Alchemer

# Fix list: Alchemer

From Anchor Terminal's listing at https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/alchemer, the October 2026 research run, assessed 8 October 2026. Grade E, 41.4 out of 100.

This is everything the published grade says the listing lacks, the biggest possible gain to the total first. It comes from the reason given for each score, the checklist each category was scored against (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist), the provenance checks, the deductions, what we couldn't check and what the review panel asked for. A fix counts at the next check, once it's public.

For a coding agent working on Alchemer: work through the items below in the product, its docs and its public pages. Each category gives the reason for its score, with the points each checklist item earned, and the checklist itself, so the gap is the items that earned less than their points. Change the product, not the wording, and keep a note of what you changed and where it's published.

## 1. Reliability, 35 out of 100, up to 13 more on the total

Why it scored 35: Graded on REST API v5 with the hosted lines. No status page was found. status.alchemer.com redirects to the www.surveygizmo.com home page, and the home page, security page and API documentation link none (0 of 20). With no history to read, 5 of 30. Limits are published as 240 requests a minute per account for Professional and Full Access accounts and 60 on a trial, with no figure for Business Platform accounts (13 of 15). 429 is documented, an `X-SG-Warning` header appears below 10 per cent remaining and throttling resets within a minute, but there is no Retry-After, no backoff guidance and no idempotency key for writes (7 of 15). No SLA or service credit in the Software as a Service Agreement (0). v5 is the current version (10).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-reliability):

Hosted APIs, MCP servers, models and platforms.

- 20, a public status page with component history (Statuspage, Instatus, BetterStack or the vendor's own).
- 0 to 30, the incident record for the last 90 days on that page. 30 for a clean record or trivial incidents only, 20 for minor incidents only, 10 for one major outage (an hour or more of a core API down, or errors across the board), 0 for several. 5 when there's no history we could read, and the note says so.
- 15, rate limits documented with numbers.
- 15, documented 429 or overload handling (Retry-After, backoff guidance), and idempotency keys or safe-retry guidance where writes are involved.
- 10, an SLA published for any paid tier.
- 10, the surface agents use is generally available, not beta or preview.

Local packages, SDKs, frameworks and stdio MCP servers.

- 20, installs from an official package with supported runtimes stated.
- 25, a public CI and test suite, passing on the default branch.
- 0 to 25, open crash or regression issues relative to activity (25 for few and handled, 0 for many, old and unanswered).
- 15, semver discipline and breaking changes called out in a changelog.
- 15, version 1.0 or later, or declared stable.

Protocols are read from their reference implementations, the public facilitators or servers, spec stability and test vectors.

## 2. Payments & pricing, 20 out of 100, up to 10 more on the total

Why it scored 20: No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Prices for the three small-team plans are public, but the pricing page places API access on the Business Platform plan, which is quoted by sales (5 of 20). A 7-day trial needs no card, and a help article of May 2025 allows 60 API calls a minute on a trial, which conflicts with the statement that the API is for enterprise customers only (15 of 20). A person signs up in a browser and an administrator creates each key in the application (0).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-payments):

The published rubric, also on the [x402 page](https://www.anchorterminal.com/x402/).

- 40, a machine payment protocol (x402, MPP or L402) on the tool's own endpoints. 10 to 30 when it covers only some endpoints or only goes through a third party, and the note says which.
- 20, per-call or per-unit pricing published without a login. 10 for public plan-only pricing, 0 for "contact sales" or prices behind a login.
- 20, a free tier or trial that doesn't need a card.
- 20, autonomous onboarding, meaning an agent can get access without a person signing up in a browser (keyless use, x402, a programmatic key API).

Payment platforms and agent wallets rarely charge for their own API over a machine protocol, so the first line has steps for them, and the highest one that applies counts. 40 when x402, MPP or L402 runs on all their own endpoints, 30 when it runs on part of their own API, 25 when their merchants can accept one, 20 for running a facilitator, 15 for paying as a buyer, and 0 when the only protocol is their own. Merchant acceptance sits above a facilitator because the platform's own customers can charge agents through it, while a facilitator settles for sellers who wire up the protocol themselves. The counter-argument (a facilitator does more for the protocol as a whole) has a point. Each note says which step applied.

Open-source software you run yourself is scored on its hosted or paid option if it has one. A free, self-hosted package with nothing to buy gets 20, 20 and 20 for the last three lines, and 0 to 40 for the first only if it ships a payment protocol.

