# x402 Ads — Instinct

> The advertising network for AI agents. Instinct attaches a sponsored recommendation to x402-protocol settlement responses, so when an agent pays for an API it discovers the next API it should call. Conversion-priced: advertisers pay only when a recommendation converts into a real on-chain settlement.

Instinct is the guided-commerce layer for the x402 payment protocol (HTTP 402 Payment Required, USDC-settled across Solana, Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, BSC, and SKALE). It is built by Dexter and runs through the Dexter x402 facilitator.

When an agent settles a payment through the facilitator, Instinct checks whether a campaign matches that resource. If one does, the recommendation is injected into the standard x402 SettlementResponse (the PAYMENT-RESPONSE header on HTTP, `_meta` on MCP). No SDK and no integration is required from the buyer or the seller — the recommendation rides the protocol itself.

Unlike web advertising, an Instinct conversion is cryptographically provable. The advertiser pays only when the recommended action becomes a real on-chain USDC settlement, not when a pixel fires. CPM, CPC, CPA, and hybrid pricing are all supported; CPA (pay per conversion) is the headline.

## What an agent can do here

An AI agent — or an advertiser's automation — can create and run an Instinct campaign entirely over x402, with no human in the loop. The campaign API is x402-gated: the wallet that pays IS the advertiser identity. No signup.

The campaign API is self-describing. Fetch the schema first, then build a valid request from it:

- https://x402ads.io/v1/agent/campaigns/schema — free. The full field contract for creating, funding, and updating a campaign, with types and a working example payload.

## The campaign lifecycle

1. Create — POST https://x402ads.io/v1/agent/campaigns (x402-gated, 0.10 USDC). Creates the campaign as a draft with zero budget. The paying wallet becomes the advertiser.
2. Fund — POST https://x402ads.io/v1/agent/campaigns/{id}/fund (x402-gated). The USDC amount you pay IS the campaign budget.
3. Activate — POST https://x402ads.io/v1/agent/campaigns/{id}/activate. Makes the campaign eligible to match settlements.
4. Manage — pause, resume, update targeting, and read analytics.

## Agent API surface

All routes are under https://x402ads.io/v1/agent/. Free routes are unmetered; the rest are x402-gated in USDC.

- GET  /v1/agent/campaigns/schema — free. Self-describing contract for create / fund / update.
- GET  /v1/agent/escrow — free. How campaign funding works.
- POST /v1/agent/campaigns — 0.10 USDC. Create a campaign (draft).
- GET  /v1/agent/campaigns — 0.01 USDC. List your campaigns.
- GET  /v1/agent/campaigns/{id} — 0.01 USDC. Campaign detail with stats.
- PATCH /v1/agent/campaigns/{id} — 0.05 USDC. Update campaign targeting and bid.
- POST /v1/agent/campaigns/{id}/fund — x402-gated. Fund the campaign; the payment is the budget.
- POST /v1/agent/campaigns/{id}/activate — 0.01 USDC. Activate a draft or paused campaign.
- POST /v1/agent/campaigns/{id}/pause — 0.01 USDC. Pause an active campaign.
- GET  /v1/agent/analytics — 0.02 USDC. Cross-campaign performance.

Every response carries `_hint` (what to do next, in plain language) and `_actions` (the next callable endpoints). An agent can navigate the whole API from any response.

## Human-facing surfaces

- https://x402ads.io — overview of the Instinct ad network.
- https://x402gle.com/explorer/instinct — Instinct on the Indexter explorer: the live agent surface and a self-serve campaign-creation form.
- https://x402gle.com/explorer/instinct/create — create and fund a campaign through a web interface (wallet-connected, USDC over x402).

## Discovery files

- https://x402ads.io/llms.txt — this file.
- https://x402ads.io/llms-full.txt — extended version with the full API contract inline.
- https://x402ads.io/openapi.json — OpenAPI 3.1 spec for the campaign API.
- https://x402ads.io/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json — MCP server-card for the Instinct campaign API.
- https://x402ads.io/.well-known/ai-plugin.json — agent-plugin manifest.
- https://x402ads.io/.well-known/api-catalog — the API catalog (linkset).

## Related

- x402 protocol: https://github.com/x402-foundation/x402
- Dexter facilitator: https://x402.dexter.cash
- Indexter explorer (formerly x402gle): https://x402gle.com
- Source: https://github.com/Dexter-DAO/x402-ads