Lever

# Fix list: Lever

From Anchor Terminal's listing at https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/lever, the October 2026 research run, assessed 7 October 2026. Grade D, 53.6 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 Lever: 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. Payments & pricing, 5 out of 100, up to 11.9 more on the total

Why it scored 5: No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Pricing is by quote only (0). No free tier or trial found, and the sandbox goes only to approved partners (0). API keys and OAuth apps need a person, a customer contract or Lever's partner team. We gave 5 because the Postings API returns any customer's published jobs without a key or account (5).

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.

## 2. Schema & documentation, 55 out of 100, up to 7.3 more on the total

Why it scored 55: No OpenAPI file found. A Postman collection in lever/integrator-resources is the only machine-readable description and its last commit is from February 2025 (5). No llms.txt, www.lever.co/llms.txt returns 404 (0). The reference explains each resource, how candidates, contacts and opportunities relate, and marks every deprecated endpoint with the replacement to call, but gives little guidance on when not to use an endpoint (14). Attribute tables give types and mark parameters required or optional, with few enumerated values or constraints stated in a form a machine can check (10). curl examples and sample responses on nearly every endpoint, nine status codes explained and one sample error body (11). Versioned path /v1, a promise not to rename or remove fields without a version bump, and a dated updates page running from 2021 to 30 April 2026 (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.

## 3. Security & auth, 60 out of 100, up to 7 more on the total

Why it scored 60: OAuth 2.0 with around 50 scopes split by resource into read and write, one-hour access tokens and revocation by a Super Admin, plus API keys limited to chosen endpoints (30). The Postings API documents its key in the `key` query parameter for application POSTs (-10). Read-only scopes and a separate `confidential:access:admin` scope allow least privilege. Deletes of notes, files, feedback and requisitions need no confirmation (13). Resumes, notes and application answers are written by outside parties and no prompt-injection guidance was found (3). An audit events endpoint covers user provisioning, authentication and data export as a paid add-on, webhook deliveries have a history view, and `perform_as` attributes each write to a user (10). SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001 and a vulnerability disclosure policy at security@employinc.com. No bug bounty and no security.txt (14).

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. Maintenance & community, 21 out of 100, up to 6.9 more on the total

Why it scored 21: The newest dated API change is 30 April 2026, 160 days before the check (10). No entries in the last 90 days. The four in April 2026 followed a gap since 31 March 2025 (0). Closed service with a dated updates page, a help centre and an integrations support address. The public postings-api repository merged a README change on 23 April 2026 (8). No official SDKs and no Lever-published MCP server in the official registry (0). No packages to assess. The example repository has CodeQL and dependency review workflows and was last changed in February 2025 (3).

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.

## 5. Agent ergonomics, 65 out of 100, up to 5.7 more on the total

Why it scored 65: `include` trims a response to named fields, `expand` inlines linked objects and `limit` caps a page at 100 (22). Opaque offset tokens with `next` and `hasNext` on every list, and filters by stage, posting, tag, email, contact and created, updated or archived time on opportunities (20). Errors carry a `code` and `message` such as ResourceNotFound, with no per-field validation detail or list of codes documented (12). No idempotency keys. Creating an opportunity with an email address is matched to an existing contact, which limits duplicate people but still creates a second opportunity on retry (5). Reads need no parameters, but most writes require `perform_as` with a user id, PUT on panels deletes missing fields, and there is no official SDK (6).

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. Reliability, 73 out of 100, up to 5.4 more on the total

Why it scored 73: Graded on the hosted lines for the Data API. Statuspage at status.lever.co with about 40 components, among them Integration API & Webhooks, Hire and Sandbox for the global and EU data centres (20). From 9 July to 7 October 2026 the page records six incidents, three marked critical. Offer letter sending failed platform-wide on 14 July, mitigated after about 1.5 hours and resolved after 9. A 14-minute outage on 12 August, caused by a support data query, raised API error rates per the postmortem. 500 errors on 21 August had a fix within 17 minutes. An offer document conversion outage on 7 August lasted most of a working day. None shows an hour of the API itself down, so we scored between minor-only and one major (10). 10 requests a second per key with bursts to 20, and 2 application POSTs a second (15). Exponential backoff is advised for 429 and 503, with no Retry-After header documented and no idempotency keys for writes (8). SLA of 99.9 per cent monthly uptime with service credits (10). The v1 API is generally available (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.

## 7. Transparency & trust, 75 out of 100, up to 2.2 more on the total

Made of editorial 63, provenance 87.

Why it scored 75: Closed service with public terms of service (25 August 2023), an SLA and Developer Sandbox Terms. The terms bar access for benchmarking or competitive purposes (15). A DPA (updated 20 May 2025), a services privacy notice (25 September 2023) and a security page give retention and deletion periods. They disagree on one figure, with deletion starting 30 days after termination in the DPA and 90 days on the security page, both ending by day 45 (20). A deprecated section keeps the 2020 Candidates endpoints documented and working, and Lever promises no field removals without a version bump, but no notice period or removal dates are published (10). Sub-processor list effective 21 September 2025 with purposes and locations, and hosting regions named (18).

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 7 of the 7 things a reader expects, and has 1 clause that costs points (8 of 10)
- Privacy policy: read, states 7 of the 8 things a reader expects (9.3 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: the developer FAQ and use-case tabs (https://hire.lever.co/developer/faq and /use-cases), which redirected to a login
- unchecked: the help centre article on API key permissions, so the per-endpoint key limits are taken from the Data API reference and its 403 text
- Whether 429 responses carry a Retry-After header. The documentation doesn't say and we made no authenticated calls
- Whether the Data API feature for API keys is included in every current plan. The partner FAQ says older API key integrations need it, and no plan table is public
- Which legal entity contracts today. The 2023 terms name Lever, Inc. and the 2025 DPA names Employ, Inc.
- How long partner approval takes and whether Lever accepts agent builders that aren't selling a product integration
- Root cause analyses for the 21 and 25 August 2026 incidents weren't on the status page when checked

## Weaknesses

- No public price, free tier or self-serve signup. OAuth apps and sandbox accounts are issued by Lever staff after a partner application
- No OpenAPI file, llms.txt or official SDK. The reference is one HTML page and a Postman collection last changed in February 2025
- Three incidents marked critical on status.lever.co between 14 July and 21 August 2026, one with elevated API error rates for 14 minutes
- No idempotency keys, and 429 responses are documented without a Retry-After header
- The Postings API takes its key in the URL query string for application submissions
- Offer records are read-only, and interviews can be written only on panels marked `externallyManaged`

## 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.

- Send `perform_as` with a Lever user id on creates and most updates. Opportunity, note, feedback, panel and interview writes reject requests without it
- Use the Opportunities endpoints. The Candidates endpoints were deprecated in 2020 and the old candidate id works as the opportunity id
- Stay under 10 requests a second per key and back off exponentially on 429 and 503. Application POSTs are limited to 2 a second
- Create interviews on a panel with `externallyManaged` true. Panels made in the Lever app can't be changed through the API
- Pass `include` to trim fields and follow `next` while `hasNext` is true. An `offset` must come from a previous response
- Send a full object on PUT to panels and interviews. Missing fields are deleted

## 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.