## 3. Security & auth, 44 out of 100, up to 9.8 more on the total

Why it scored 44: A per-user API key and secret that an administrator can regenerate, working with that user's team roles, earns the plain revocable key line (20), less 10 because the documented call sends both in the URL query string. OAuth 1.0 is the alternative and has no scopes (12 of 30 after a 2 point allowance for role inheritance). An account can restrict the HTTP methods the API accepts, so a GET-only setup is possible, and one user can be blocked from the API. No confirmation step for deletes (10 of 20). Responses contain respondent-written text and no injection guidance was found (2 of 15). User Access Logs keep 90 days of user actions on screen only, and whether API calls are logged is not stated (7 of 15). ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type 2 and annual third-party penetration tests are stated. No security.txt, disclosure policy or bug bounty was found (13 of 20).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-security):

- 0 to 30, the credential model. 30 for OAuth 2.1 with scopes, or scoped and revocable keys with rotation. 20 for plain revocable API keys. 10 for one all-powerful key. 10 off when a secret can travel in a URL query string as a documented option.
- 0 to 20, read-only or least-privilege modes, and confirmation or approval for destructive actions.
- 0 to 15, prompt-injection posture where the tool returns untrusted content (documented mitigations or guidance). A tool that returns no untrusted content gets 10.
- 0 to 15, audit logs or per-call visibility for the operator.
- 0 to 20, a security programme. security.txt or a disclosure policy, a bug bounty, SOC 2 or ISO 27001, advisories handled in public.

Models are read for retention, whether API data trains models (and whether that's off by default), zero-retention options and certifications. Frameworks for telemetry defaults, approval hooks, guardrails and sandboxing.

## 4. Schema & documentation, 45 out of 100, up to 8.9 more on the total

Why it scored 45: No OpenAPI document or other machine-readable contract was found (0 of 25). The llms.txt on www.alchemer.com describes the company and not the API, and apihelp.alchemer.com/llms.txt returns 404 (3 of 10). The v5 reference, largely rewritten in April 2026, states what each of the 101 operations does (12 of 20). Parameters carry a type, a required flag and accepted values, though writes are sent as query parameters (10 of 15). Each operation has a cURL request and an example response, while errors are limited to the 401 and 429 messages (9 of 15). Versions sit in the path and the monthly release notes carry API sections, with no API changelog of its own (11 of 15).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-schema):

APIs and MCP servers.

- 25, a machine-readable contract (a public OpenAPI file or similar; for MCP, typed JSON Schema inputs on every tool).
- 10, llms.txt or Markdown docs served for agents.
- 0 to 20, descriptions that say what a tool is for, when to use it and when not to, read from the tool definitions in the source or the API reference.
- 0 to 15, typed inputs with enums, constraints and required fields, and no free-form JSON blobs.
- 0 to 15, examples and documented error responses.
- 15, versioning and a public changelog.

Models are read from the API reference, the OpenAPI file, llms.txt, the structured-output and tool-use docs and the model cards. Frameworks from docs a model can follow, typed interfaces, examples and the API reference.

## 5. Agent ergonomics, 47 out of 100, up to 8.6 more on the total

Why it scored 47: Response size is controlled only by `resultsperpage`, up to 500, with no field selection, and each response carries geolocation and every question (12 of 25). `page`, `resultsperpage`, `order_by` and indexed filters on status, dates, questions and URL variables (18 of 20). Errors return `result_ok`, a code and a message, with no code table (8 of 20). No idempotency keys. Identical requests inside 60 seconds are cached or refused with 429, which blocks an immediate retry (3 of 20). Creating a survey needs only a title and type, but PUT creates and POST updates, and no official SDK was found. The Libraries section of the documentation is empty (6 of 15).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-ergonomics):

- 0 to 25, context cost. For MCP, the number and size of the tool definitions (25 for ten or fewer compact tools, 15 for 11 to 30, 5 for more than 30, plus up to 10 back for toolsets, dynamic loading or read-only subsets). For APIs, whether responses can be sized (field selection, limits, summaries).
- 20, pagination, filtering and output-size controls.
- 20, actionable, documented error responses, codes and messages an agent can recover from.
- 20, idempotency or safe retries, and for MCP the `readOnlyHint` and `destructiveHint` annotations.
- 15, sensible defaults, few required parameters, and official SDKs in at least two languages.

Models are read for tool use, structured output, prompt caching, context length, batch and SDKs. Frameworks for how much code and how many defaults a tool-calling agent with MCP needs.

## 6. Maintenance & community, 45 out of 100, up to 4.8 more on the total

Why it scored 45: The September 2026 release notes, last updated 1 October 2026, include two fixes to v5 email campaigns (30). Inside the last 90 days we found that one release note and two dated documentation changes, the regional hosts page on 15 July and a question object page on 6 August (8 of 20). Release notes are public and monthly in most months, and support is by email and phone on paid plans. The API updates request form linked from the documentation still points to surveygizmo.com (7 of 15). No official SDKs (0). No packages to assess (0).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-maintenance):

- 0 to 30, time since the last release, or the last published model or API change for a closed service. 30 within 30 days, 20 within 90, 10 within 180, 0 older.
- 20, at least three releases or dated changelog entries in the last 90 days.
- 0 to 25, responsiveness. Issues and pull requests answered on GitHub (the open issues and how recent the replies are). For closed services, a public changelog and a support or community channel that answers, 0 to 15.
- 15, presence in the official MCP registry under a verified namespace (MCP servers), or current official SDKs (APIs and models).
- 10, package health, current dependencies and CI.

