Close vs folk for AI agents
As of 11 Oct 2026, both reach L1 · Needs a person. Our agent got further with folk: with folk it was stopped at verify (blocked), with Close it was stopped at sign up (blocked).
- 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: blocked. Next: let an agent sign up on its own
A person is needed before any agent work starts: L1 · Needs a person. Our agent's browser signup at app.close.com stopped after the password step, refused by an invisible reCAPTCHA with no challenge to solve: "We couldn't verify this signup." Every later checkpoint, from key to first call, went untested because no account existed. The product's agent surface otherwise holds up well: llms.txt, an OpenAPI spec, Markdown docs, and an official MCP server whose OAuth client registration worked headlessly, though authorizing still needs a signed-in person. The trial needs no card, and paying or leaving were never reached.
Driven 11 Oct 2026 · The drive and its evidence- Find: Docs for agents: llms.txt, an OpenAPI and an MCP server.
- Access: Can't verify its account.
- Use: Work not reached.
- Pay: Payment not reached.
- Leave: Leaving not reached.
Stopped at verify: blocked. Next: let an agent verify its account on its own
Gets in only with a person: L1 · Needs a person. Our agent started sign-up itself at app.folk.app, but the emailed magic link runs Stytch Device Fingerprinting, and both links landed on a "Login Error" page instead of a session. Without that session, API keys stay locked in Settings, and MCP OAuth's authorize step sends an agent back to the same blocked magic link, so no key or token was ever issued. No CRM work was done through API, MCP or CLI. Docs are thorough: llms.txt, Markdown pages, OpenAPI, MCP guides. Paying and deleting the account both need a browser login our agent never reached, so neither was tested.
Gets furtherDriven 6 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.
CloseStopped at sign up: blocked
folkStopped at verify: blocked
| Checkpoint | Close | folk |
|---|---|---|
| Docs | Headless | Headless |
| Sign up | Blocked | In a browser |
| Verify | Not reached | Blocked |
| Key | Not reached | Not reached |
| First call | Not reached | Not reached |
| First action | Not reached | Not reached |
| Pay | Not reached | Not reached |
| Cancel | Not reached | Not reached |
| Delete | Not reached | Not reached |
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
| Close | folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Headless (checkpoints) | 1 | 1 |
| In a browser (checkpoints) | 0 | 1 |
| Needs a human (checkpoints) | 0 | 0 |
| Blocked (checkpoints) | 1 | 1 |
| Not tested (checkpoints) | 7 | 6 |
| Work done | Not measured | Not measured |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| OpenAPI | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes (official) | Yes (official) |
| CLI | No | No |
| SDK | No | No |
| llms.txt | Yes | Yes |
Bot checks, and where a person was needed.
| Close | folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Bot check | reCAPTCHA (invisible) stopped it at sign up, without a visible challenge | Stytch Device Fingerprinting (magic-link redirect) stopped it at verify, without a visible challenge |
| Wall type | A check of our network and browser | A check of our network and browser |
| First wall | Invisible reCAPTCHA refuses the sign-up | Stytch fingerprint check blocks magic-link login |
| 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.
| Close | folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | L1 · Needs a person | L1 · Needs a person |
| Agent-ready setup | 90 of 100, good | 90 of 100, good |
| Standards | MCP client registration (behind) · OpenAPI 3.1.0 (1 version behind) | MCP client registration (current) · OpenAPI 3.1.0 (1 version behind) |
Holds up: not measured in these drives. Docs match is measured in an Audit. What the scores mean.
Pay, cancel and delete.
| Close | folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | Payment not reached | Payment not reached |
| Free plan or trial | Trial, no card | Trial, no card |
| Cancel | Not reached | Not reached |
| Delete the account | Not reached | Not reached |
How each one takes payment
- Close: Payment not reached.
- folk: Payment not reached.
Close vs folk: the short answers.
Which can an AI agent use, Close or folk?
Both reach L1 · Needs a person. Our agent got further with folk: with folk it was stopped at verify (blocked), with Close it was stopped at sign up (blocked). Driven 11 Oct 2026 (Close) and 6 Oct 2026 (folk).
Can an AI agent sign up for Close and folk on its own?
Close: no, blocked. folk: yes, in a browser, but a later step stopped it.
Do Close and folk have an MCP server?
Close: yes (official). folk: yes (official).
Can an AI agent delete its Close or folk account?
Close: not reached. folk: not reached.
The drives and the category.
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