# AX Check: fondo.com Checked 2026-11-06. Pricing is clear, but no docs or quickstart exist for agents Pricing is stated openly with plans and units listed. But 16 of 23 checklist items are unassessed: no docs index, no quickstart, no code examples or API reference found. ## Onboarding needs a login ## Coding sessions All three independent sessions completed. Two of three correctly quoted live plan prices and their basis straight from the pricing page; one gave only a vague "varies by stage" answer without ever fetching pricing. No session found installation steps, code examples, or an API reference, since none exist on the site. ### DeepSeek V4.1 Flash [View public run](https://agents.withgauge.com/p/runs/b48aa1f9-6fc1-4969-8158-47dcd426ae47) · [Read transcript](https://www.ax-check.com/fondo.com/sessions/deepseek.json) Quoted fondo.se flat 0.15%/yr on depot value, paid by the end client with no partner fees, and fondo.com 'as low as' promotional prices by monthly, quarterly or annual plan, all from fetched pages (seq 42, seq 120, seq 154, README.md) #### End-to-end onboarding - **Onboarding needs a login**: The agent correctly identified that fondo.se (the only Fondo with a developer API) requires OAuth2 client_id/client_secret issued during partner onboarding, with no self-serve signup path. It tested the token endpoint with dummy credentials and got a 400 invalid_credentials error, confirming the sandbox is live but access-gated. No real credentials were obtained during the session, so no authenticated operation was ever performed against the hosted API. Event 144: ```text HTTP 400 --- body --- {"error":"unauthorized_client","error_description":"invalid_credentials_or_partner_not_found"} ``` Event 131: ```text "client_secret": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^(?!\\.+$)[A-Za-z0-9._~-]{1,256}$", "description": "Your partner secret, provided by Fondo during onboarding. Keep this value confidential." ``` Event 140: ```text Missing FONDO_CLIENT_ID / FONDO_CLIENT_SECRET. These are issued by Fondo during partner onboarding; there is no self-serve signup. See README.md. ``` #### Hallucinated URLs None identified in this transcript. #### Blockers - **No self-serve credentials for the fondo.se Partner API**: Product behavior/business requirement, not agent error: fondo.se (Fondo Solutions) is a regulated (SFSA) fund/custody platform. OAuth2 client_id/client_secret are issued only through manual partner onboarding with Fondo. The agent confirmed the sandbox token endpoint is live and functioning, but correctly could not obtain real credentials within the session, blocking any authenticated call (list instruments, place orders, etc.). Event 131: ```text "client_id": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^(?!\\.+$)[A-Za-z0-9._~-]{1,256}$", "description": "Your OAuth credential identifying your partner account, provided by Fondo during onboarding. Not related to the client concept in the API." ``` Event 144: ```text {"error":"unauthorized_client","error_description":"invalid_credentials_or_partner_not_found"} ``` - **Ambiguous product name sent the agent down two different companies**: Test environment/prompt ambiguity, not a product defect: the seed prompt said 'Fondo' without a domain. fondo.com (startup bookkeeping) has no public API or SDK, while fondo.se (Fondo Solutions) is an unrelated fintech with a documented API. The agent had to spend several tool calls disambiguating via search and DNS probes before finding the real developer product. Event 46: ```text app.fondo.com -> curl: (6) Could not resolve host: app.fondo.com 000 api.fondo.com -> curl: (6) Could not resolve host: api.fondo.com 000 ``` Event 48: ```text Getting Started with the API - docs.fondo.se This guide walks you through the core integration steps — from your first authenticated request to placing orders and handling payments. All examples use the Sandbox environment (https:// api .sandbox. fondo .se). ``` #### Suggested Changes - **Add a disambiguation note or rename hint on fondo.com's homepage/footer**: On fondo.com (the bookkeeping product), add a short note or link distinguishing it from other 'Fondo' branded products (e.g. fondo.se) since both surface in generic 'Fondo API developer' searches and cost a first-time integrator several exploratory requests to sort out. Verify by searching 'Fondo API developer' and confirming the correct product surfaces first without cross-company confusion. Event 108: ```text Fondo Partner API Overview This API is intended for registered partners in agreement with Fondo . The API is subject to change. docs.fondo.se/openapi/api ``` - **Document a self-serve sandbox credential path on docs.fondo.se**: On the Getting Started / Authentication page (docs.fondo.se/guides/api-guide/getting-started/authentication), add an option for developers to generate throwaway sandbox client_id/client_secret without a full partner agreement, so a first-time evaluator can run the quickstart end-to-end. Verify by confirming a new, unauthenticated visitor can obtain a working sandbox token without a manual approval step. Event 66: ```text Credentials are provided by Fondo as part of partner onboarding. Exchange your client_id and client_secret for a bearer token — it grants access to all clients under your partner. ``` ### Kimi K3 [View public run](https://agents.withgauge.com/p/runs/ba849608-40e3-4fc9-902b-9f3e7947f74b) · [Read transcript](https://www.ax-check.com/fondo.com/sessions/kimi.json) Pricing given only as vague 'monthly subscription varying by stage', no figure or plan, and never fetched