# Gotify L5 · Autonomous

Gotify is free push-notification software that you run on your own server.

**Can an AI agent use Gotify? Yes, without signing up.** Our agent got into Gotify on its own in 3 minutes and did 5 of its 6 core tasks.

Category: Push notifications · Connects by: MCP, API, CLI · Agent payments: None found · Driven: 26 Oct 2026

**How to connect**
- Docs page: `https://gotify.net/docs/` (tested in our drive). Source: https://gotify.net/docs/

**Level 5: Autonomous.** All of that, and nothing to pay.
- Got in by: Runs locally, no account (3 minutes, no account)
- Got as far as: Use: 5 of 6 core tasks (No plan to buy)
- Next: Does it all on its own; there is nothing to pay.

1 drive, awaiting confirmation

[What the levels mean](https://agentdrives.com/method/levels?via=md)

## From finding it to leaving

What an agent managed without a person, at each step.

1. **Find**: On its own. Docs it can act on: an OpenAPI and an MCP server. (27 doc pages read)
2. **Get in**: On its own. Runs locally. (3 minutes)
3. **Use**: On its own. Did: install its own Gotify server in about a minute; create apps and receiver clients and get their keys. (5 of 6 core tasks)
4. **Pay**: Nothing to do. No plan to buy.
5. **Leave**: On its own. Nothing to cancel, deletes what it made.

## Getting in

One way in, and it worked without a person.

The way that worked: **Runs locally, no account**, 3 minutes. No inbox, browser or person needed.

- Agent on a server (API, MCP, CLI): Yes. Signs up, gets an API key, makes its first API call and does 5 of its 6 core tasks, all on its own.
- Assistant in its own browser (Like ChatGPT agent): Yes. Signs up and does 5 of its 6 core tasks, all on its own.
- Signed agent (Known to Cloudflare): Yes. The site opens.

## What an agent can do with Gotify

5 of 6 core tasks done, and 14 of 14 others.

- Reliability: core tasks that worked on all 3 runs: 100 of 100
- Handles mistakes: clear errors, retries without duplicates, honest limits: 65 of 100
- Surface tested: documented routes, tools and commands run and checked: 98 of 100
- Docs accuracy: documented operations that behaved as the docs say: 89 of 100
- Docs completeness: how fully the docs describe each operation: 85 of 100

Core tasks:

| Task | Result | Done through | Tried, not done | Offered, not tried |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Send a push message via REST API | Done | API, MCP, CLI | – | – |
| Create an application (a sender) | Done | API | – | – |
| Subscribe to the message stream over WebSocket | Done | API | – | – |
| List or delete messages | Done | API | – | – |
| Set message priority to control notification behavior | Done | API, CLI | – | MCP |
| Receive push notifications on Android | Partly | – | API | – |

14 of 14 other tasks done:

- Render a message as Markdown: Done
- Attach a click URL or big image to a notification: Done
- Upload or remove an application icon image: Done
- Create and manage clients (receivers): Done
- Elevate a session before a sensitive action: Done
- Push a message with an attached image via Markdown: Done
- Trigger an Android intent when a message is received: Done
- Install a plugin that sends messages or handles webhooks: Done
- Map OIDC identity-provider groups to admin/user permissions: Done
- Manage users as an admin: Done
- Change the current user's password: Done
- Self-register a new account when registration is enabled: Done
- Check server health and version information: Done
- Develop and load a custom Go plugin: Done

What it can't do, and why:

- See a message arrive as a phone notification: The notification is drawn by the Android app, which our agent couldn't see.
- Use the MCP endpoint on the latest release: The endpoint is only in the unreleased master image.
- Run the CLI setup command from a script: Gotify init needs an interactive terminal.

**Surface audit:** 55 documented operations, 55 run, 54 passed, 6 not as documented.

## How an agent connects

MCP, API and CLI found.

Agent surfaces: API tested · MCP tested · CLI tested · SDK none found · Docs tested · Agent payments none found. Issues found: 7.

- **MCP server**: All tested. Official server. 1 tool, unreleased (master image only) (3 tools across its docs)
- **API**: All tested. REST, 42 operations, self-hosted. (42 operations across its docs)
- **OpenAPI**: Unknown.
- **CLI**: All tested. gotify-cli 2.4.0: push, watch, init, config. (2 commands across its docs)
- **SDK**: None found.
- **llms.txt**: None found.
- **Agent payments**: None found. The checkout wasn't reached.
- **Docs**: Some gaps. Covers getting started, auth, error codes and code examples. 7 of 9 documented ways to do the core work worked when tried. https://gotify.net/docs/ (27 pages read)

[The standards](https://agentdrives.com/standard)

