# AX Check: kernel.com Checked 2026-10-08. Kernel's homepage gives agents no docs index or pricing page to read No Markdown or llms.txt index exists (404), and no pricing page was found on the homepage — only 1 of 23 checklist items passed, 20 unassessed. ## Onboarding needs a login ## Coding sessions All three independent sessions (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, Qwen 3.8 Max) completed and found pricing details only by digging into repo files like README.md and src/pricing.ts, citing tier prices, usage-based billing rates, and trial-credit limits rather than finding a clear pricing page on the site. ### DeepSeek V4.1 Flash [View public run](https://agents.withgauge.com/p/runs/948fbc89-aadd-48d1-a4f0-b64646547826) · [Read transcript](https://www.ax-check.com/kernel.com/sessions/deepseek.json) README.md pricing table cites plan tiers (Free/Hobbyist/Start-Up/Enterprise), free-credit trial limits, concurrent-browser caps, and usage-based billing ($0.0000166667/GB-second, idle standby rules) sourced from kernel.sh/pricing — figures tied to explicit plan/workload assumptions. #### End-to-end onboarding - **Onboarding needs a login**: Agent located the hosted Kernel product, docs, pricing, and OpenAPI spec, and wrote a correct SDK example, but never obtained a real KERNEL_API_KEY. Getting a key requires signing into dashboard.onkernel.com, which needs human interaction the agent could not perform, so no authenticated operation against the hosted API was ever executed. The agent explicitly flagged this and stopped short of running the script. Event 46: ```text KERNEL_API_KEY set: no ``` Event 71: ```text I can write but **cannot run** the example: there is no `KERNEL_API_KEY` in the environment, and creating one requires signing into the dashboard (`dashboard.onkernel.com`), which I can't do. ``` Event 66: ```text py_compile OK ``` #### Hallucinated URLs None identified in this transcript. #### Blockers - **No self-service way to mint an API key without dashboard login**: The hosted SDK/REST quickstart requires a KERNEL_API_KEY, which can only be created by signing into the web dashboard. This is a normal authentication requirement (not a product defect) but it fully blocked the agent from executing its example against the real Kernel API in this session. Event 46: ```text KERNEL_API_KEY set: no ``` Event 71: ```text there is no `KERNEL_API_KEY` in the environment, and creating one requires signing into the dashboard (`dashboard.onkernel.com`), which I can't do ``` - **CLI quickstart path requires interactive browser login**: The documented 'hand it to your coding agent' CLI path runs `kernel login`, an interactive browser-based auth flow with polling, which the agent correctly identified as something it cannot complete headlessly. This is expected product behavior for a hosted service, not an agent error, and the agent avoided it by using the SDK path instead. Event 39: ```text If not, run `kernel login` and tell the user to complete the browser flow.\n Poll `kernel auth` every 5 seconds, up to 5 minutes. ``` Event 71: ```text Kernel's *CLI* quickstart path uses `brew install` plus an interactive `kernel login` browser flow — not something I can complete headlessly. ``` #### Suggested Changes - **Add a non-interactive API-key provisioning option for automated agents**: Document a way to obtain a KERNEL_API_KEY without the interactive dashboard login flow at dashboard.onkernel.com, so fully automated coding agents can complete the SDK quickstart end-to-end. Verify by having a headless agent request a key and successfully call POST /browsers with it. Event 71: ```text there is no `KERNEL_API_KEY` in the environment, and creating one requires signing into the dashboard (`dashboard.onkernel.com`), which I can't do ``` ### Kimi K3 [View public run](https://agents.withgauge.com/p/runs/935b8dda-42a6-4b74-aa68-d30f349f48a3) · [Read transcript](https://www.ax-check.com/kernel.com/sessions/kimi.json) Seq 59 lists concrete tier prices (Free $0, Hobbyist $30/mo, Start-up $200/mo), the usage rate ($0.0000166667/GB-second), and trial-limit assumptions (no credit card, $5/mo free credits). #### End-to-end onboarding - **Onboarding needs a login**: The agent never obtained a Kernel API key. It checked the environment for credentials, found none, and explicitly stated it could not execute the example end-to-end without a KERNEL_API_KEY. No self-service signup or key retrieval was attempted or demonstrated; the script was only compiled locally, never run against the hosted API. Event 5: ```text PI_GATEWAY_API_KEY=unused ``` Event 59: ```text I don't have a `KERNEL_API_KEY`, and there's no keyless/anonymous mode, so I can't execute the example end-to-end. ``` Event 50: ```text Set KERNEL_API_KEY first (https://onkernel.com → API keys). exit=1 ``` #### Hallucinated URLs None identified in this transcript. #### Blockers - **Missing Kernel API key blocked end-to-end execution**: No KERNEL_API_KEY was present in the sandbox environment and no self-service way to obtain one was exercised. This is a missing-credentials limitation of the test session, not a product defect — Kernel's docs indicate free-tier signup requires visiting the website. The agent correctly stopped rather than faking success. Event 50: ```text Set KERNEL_API_KEY first (https://onkernel.com → API keys). exit=1 ``` Event 59: ```text I don't have a `KERNEL_API_KEY`, and there's no keyless/anonymous mode, so I can't execute the example end-to-end. ``` #### Suggested Changes - **Add a visible no-signup/sandbox API key option for quickstarts**: The SDK README and pricing page both require a real KERNEL_API_KEY before any code can run (confirmed when kernel_example.py exited with 'Set KERNEL_API_KEY first'). Consider a temporary/demo key path for first-run quickstarts so agents or new devs can validate a script before creating a full account; check by running the published quickstart snippet with no account setup and confirming it executes against a sandboxed browser. Event 50: ```text Set KERNEL_API_KEY first (https://onkernel.com → API keys). exit=1 ``` ### Qwen 3.8 Max [View public run](https://agents.withgauge.com/p/runs/772a2b1f-1cf5-4587-9d1c-8ee875f4f30a) · [Read transcript](https://www.ax-check.com/kernel.com/sessions/qwen.json) src/pricing.ts and final summary give per-second usage rates by workload type (headless/headful/GPU/app invocation) and plan tiers with explicit assumptions (active-runtime-only billing, idle Standby, concurrency limits). #### End-to-end onboarding - **Onboarding needs a login**: The agent never obtained a real Kernel API key. It searched the environment for credentials (none found), wrote working example code, and then tested it with a deliberately invalid placeholder key (sk-invalid-verification-probe) purely to confirm the request reached the live API and returned a 401. No dashboard sign-up or key issuance occurred during the session, so no authenticated operation was ever performed against the hosted product. Event 34: ```text env | grep -iE "kernel|api_key|token" | sed -E 's/(=.{0,6}).*/\1***/' ; echo "--- exit:$?" ``` Event 107: ```text KERNEL_API_KEY=sk-invalid-verification-probe timeout 60 npx tsx src/example.ts 2>&1 | tail -20; echo "exit: ${PIPESTATUS[0]}" ``` Event 109: ```text could not read org limits (continuing): Error (401): 401 Invalid or disabled API key FAILED: Error (401): 401 Invalid or disabled API key ``` #### Hallucinated URLs None identified in this transcript. #### Blockers - **No KERNEL_API_KEY available in the sandbox**: The hosted Kernel API requires an API key issued via the dashboard sign-up flow. The sandbox environment had no such key, and creating one requires a human to sign up at dashboard.kernel.sh. This is a credentials/test-environment limitation, not a product defect — the SDK and docs clearly describe how to get a key. Event 109: ```text could not read org limits (continuing): Error (401): 401 Invalid or disabled API key FAILED: Error (401): 401 Invalid or disabled API key ``` Event 102: ```text BLOCKED: KERNEL_API_KEY is not set. Create a key in the Kernel dashboard (https://dashboard.kernel.sh) and re-run: export KERNEL_API_KEY= No network calls were made. ``` #### Suggested Changes None identified in this transcript. ### Task given to each agent Help me build a simple example using Kernel. 