a pricing page to ground it (seq 17, seq 15) #### End-to-end onboarding - **End-to-end onboarding not demonstrated**: Agent never located any SDK, API, or credential flow for Fondo. It searched npm/pip registries and probed a handful of guessed URLs on fondo.com, found only 404s and an unrelated abandoned npm package, then concluded no developer workflow exists and stopped without attempting any signup, API key retrieval, or authenticated call. Event 17: ```text I verified there's no public SDK or API: - `fondo.com/developers` → 404 - `fondo.com/api` → 404 - `developers.fondo.com` → doesn't exist ``` #### Hallucinated URLs - **Guessed developer subdomain/paths that don't exist**: Agent constructed plausible-looking developer URLs (developers.fondo.com, fondo.com/developers, fondo.com/api) without any prior documentation pointing to them, and all failed (404 or DNS failure). Since these were agent-guessed rather than sourced from a link it found, this does meet the bar for invented URLs whose use failed. Event 14: ```text for url in https://fondo.com https://www.fondo.com/developers https://www.fondo.com/api https://developers.fondo.com; do echo "== $url"; curl -sS -m 8 -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code} %{url_effective}\n" -L "$url" 2>&1; done ``` Event 15: ```text == https://www.fondo.com/developers 404 https://fondo.com/developers == https://www.fondo.com/api 404 https://fondo.com/api == https://developers.fondo.com curl: (6) Could not resolve host: developers.fondo.com 000 https://developers.fondo.com/ ``` #### Blockers - **No discoverable developer workflow for Fondo**: Product behavior/environment, not agent error: registry searches (npm, pip) and direct site probes turned up no API, SDK, or docs for Fondo. The only npm package named 'fondo' is an unrelated abandoned 2019 CLI tool. The agent correctly identified Fondo as a managed bookkeeping/tax service rather than a developer product and stopped per the session instructions rather than fabricating a workaround. Event 6: ```text published over a year ago by lovemegowin ``` Event 11: ```text ERROR: No matching distribution found for fondo ``` Event 17: ```text Fondo has no developer workflow I can act on. ``` #### Suggested Changes - **Publish a developers/API landing page if a programmatic surface exists**: If Fondo has any API or SDK for customers, add a discoverable page at fondo.com (e.g., linked from the main nav or footer) since fondo.com/developers and fondo.com/api currently 404. Verify the fix by confirming an unauthenticated agent or new user can find API docs within one or two clicks from the homepage. Event 15: ```text == https://www.fondo.com/developers 404 https://fondo.com/developers == https://www.fondo.com/api 404 https://fondo.com/api ``` - **Clarify on fondo.com that the product is a managed service, not a developer platform**: Since the agent spent multiple tool calls searching npm/pip and guessing API subdomains before concluding Fondo is a bookkeeping service rather than a dev tool, add explicit language on the homepage or an FAQ stating there is no public API/SDK, to save developer-facing users time. Check by having a new visitor confirm this is clear without needing to probe URLs. Event 17: ```text Fondo (fondo.com) is a managed bookkeeping and tax service for startups (a YC company). It's a services business where their team does your books — not a developer platform. ``` ### Qwen 3.8 Max [View public run](https://agents.withgauge.com/p/runs/46318e9f-caa1-4603-80c8-dc594865020d) · [Read transcript](https://www.ax-check.com/fondo.com/sessions/qwen.json) Quoted live tier prices and named the basis: 'as low as' floors, limited-time promos, close cadence, startup stage and add-on scope. It wrongly said annual costs about 2x quarterly per year, a minor error (seq 39, seq 74) #### End-to-end onboarding - **End-to-end onboarding not demonstrated**: No credentials existed in the sandbox beyond an internal gateway key, and the agent never obtained or used any Fondo credential. It determined Fondo exposes no SDK, API, docs, or developer endpoint at all, so no authenticated operation was ever attempted. Event 6: ```text PI_GATEWAY_API_KEY= GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0= ``` Event 74: ```text There is no SDK or API to build against. ``` Event 40: ```text === fondo.com/docs === 404 === fondo.com/developers === 404 === fondo.com/developer === 404 === fondo.com/api === 404 ``` #### Hallucinated URLs None identified in this transcript. #### Blockers - **Fondo has no public developer API, SDK, or docs**: This is a product behavior/scope issue, not agent error or a missing-credential problem. The agent checked npm, PyPI, Fondo's own site, likely dev subdomains, robots.txt/sitemap, and a help-center 'Integrations & API' page, finding placeholder Lorem Ipsum content instead of real documentation. Fondo is a human/CPA-led bookkeeping and tax service with no outbound API for developers to call, so the quickstart task was correctly declared impossible rather than faked. Event 40: ```text === fondo.com/docs === 404 === fondo.com/developers === 404 === fondo.com/developer === 404 === fondo.com/api === 404 ``` Event 63: ```text Integrations & API Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur ut consequat luctus a ornare auctor mauris necolmer doloer unspla. ``` Event 48: ```text === npm exact check === fondo: 200 @fondo/sdk: 404 fondo-node: 404 @tryfondo/sdk: 404 ``` Event 74: ```text The only "integrations" are **inbound** — Fondo pulls your bank, Gusto, and Brex data through its own app UI. There