Models are read for deprecation notice periods and model churn rather than release counts.

## 7. Transparency & trust, 61 out of 100, up to 3.4 more on the total

Made of editorial 49, provenance 73.

Why it scored 61: Closed service with a dated contract, the Software as a Service Agreement of 14 January 2026 (15 of 30). The privacy policy of 23 April 2026 covers customer and respondent data and says data is kept as long as needed and archived when a customer stops paying, while section 13.3 of the agreement permits deletion on termination. Section 6.2(B) allows aggregated customer data to train machine learning models, which the privacy policy does not mention. Administrators can set their own retention period for responses (16 of 30). The sunset policy says older API versions keep working for at least two years, on a page last modified in October 2020 and with no dated notices (10 of 20). Data regions are named, but no sub-processor list is public and the DPA is signed inside the application (8 of 20).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-transparency):

- 0 to 30, source availability and licence clarity. 30 for open source under an OSI licence, 15 for closed with clear terms, 0 for unclear terms.
- 0 to 30, data handling and retention statements that agree with each other (privacy policy, DPA, retention periods, subprocessors).
- 0 to 20, a deprecation policy or notices with dates.
- 0 to 20, telemetry disclosed with an opt-out (local software), or subprocessors and data locations disclosed (hosted).

The other half of Transparency and trust is the provenance score, computed from checked facts (below). The category score is the mean of the two.

Provenance checks not met in full (half of this category, computed from checked facts):

- Terms of service: read, states 6 of the 7 things a reader expects, and has 2 clauses that cost points (5.1 of 10)
- Privacy policy: read, states 5 of the 8 things a reader expects (7.8 of 10)
- Status page: not found (0 of 10)
- security.txt: not found (0 of 10)

## What we couldn't check

What we couldn't read counted as absent. Publishing it on a page a plain HTTP fetch can read (not only in a browser) lets the next check count it.

- unchecked: whether Professional and Full Access accounts have API access today. The request limits page (March 2023) gives them 240 requests a minute, and the pricing page and the API documentation say Business Platform or enterprise only
- unchecked: whether a trial account can call the API today. The trial article saying 60 calls a minute was last updated on 12 May 2025
- unchecked: the request limit for Business Platform accounts, which is not published
- unchecked: the limits of the free plan, which the pricing page mentions without figures. The help article on it redirects to the pricing page
- unchecked: the DPA text and any sub-processor list, which are reached only from inside an account
- unchecked: the security whitepaper and the ISO certificate, both PDFs we did not read
- No status page was found. status.alchemer.com redirects to https://www.surveygizmo.com/, which we did not read beyond its response code
- lastRelease is the last-updated date of the September 2026 release notes (1 October 2026). The notes give no release day
- The lead said the product has documented survey and response endpoints, which is right. It did not say that the pricing page limits API access to plans quoted by sales
- The authentication page lists the Canadian OAuth host as apica.alchemer.com, and the base domains page lists api.alchemer-ca.com

## Weaknesses

- The pricing page says API access is for Business Platform accounts only, which are quoted by sales
- The documented call puts `api_token` and `api_token_secret` in the URL query string. The alternative is OAuth 1.0, with no scopes
- No status page was found. status.alchemer.com redirects to the home page of www.surveygizmo.com
- No OpenAPI document, official SDK or idempotency key was found, and writes are sent as query parameters
- The Software as a Service Agreement bars disclosing benchmark test data and load or penetration testing, and allows aggregated customer data to train machine learning models

## What costs an agent a turn today

The notes we give agents before they call it. Each one is a workaround an agent shouldn't need.

- Use the host for the account's region (`api.alchemer.com`, `api.alchemer.eu`, `api.alchemer-ca.com` or `api.au.alchemer.com`). The wrong host returns a 401 login failure even with valid keys
- Create with PUT and update with POST. The API reverses the usual meaning of the two methods
- Do not repeat an identical request inside 60 seconds. GET results are cached for 60 seconds and a repeat can return 429
- Stay under 240 requests a minute for the account and slow down when the `X-SG-Warning` header appears
- Wait up to five minutes before reading back a response that was just submitted, and expect a 500 after a 30 second timeout

## When it's done

Send what changed and where it's published as a dispute (https://www.anchorterminal.com/builders/#disputes, or `POST https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/contact` with `"kind": "dispute"`). Disputes are answered in public, and the listing is checked again by the same checklist. Paying for an audit or a listing claim changes nothing here.