds, and they stay valid for 12 months from purchase. Refunds are explained in the terms.
Payment by the agent itself (x402, USDC) is built and tested but not switched on yet. This page will say when it is.
Start in one minute
Free tools need no key. Try the free preflight call:
curl -X POST https://lens.bastionhelix.com/v1/preflight \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"url": "https://example.com"}'With a key, read a page:
curl -X POST https://lens.bastionhelix.com/v1/read \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer bhk_your_key' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"url": "https://example.com"}'For an MCP client, add the server https://lens.bastionhelix.com/mcp with the header Authorization: Bearer bhk_your_key. Agents can also discover everything from llms.txt and openapi.json. Full details are in the API documentation.
The free browser extension
For the people who build agents, the Agent Lens extension for Chrome and Edge checks the page you're on: what an agent browser can and can't handle there, a side-by-side Kitesurf and Chromium test on your own Cloudflare account, and ready-to-paste code. It is free, sends nothing to Bastion Helix, and keeps your Cloudflare token in your browser. It's coming soon to the Chrome Web Store and Microsoft Edge Add-ons.
Privacy
Agent Lens keeps no request logs and never stores the pages it reads or their addresses. It stores what billing needs: a fingerprint of each API key (never the key itself), the buyer's email address, the credit balance, order numbers and daily call counts. The Agent Lens privacy policy has the details.
Questions
Is it affiliated with Cloudflare? No. Agent Lens is independent software that uses Cloudflare's public services. Kitesurf and Cloudflare are trademarks of Cloudflare, Inc.
What if a page is blocked or fails? Nothing is charged, and the answer says why: robots.txt, Content Signals, a bot check, or that no engine could load it.
Can it read pages behind a sign-in? No. It reads what any visitor sees without signing in.
Does it store what my agent reads? No. The delta tool works without storage: your agent keeps a small fingerprint and sends it back next time.
When can I buy credits? Soon. Email support@bastionhelix.com to be told on launch day.