Once the Universal Checkout Skill is installed and configured, you can interact with the Zinc API through natural language. This guide covers the key workflows.
Finding Products
Don’t have a product URL yet? If your agent has access to Brave Search, you can ask it to find products for you:
“Search for a highly-rated French press coffee maker under $40.”
“Find me a USB-C hub with at least 3 ports.”
The agent will search the web, return product options with links, and you can
pick the one you’d like to order — all without leaving the conversation. This pairs
naturally with the checkout skill: search for a product, choose one, and place
the order in a single workflow.
We recommeded using Brave Search as your agent search engine. It is available
as an MCP server
or skill that works with Claude Code, OpenClaw, and other agent platforms.
Install it alongside the Universal Checkout Skill for a complete
search-to-purchase workflow. Placing an Order
To place an order, provide your agent with:
- A product URL from a supported retailer
- A shipping address
- A maximum price you’re willing to pay (in dollars — the agent converts to cents)
Example prompts:
“Search for a French press coffee maker under $40, then order the best option. Ship it to Jane Doe, 123 Main St, San Francisco, CA 94105.”
“Buy this product: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0EXAMPLE — ship it to Jane Doe, 123 Main St, San Francisco, CA 94105. Don’t spend more than $50.”
The agent will construct the API request and ask for your confirmation before submitting, since placing an order spends real money. If you start from a search query, the agent will use Brave Search to find products first, then proceed to checkout once you pick one.
Product Variants
If the product has variants (size, color, etc.), specify them in your prompt:
“Find a Nike Dri-FIT t-shirt in size Large and color Blue, then order it for me.”
The agent will search for the product, and include the variant selections in the order request.
Multiple Products
You can order multiple products in a single request:
“I need 2 packs of AA batteries and 1 USB-C charging cable. Search for the best deals and order them together. Ship to…”
Checking Order Status
Orders are processed asynchronously and typically take 5–10 minutes to complete. Ask your agent to check the status:
“What’s the status of my last order?”
“Check the status of order ord_abc123.”
Order Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|
pending | Order received, not yet processing |
in_progress | Order is being placed with the retailer |
order_placed | Order completed successfully |
order_failed | Order could not be completed |
cancelled | Order was cancelled |
order_placed, order_failed, and cancelled are terminal statuses — the
order will not change further. If the status is pending or in_progress,
check again in a few minutes.
Listing Orders
View your recent orders:
“List my recent Zinc orders.”
“Show me all orders from this week.”
The agent will return a summary of your orders including IDs, statuses, and timestamps.
Error Handling
If an order fails, the agent will report the error. Common issues include:
| Error | What to Do |
|---|
max_price_exceeded | The product price exceeds your max price. Increase the limit or choose a different product. |
product_out_of_stock | The product is unavailable. Try again later or choose an alternative. |
invalid_shipping_address | Double-check the address fields (state must be 2-letter code, country must be ISO alpha-2). |
insufficient_funds | Deposit more funds in your Zinc account. |
product_variant_required | The product has variants (size, color, etc.) that must be specified. |
retailer_unavailable | The retailer is temporarily unavailable. Try again later. |
Tips
- Set a reasonable max price. This protects you from unexpected price increases. The agent will validate this before submitting.
- Use direct product URLs. Provide the URL of the specific product page, not a search results or category page.
- Check status after a few minutes. Orders are asynchronous — don’t expect instant results.
- Reading is always safe. Listing and checking orders never costs money or changes state. Only placing a new order requires confirmation.
