Ghost

# Fix list: Ghost

From Anchor Terminal's listing at https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/ghost, the October 2026 research run, assessed 8 October 2026. Grade C, 58.3 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 Ghost: 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. Schema & documentation, 51 out of 100, up to 8 more on the total

Why it scored 51: No OpenAPI or similar file was found in the docs index or the repository (0 of 25). llms.txt with 177 links, llms-full.txt and a Markdown copy of every page (10). The reference states what each endpoint does and which fields are required, with little on when not to use one (10 of 20). No published schemas. Required fields are named (`title` on create, `updated_at` on edit), and post content is one Lexical JSON string (6 of 15). Request and response examples on each page and token generation in Bash, JavaScript, Ruby and Python. The errors page lists five status codes and the `errorType` and `message` fields, without a list per endpoint (10 of 15). `Accept-Version` header, a stability index per endpoint, a breaking changes page and release notes (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.

## 2. Security & auth, 56 out of 100, up to 7.7 more on the total

Why it scored 56: An Admin API key belongs to one custom integration, can be regenerated, and signs tokens that last at most 5 minutes and travel in the Authorization header. Integrations have one fixed permission set and no scopes, so we scored plain revocable keys plus 2 for role-bound staff tokens (22 of 30). The Content API key is sent as a query parameter. It reads published content only and isn't the graded credential, so no deduction. A Contributor's staff token can add and edit drafts but not change status, per the post model. No read-only Admin key and no approval step for a publish or delete (12 of 20). Posts, members and comments hold text written by other people, and no prompt-injection guidance was found (3 of 15). An actions log is readable at `GET /actions`. No per-call log was found (8 of 15). A disclosure policy with response times, security@ghost.org and advisories published on GitHub with credits. No bug bounty or certification was found, and ghost.org/.well-known/security.txt returned 404 (11 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.

## 3. Payments & pricing, 50 out of 100, up to 6.3 more on the total

Why it scored 50: Scored with the self-hosted rule, taking prices from Ghost(Pro) beside the free software. No x402, MPP or L402 found (0). The software is free under MIT, and Ghost(Pro) lists $18, $29 and $199 a month billed yearly at up to 1,000 members (20). Self-hosting needs no card or account. Whether the Ghost(Pro) trial asks for a card wasn't readable (20). The docs create Admin API keys in the Ghost Admin screens, so a person sets up the integration. Install is scriptable, so half (10).

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.

## 4. Agent ergonomics, 69 out of 100, up to 5 more on the total

Why it scored 69: `fields`, `include` and `formats` size a response, and lists return 15 records by default (20 of 25). `page`, `limit` up to 100, `order` and a `filter` query language, with `meta.pagination` on every list (20). Errors are JSON with `message` and `errorType`, and the documented list is short (13 of 20). No idempotency keys. A PUT must carry the current `updated_at` and is refused on a collision, and a repeated POST creates a second post (8 of 20). A create needs only `title`. The one official client is JavaScript, @tryghost/admin-api (8 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.

## 5. Reliability, 80 out of 100, up to 4 more on the total

Why it scored 80: Read with the local-software lines, since the graded surface is the open-source release its owner hosts. Ghost(Pro)'s status page isn't scored here. Official `ghost` package on npm, Node.js ^22.23.1 or ^24.20.0 in `engines`, and a supported stack named in the hosting guide (20). A public CI workflow runs the test suites, and its badge for main read failing when we checked on 8 October 2026 (12 of 25). The repository showed 33 open issues and 140 open pull requests against weekly releases. We didn't read individual threads (20 of 25). Semver version numbers, release notes per version and a breaking changes page per major, with the 6.0 removal of `limit=all` documented there (13 of 15). 6.x is the current stable line (15).

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.

## 6. Transparency & trust, 72 out of 100, up to 2.5 more on the total

Made of editorial 76, provenance 68.