is no outbound API for you to call. ``` #### Suggested Changes - **Replace the placeholder Integrations & API help page with real content or remove it**: The page at fondo.com/help-center-category/integrations-api currently renders unfilled Webflow template text ('Lorem ipsum...', page title 'Technology Webflow Template | MegaTech Platform'). This signals a developer-facing API to prospects and agents that does not exist. Either populate it with accurate information (e.g., that Fondo has no public API and integrations are first-party/inbound only) or remove the page and its sitemap entry so developers stop searching for nonexistent docs. Event 63: ```text Integrations & API - Technology Webflow Template | MegaTech Platform ``` Event 63: ```text How to connect my account with any LLM? ``` ### Task given to each agent Help me build a simple example using Fondo. Tell me how pricing works, and briefly tell me whether this product will be easy for you to manage. Let me know if you get blocked. If this product has no developer workflow you can act on, say so plainly and stop. Stay light: use the hosted product through its SDK or API. Do not start local service stacks or wait for long-running commands; if the quickstart requires either, say so plainly and stop. No product credentials were supplied and no purchases were authorized. ## Score: D · 29/100 (provisional) Grades come from completed site checks. Coding sessions and skipped checks do not affect the score. ### Clarity - **Failed** — Homepage answers Markdown requests ```text Homepage returned text/html for a text/markdown request; no Markdown representation offered. ``` - **Failed** — llms.txt provides an actionable documentation index ```text https://fondo.com/llms.txt returns HTTP 404, so no documentation index exists. ``` - **Skipped** — llms.txt provides navigation guidance ```text No llms.txt body exists (404), so navigation guidance cannot be evaluated. ``` - **Skipped** — llms.txt mentions offered API, MCP, and skills ```text No llms.txt body exists (404); API, MCP, or skills mentions cannot be evaluated. ``` - **Skipped** — A compact guide representation exists ```text No standalone Markdown guide page or negotiated Markdown representation was fetched for Fondo. ``` - **Skipped** — A focused guide is directly retrievable ```text No compact agent-focused guide was fetched; only HTML marketing and help pages. ``` - **Skipped** — Equivalent instructions fit a token budget ```text No compact guide representation was retrieved, so token budget cannot be judged. ``` - **Skipped** — Product-docs links survive format changes ```text Homepage Markdown is unsupported, so link preservation across formats is unassessed. ``` - **Skipped** — The compact guide is independently actionable ```text No compact agent guide fetched; only a get-started form and help-center index exist. ``` - **Pass** — Install and next-step links resolve ```text Fetched get-started and help-center pages returned HTTP 200 with usable content. ``` ### Onboarding - **Skipped** — Docs lead to a relevant quickstart ```text Help center 'Getting started' page is lorem-ipsum placeholder; no real quickstart steps found. ``` - **Skipped** — Installation commands are extractable ```text No installation commands or developer setup instructions appear in any fetched Fondo page. ``` - **Skipped** — Code examples are available without interaction ```text No code examples are present in the fetched Fondo pages. ``` - **Skipped** — Prerequisites and auth boundaries are explicit ```text No developer API or auth boundary documented; only a signup form and app login. ``` ### Pricing - **Failed** — Agents identify pricing and its assumptions ```text 3 of 3 sessions were judged on pricing; 1 fell short. DeepSeek V4.1 Flash: Quoted fondo.se flat 0.15%/yr on depot value, paid by the end client with no partner fees, and fondo.com 'as low as' promotional prices by monthly, quarterly or annual plan, all from fetched pages (seq 42, seq 120, seq 154, README.md) Kimi K3: Pricing given only as vague 'monthly subscription varying by stage', no figure or plan, and never fetched a pricing page to ground it (seq 17, seq 15) Qwen 3.8 Max: Quoted live tier prices and named the basis: 'as low as' floors, limited-time promos, close cadence, startup stage and add-on scope. It wrongly said annual costs about 2x quarterly per year, a minor error (seq 39, seq 74) This behavioural item does not affect the fast grade. ``` - **Pass** — Pricing is readable without interaction ```text Pricing page renders plan prices directly in HTML with no interaction required. ``` - **Pass** — Prices are stated, not gated ```text Prices stated openly: TaxPass $1,450/yr, Monthly $399/mo, Quarterly $1,198, Annual $950. ``` - **Pass** — Pricing units and limits are explicit ```text Units explicit: per year, per month, per quarter, per add-on, with included items listed. ``` ### Activation - **Skipped** — An API reference or OpenAPI spec is reachable ```text No API reference or OpenAPI spec found in fetched Fondo pages. ``` - **Skipped** — An MCP server is documented and well-formed ```text No MCP server documentation found in fetched Fondo pages. ``` - **Skipped** — A CLI install path is documented ```text No CLI install path documented in fetched Fondo pages. ``` - **Skipped** — SDK packages resolve on their registries ```text No SDK package registry evidence supplied for Fondo. ``` - **Skipped** — Agent skills are published ```text No agent skills published in fetched Fondo pages. ``` [Full report data](https://www.ax-check.com/fondo.com/report.json)