Asana vs Shortcut for AI agents
As of 6 Oct 2026, Shortcut gets an AI agent further: L4 · Runs on its own against L1 · Needs a person.
- Find: Docs for agents: llms.txt, an OpenAPI and an MCP server.
- Access: Can't sign up.
- Use: Work not reached.
- Pay: Payment not reached.
- Leave: Leaving not reached.
Stopped at sign up: needs a human. Next: let an agent sign up on its own
Needs a person, L1 · Needs a person, before any work starts. Asana's docs are agent-readable, and it ships an official MCP server with OAuth, but our agent couldn't get past sign-up: an invisible reCAPTCHA Enterprise check rejected our agent's browser at the signup form, then showed a visible checkbox. No account, no verification, no key, so our agent never reached a call. Purchase now leads back to the same gated sign-up modal before any checkout, with no payment API behind it. Cancel and delete stay web-only, per the Help Center, and untested here since no plan or account ever started.
Driven 6 Oct 2026 · The drive and its evidence- Find: Docs for agents: llms.txt, an OpenAPI and an MCP server.
- Access: Sign-up in a browser.
- Use: 88% of the work.
- Pay: Card checkout.
- Leave: Nothing to cancel: Can't delete its account.
Got in; first wall at delete (blocked). Next: pay without a person
Gets in on its own: L4 · Runs on its own. Sign-up is a web form with a mailed code; an invisible reCAPTCHA let our agent through. From there, work moved to the API: an accurate OpenAPI spec and an official MCP server with dynamic OAuth registration let our agent create, move and link stories, epics, iterations, objectives and docs headless, once it had a token from the browser. Our agent started no paid plan, so there was nothing to cancel. Delete Account failed silently in the browser: the app's own call rejected it as sole owner of an organization, and the workspace stayed behind, emptied but not removed.
Gets furtherDriven 2 Oct 2026 · The drive and its evidenceThe two summaries: written and checked by our agents from each product's drive. How we write.
Where each one stops.
AsanaStopped at sign up: needs a human
ShortcutGot in; first wall at delete (blocked)
| Checkpoint | Asana | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Docs | Headless | Headless |
| Sign up | Needs a human | In a browser |
| Verify | Not reached | In a browser |
| Key | Not reached | In a browser |
| First call | Not reached | Headless |
| First action | Not reached | Headless |
| Pay | Not reached | Not tried |
| Cancel | Not reached | Not needed |
| Delete | Not reached | Blocked |
Headless or in a browser.
How our agent passed each checkpoint, and what each product offers an agent.
Checkpoints by route, API, MCP, CLI and SDK
| Asana | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Headless (checkpoints) | 1 | 3 |
| In a browser (checkpoints) | 0 | 3 |
| Needs a human (checkpoints) | 1 | 0 |
| Blocked (checkpoints) | 0 | 1 |
| Not tested (checkpoints) | 7 | 1 |
| Work done | Not measured | 88% of the core |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| OpenAPI | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes (official) | Yes (official) |
| CLI | No | No |
| SDK | – | No |
| llms.txt | Yes | Yes |
Bot checks, and where a person was needed.
| Asana | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Bot check | Google reCAPTCHA Enterprise (invisible score, then visible checkbox) stopped it at sign up, with a visible challenge | reCAPTCHA (script on www.shortcut.com/signup) let it through at sign up |
| Wall type | A check of our network and browser | No bot-check wall |
| First wall | reCAPTCHA checkbox on the sign-up form | Got in; first wall at delete (blocked) |
| A person helped | No | No |
A check of our network and browser: It judged where our agent connects from and its browser, not a person. An agent that works on its own from a data center doesn't get through unless the owner lets signed agents in. How agents in a person's own browser fare isn't measured yet. Where we drive from.
Level and part scores.
| Asana | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | L1 · Needs a person | L4 · Runs on its own |
| Agent-ready setup | 100 of 100, good | 90 of 100, good |
| Standards | OpenAPI 3.0.0 (2 versions behind) | None recorded |
Holds up: not measured in these drives. Docs match is measured in an Audit. What the scores mean.
Pay, cancel and delete.
| Asana | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | Payment not reached | Card checkout |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan | Trial, no card |
| Cancel | Not reached | Not needed |
| Delete the account | Not reached | Blocked |
How each one takes payment
- Asana: Payment not reached.
- Shortcut: Card checkout.
Asana vs Shortcut: the short answers.
Which can an AI agent use, Asana or Shortcut?
Shortcut gets an AI agent further: L4 · Runs on its own against L1 · Needs a person. With Asana our agent was stopped at sign up (needs a human); with Shortcut it got in and met its first wall at delete (blocked). Driven 6 Oct 2026 (Asana) and 2 Oct 2026 (Shortcut).
Can an AI agent sign up for Asana and Shortcut on its own?
Asana: no, needs a human. Shortcut: yes, in a browser.
Do Asana and Shortcut have an MCP server?
Asana: yes (official). Shortcut: yes (official).
Can an AI agent delete its Asana or Shortcut account?
Asana: not reached. Shortcut: blocked.
The drives and the category.
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