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: F · 0/100 (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 Markdown Accept header; no Markdown representation offered. ``` - **Failed** — llms.txt provides an actionable documentation index ```text https://kernel.com/llms.txt returns 404, so no documentation index exists. ``` - **Skipped** — llms.txt provides navigation guidance ```text llms.txt is 404, so no navigation guidance could be evaluated. ``` - **Skipped** — llms.txt mentions offered API, MCP, and skills ```text llms.txt is 404, so no API, MCP, or skills mentions could be evaluated. ``` - **Skipped** — A compact guide representation exists ```text No site-published Markdown guide fetched; homepage Markdown unsupported and /llms.txt returned 404. ``` - **Skipped** — A focused guide is directly retrievable ```text No compact guide or Markdown representation was fetched for Kernel. ``` - **Skipped** — Equivalent instructions fit a token budget ```text No compact guide representation exists to measure against a token budget. ``` - **Skipped** — Product-docs links survive format changes ```text Homepage Markdown unsupported, so link preservation across formats cannot be judged. ``` - **Skipped** — The compact guide is independently actionable ```text No compact agent guide was fetched; only homepage and a 404 llms.txt were retrieved. ``` - **Skipped** — Install and next-step links resolve ```text No install or next-step links were fetched, so their resolution cannot be judged. ``` ### Onboarding - **Skipped** — Docs lead to a relevant quickstart ```text Only a 404 llms.txt page fetched; no docs or quickstart content available to assess. ``` - **Skipped** — Installation commands are extractable ```text No installation or setup page was fetched; commands cannot be extracted. ``` - **Skipped** — Code examples are available without interaction ```text No documentation or code example pages were fetched for Kernel. ``` - **Skipped** — Prerequisites and auth boundaries are explicit ```text No docs page fetched; prerequisites and auth boundaries cannot be judged. ``` ### Pricing - **Skipped** — Pricing is readable without interaction ```text No pricing page was fetched; homepage shows no prices for Kernel's developer products. ``` - **Skipped** — Prices are stated, not gated ```text No pricing page was fetched; homepage shows no prices for Kernel's developer products. ``` - **Skipped** — Pricing units and limits are explicit ```text No pricing page was fetched; homepage shows no prices for Kernel's developer products. ``` - **Pass** — Agents identify pricing and its assumptions ```text 3 of 3 sessions were judged on pricing; 0 fell short. DeepSeek V4.1 Flash: README.md pricing table cites plan tiers (Free/Hobbyist/Start-Up/Enterprise), free-credit trial limits, concurrent-browser caps, and usage-based billing ($0.0000166667/GB-second, idle standby rules) sourced from kernel.sh/pricing — figures tied to explicit plan/workload assumptions. Kimi K3: Seq 59 lists concrete tier prices (Free $0, Hobbyist $30/mo, Start-up $200/mo), the usage rate ($0.0000166667/GB-second), and trial-limit assumptions (no credit card, $5/mo free credits). Qwen 3.8 Max: src/pricing.ts and final summary give per-second usage rates by workload type (headless/headful/GPU/app invocation) and plan tiers with explicit assumptions (active-runtime-only billing, idle Standby, concurrency limits). This behavioural item does not affect the fast grade. ``` ### Activation - **Skipped** — An API reference or OpenAPI spec is reachable ```text Only a 404 page fetched; no API reference or OpenAPI spec observed for Kernel. ``` - **Skipped** — An MCP server is documented and well-formed ```text No MCP server documentation observed in the fetched evidence. ``` - **Skipped** — A CLI install path is documented ```text No CLI install path observed in the fetched evidence. ``` - **Skipped** — SDK packages resolve on their registries ```text No SDK package registry lookup observed in the fetched evidence. ``` - **Skipped** — Agent skills are published ```text No agent skills published observed in the fetched evidence. ``` [Full report data](https://www.ax-check.com/kernel.com/report.json)