## Tips for agent builders

- Run the release binary with GOTIFY_SERVER_PORT and GOTIFY_DEFAULTUSER_PASS in gotify-server.env; port 80 needs root.
- Use HTTP Basic auth for deletes, user management, password change and token rotation; a client token gets 403 until POST /client/{id}/elevate.
- Store app and client tokens at creation: the API never shows them again (PUT responses carry a token that does not work).
- Push with POST /message and an app token; set extras.client::display.contentType=text/markdown for Markdown.
- Call gotify push with --url and --token (or $GOTIFY_TOKEN) instead of gotify init, which needs a TTY.
- For MCP, run gotify/server:master and send Authorization: Bearer <app token> to /mcp; its only tool is send_message.
- To act as a phone client, do what gotify/android does: POST /client with Basic auth, open /stream?token=<client token>, and after a reconnect page GET /message?limit=10 for ids newer than the last one seen.

## How Gotify compares

On our standard (16 criteria, each against every product we measured on it):

- [Typed, tight input schemas](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-06): **Ahead of most** 50 of 65 others lower, 15 the same.
- [Every way in works for an agent](https://agentdrives.com/standard#in-11): **Ahead of most** 108 of 145 others lower, 37 the same.
- [The best way in is built for agents](https://agentdrives.com/standard#in-12): **Ahead of most** 98 of 147 others lower, 49 the same.
- [Pages fit one fetch](https://agentdrives.com/standard#docs-08): **Ahead of most** 88 of 141 others lower, 53 the same.
- [A tool list that fits](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-11): **Ahead of most** 33 of 65 others lower, 32 the same.
- [Truthful annotations](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-07): **Level with most** 33 of 65 others the same, 32 lower.
- [Export before leaving](https://agentdrives.com/standard#leave-03): **In the middle** 56 of 144 others lower, 60 the same, 28 higher.
- [Tool names that sort themselves](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-03): **Level with most** 61 of 65 others the same, 4 lower.
- [A path written for agents](https://agentdrives.com/standard#docs-10): **Level with most** 71 of 141 others the same, 39 lower, 31 higher.
- [WebMCP tools on the web app](https://agentdrives.com/standard#proto-02): **Level with most** 91 of 93 others the same, 2 higher.
- [Docs an agent can navigate](https://agentdrives.com/standard#docs-11): **Level with most** 87 of 141 others the same, 10 lower, 44 higher.
- [Spend an agent can see and cap](https://agentdrives.com/standard#pay-05): **Level with most** 84 of 118 others the same, 34 higher.
- [Agents pick the right tool](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-05): **Level with most** 44 of 65 others the same, 1 lower, 20 higher.
- [One way to page through lists](https://agentdrives.com/standard#api-03): **Behind most** 53 of 87 others higher, 34 the same.
- [Descriptions that say when to use the tool](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-04): **Behind most** 46 of 65 others higher, 19 the same.
- [Versions an agent can pin](https://agentdrives.com/standard#api-07): **Behind most** 89 of 97 others higher, 8 the same.

[How each criterion is graded](https://agentdrives.com/standard)

## For the team behind Gotify

**9 things to fix for agents.**

Agent surfaces: 7 issues found. Safety review: no issues found.

Agents get through all five steps. Prove Gotify is yours, then see where each issue is, read your safety findings and ask for a free drive after a fix. How to fix each one comes with the Audit.

- Find: Clear
- Get in: Clear
- Use: Clear
- Pay: Clear
- Leave: Clear

[Claim Gotify, free](https://agentdrives.com/app/products?add=gotify.net&ref=listing) · [What a drive covers](https://agentdrives.com/method?via=md)

## Where Gotify fits

- Category: [Communication APIs](https://agentdrives.com/categories/communication?via=md), [Push notifications](https://agentdrives.com/categories/push-notifications?via=md)
- Tasks: [Set a member's role or permissions](https://agentdrives.com/tasks/set-a-member-s-role-or-permissions), [Connect a third-party integration](https://agentdrives.com/tasks/connect-a-third-party-integration), [Build an app, bot or plugin for the product](https://agentdrives.com/tasks/build-an-app-bot-or-plugin-for-the-product), [Send an email with an attachment](https://agentdrives.com/tasks#send-an-email-with-an-attachment)
- Standards: [MCP](https://agentdrives.com/standards/mcp) (tools an agent can call)
- Steps: [Find](https://agentdrives.com/access/find), [Get in](https://agentdrives.com/access/get-in), [Use](https://agentdrives.com/access/use), [Pay](https://agentdrives.com/access/pay), [Leave](https://agentdrives.com/access/leave)

## Cited in 1 article

- [How to let AI agents sign up for your product](https://agentdrives.com/guides/let-ai-agents-sign-up?via=md)

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