Why it scored 72: MIT, copyright Ghost Foundation, with the source public (30). A self-hosted site keeps content on its owner's server. For Ghost(Pro) the privacy policy places servers in Amsterdam and a DPA lists subprocessors in an annex, while retention is stated only as kept where necessary and the terms make the customer responsible for backups (18 of 30). A table dates each major's end of life (5.x in January 2026, 6.x to be confirmed), endpoints carry a stability index and breaking changes are catalogued per major. No notice period in days was found (15 of 20). The configuration page documents Gravatar, structured data and IndexNow calls with a switch for each and `useTinfoil` for all. The default configuration also names an update service at updates.ghost.org, which that section doesn't list (13 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):

- Endpoint on the vendor's domain:  is not on ghost.org (0 of 15)
- Terms of service: read, states 6 of the 7 things a reader expects, and has 1 clause that costs points (7.1 of 10)
- Privacy policy: read, states 3 of the 8 things a reader expects (6.3 of 10)
- security.txt: not found (0 of 10)

## 7. Maintenance & community, 85 out of 100, up to 1.3 more on the total

Why it scored 85: 6.69.0 was tagged and published to npm on 7 October 2026, the day before this check (30). 19 versions reached npm between 10 July and 8 October (20). 33 open issues on a repository with about 55,500 stars, and 20 advisories fixed and published with reporter credits in five weeks. We didn't read reply times on individual issues (18 of 25). @tryghost/admin-api 1.14.13 was published on 21 September 2026. The official MCP registry lists third-party Ghost servers only (10 of 15). A Renovate workflow keeps dependencies current. The CI badge on main read failing on 8 October (7 of 10).

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.

## Deductions

Each comes off the total. A fixed and documented problem counts for less at the next check.

- 3 September to 1 October 2026. Ghost published 20 security advisories in five weeks, one critical, ten high, eight moderate and one low. They include GHSA-q734-xjgc-vpj9 (critical, suspended staff could reactivate accounts through password reset), GHSA-788w-68h3-cvxp (high, CVSS 8.8, remote code execution through bookmark card images in 6.56.0 to 6.65.0, fixed in 6.67.0) and GHSA-jj74-hc2q-xrvm (high, remote code execution through theme translation files). Several could be triggered by any staff user, Contributors included. All were published by the vendor with a fixed version, and we found no report of exploitation in the advisories we read, so we deduct 7 of a possible 15. https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/security/advisories ; https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/security/advisories/GHSA-788w-68h3-cvxp

## 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: api.github.com refused us for its rate limit, so the star count (55.5k) and issue counts come from the repository's web pages and reply times on issues weren't read
- unchecked: monthly-billed Ghost(Pro) prices and prices above 1,000 members, which the pricing page computes in the browser
- unchecked: whether the Ghost(Pro) free trial asks for a card
- unchecked: what the update service at updates.ghost.org receives and whether it still runs by default. We saw only its URL in the default configuration
- unchecked: why the CI badge on main read failing on 8 October 2026, and for how long
- unchecked: advisories before 3 September 2026. We read the two newest of eight pages
- We didn't run an instance. Role behaviour, the 25-revision cap and the actions route come from the source at commit 8914a05 and the docs
- The docs name Ghost Admin as the place to create an Admin API key. The routes file has a `POST /integrations` route for signed-in users, which we didn't test as a way to script it
- The dossier grades the self-hosted software. A reader on Ghost(Pro) should weigh the plan requirement, the fair use policy and the status history noted for reviewers
- The lead was right about the interface. It didn't say that Ghost(Pro) withholds the Admin API from the Starter plan

## Weaknesses

- No OpenAPI or other machine-readable description of the Admin API was found in the docs or the repository
- A custom integration has one fixed permission set covering posts, members, settings, themes and users, with no scopes and no read-only Admin key
- 20 advisories were published from 3 September to 1 October 2026, one critical and ten high, including remote code execution through bookmark card images
- No content locales or custom content types, and the Admin API has no documented route for restoring a post revision
- On Ghost(Pro) the Admin API and custom integrations start at the Publisher plan, not Starter

## 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.

- Sign a fresh HS256 token for each batch of calls. Decode the hex secret to bytes, set `kid` to the key id, `aud` to `/admin/` and `exp` at most 5 minutes ahead
- Set `status` to `draft` on every create unless told to publish, and publish later with a PUT that sets `status` to `published`
- GET the post before each PUT and send its `updated_at` back. Tags and authors in a PUT replace the existing lists
- Send content as a Lexical JSON string, or add `?source=html` and send `html`. The HTML conversion is lossy unless wrapped in an HTML card
- Page through lists with `limit` up to 100 and `page`. Since Ghost 6.0 `limit=all` returns 100 items without an error

## 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.