Instacart

Build Instacart recipe pages, shopping lists, and retailer lookups with MCP, REST, secure auth, and launch-ready integration rules.

Setup

On first use, read setup.md for integration guidelines.

When to Use

User needs Instacart-specific execution rather than generic grocery advice. Activate for shoppable recipe pages, shopping list pages, nearby retailer lookup, MCP-based agent handoff, launch-readiness checks, or API troubleshooting around Instacart Developer Platform.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/instacart/. See memory-template.md for setup.

~/instacart/
|-- memory.md                # Operating context, activation rules, approved surfaces
|-- url-cache.md             # Payload hashes and generated products_link URLs
|-- retailer-notes.md        # Preferred retailers, geo defaults, and known-good keys
|-- launch-notes.md          # Production approval state and messaging constraints
`-- incidents.md             # Failed requests, root causes, and fixes

Quick Reference

Use the smallest relevant file for the current task.

Topic	File
Setup and activation behavior	setup.md
Memory schema and status values	memory-template.md
Auth, environments, and key model	auth-playbook.md
Core endpoint coverage	endpoint-map.md
Request bodies, payload shaping, and curl examples	request-patterns.md
MCP server setup and tool limits	mcp-integration.md
Connect and fulfillment boundaries	connect-boundaries.md
Errors, retries, and low-signal matches	troubleshooting.md

Requirements

• Required secret: INSTACART_API_KEY
• Required tool for the documented smoke tests: jq
• Optional tool for MCP Inspector workflows: npx
• Optional: MCP Inspector for validating MCP connectivity

Never ask the user to paste API keys into chat. Use environment variables or their existing secret manager.

Data Storage

Local notes in ~/instacart/ should store:

• approved environment and surface selection
• geo defaults such as country_code and common postal codes
• known-good payload shapes and normalized line-item conventions
• generated link cache keyed by normalized content hash
• production approval status and messaging restrictions

Core Rules

1. Choose the Right Surface Before Sending Traffic

Decide explicitly between:

• Developer Platform MCP for agent-native create-recipe and create-shopping-list
• Developer Platform REST for recipe pages, shopping list pages, and nearby retailers with full request control
• Instacart Connect for branded ecommerce, fulfillment, post-checkout, sandbox callbacks, or retailer workflows

Do not mix these surfaces casually. Wrong routing creates auth failures, wrong expectations, and rework.

2. Lock Environment, Auth, and Scope First

Before any request, confirm:

• development or production
• the correct base URL for that environment
• Authorization: Bearer <API key> for Developer Platform REST
• whether the API key has the required permission level and endpoint access

Production keys should only be used after the integration has passed Instacart review and is active.

3. Normalize Inputs for Matching, Not Human Prose

Instacart matching is heuristic. For each ingredient or line item:

• keep name generic and searchable
• keep brand preferences in filters.brand_filters
• keep health preferences in filters.health_filters
• use either product_ids or upcs, never both
• use supported units and positive quantities only

Do not hide size, brand, dietary intent, and geo assumptions inside one noisy string.

4. Validate Geo and Retailer Context Up Front

For nearby retailer lookup, use postal_code plus country_code.

• current public docs show US and CA
• retailer lookup returns organization-level retailer_key, not a specific store id
• a valid postal code does not guarantee good ingredient coverage

Run retailer lookup before presenting a user-facing link when store relevance matters.

5. Add Client-Side Idempotency

Recipe and shopping-list creation return a fresh products_link_url, and the docs recommend caching until content changes.

• canonicalize the request payload
• hash the normalized payload plus environment
• reuse the stored URL when nothing material changed
• regenerate only when title, items, instructions, filters, or link settings changed

Do not spam page-creation endpoints for equivalent content.

6. Treat Measurements and Filters as Ranking Inputs

Ordering and correctness matter:

• for countable items, prefer each
• if multiple measurements are provided, order them intentionally
• keep brand and health filters separate from the product name
• keep brand spelling and health filters exact
• stay conservative on filter count per item for better matches

Poor units and noisy names are a common cause of missing quantity or weak matches.

7. Respect Launch and Messaging Constraints

Before moving to production:

• complete development testing
• pass the pre-launch and approval workflow
• assume a new production key is non-functional while pending approval
• keep public messaging and logo usage aligned with Instacart guidelines

Never claim Instacart endorsement, invent brand usage rules, or ship production messaging without checking current guidance.

Common Traps

• Using Connect when the task only needs a shoppable page -> heavier auth and wrong integration surface
• Using MCP for retailer lookup -> current MCP toolset does not cover it
• Mixing product_ids and upcs on the same item -> 400 validation error
• Repeating the same UPC or product id across multiple items -> duplicate identifier errors
• Stuffing brands into name instead of brand_filters -> weaker fallback matching
• Sending unsupported or vague units -> product may match without a useful quantity
• Treating retailer_key as a specific store record -> bad downstream assumptions
• Recreating identical pages on every run -> unnecessary link churn and harder attribution
• Requesting production traffic before approval -> key stays pending and does not function
• Publishing UI or marketing copy without guideline review -> launch risk and brand rejection

External Endpoints

Endpoint	Data Sent	Purpose
https://connect.dev.instacart.tools	API key header, retailer lookup params, page-creation payloads	Developer Platform development REST traffic
https://connect.instacart.com	API key header, retailer lookup params, page-creation payloads	Developer Platform production REST traffic
https://mcp.dev.instacart.tools/mcp	API key header and tool payloads	Development MCP server for agent testing
https://mcp.instacart.com/mcp	API key header and tool payloads	Production MCP server
https://dashboard.instacart.com	Account and API key management traffic	Create keys and review approval state
https://enterprise-servicedesk.instacart.com	Support case metadata	Escalate rejected or broken integrations

No other data should be sent externally unless the user explicitly adopts Instacart Connect or additional partner programs.

Security & Privacy

Data that leaves your machine:

• request bodies for recipe pages and shopping list pages
• retailer lookup parameters such as postal code and country
• API key authentication headers
• optional MCP tool payloads

Data that stays local:

• caches and operating notes in ~/instacart/
• request diffs, retry notes, and approved retailer defaults
• raw secrets if the user stores them in an environment manager

This skill does NOT:

• request API keys in chat
• bypass Instacart approval gates
• imply retailer fulfillment features are available through Developer Platform page APIs
• send undeclared traffic outside the documented Instacart surfaces

Trust

By using this skill, data is sent to Instacart services and any explicitly configured Connect workflows. Only install and run it if you trust Instacart with the grocery and integration data you send.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• api - Build reliable REST request and error-handling patterns
• auth - Structure credential hygiene and environment separation
• grocery - Handle grocery-domain planning and item taxonomy
• webhook - Model callback verification and event-driven workflows
• workflow - Turn repeated integration steps into clear operating runbooks

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star instacart
• Stay updated: clawhub sync