# Vendor facets — Scalar. An MIT-licensed API reference renderer and API client, hosted Scalar
# Docs (llms.txt, docs MCP), a Registry that hosts OpenAPI documents and public Spectral rules, a
# hosted "installation" MCP server that calls the API, and a (closed-source) SDK and CLI generator.
# Scored as a documentation vendor, it reaches further than one: SDKs, a CLI and a published
# ruleset are all within reach, while its MCP servers live on Scalar's domain or template.
vendor: scalar
name: Scalar
website: https://scalar.com
areas:
- documentation
registry_keys:
- scalar
rubric_schema_version: 0.22.0
generated: '2026-09-25'
features_refreshed: '2026-09-25'
basis: capability
summary: >-
  Scalar's documentation side earns the reference, try-it and llms.txt credit a provider would expect,
  and its adjacent products reach points a docs-only vendor cannot: generated SDKs and a CLI target (sdk_count_1,
  sdk_count_3, cli_present once published and declared) and public Spectral rules in the Registry (rules_present).
  The qualifier is agent readiness: both MCP servers are platform-graded (the docs MCP is one template;
  the installation MCP that calls the API is hosted at mcp.scalar.com, not the provider's domain), the
  SKILL.md shipped with an SDK is generated, and custom domains and hosted MCP need the paid Pro plan.
features:
- id: api-reference
  name: Scalar API Reference (open source)
  description: >-
    Renders OpenAPI 3.0/3.1 (Swagger 2.0 upgraded) and AsyncAPI into an interactive reference with code
    samples and a Test Request button on every operation.
  source: https://scalar.com/solutions/openapi-documentation
  tier: open-source
- id: api-client
  name: Scalar API client (open source)
  description: >-
    A standalone offline-first client with environments, Postman-compatible scripting and code generation
    for 40+ HTTP clients.
  source: https://scalar.com/solutions/openapi-documentation
  tier: open-source
- id: scalar-docs
  name: Scalar Docs hosted site
  description: >-
    Hosted documentation with Markdown/MDX guides and OpenAPI references, free on an apidocumentation.com
    subdomain, custom domains on Pro.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/docs/configuration/domains
  tier: all
- id: llms-txt
  name: Generated llms.txt and llms-full.txt
  description: >-
    Every published Scalar Docs site serves /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt automatically, mirroring navigation.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/docs/configuration/llms-txt
  tier: all
- id: docs-mcp
  name: Docs MCP (Ask AI)
  description: Adds /mcp to a Scalar Docs domain so agents can query the docs through the Ask AI assistant.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/docs/configuration/ask-ai
  tier: all
- id: installation-mcp
  name: Installation MCP server
  description: >-
    An MCP server generated from the provider's OpenAPI at mcp.scalar.com/mcp/<id>, exposing selected
    operations as tools with stored or passthrough auth.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/agent/mcp
  tier: paid
- id: sdk-generator
  name: SDK and CLI generator
  description: >-
    Generates TypeScript, Python, Go and CLI targets (GA) plus Java, Kotlin, Ruby, C#, PHP, Rust, Swift,
    Dart and C++, published to registries from the provider's repos.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/sdk-generator
  tier: paid
- id: sdk-skill
  name: SKILL.md generated with each SDK
  description: The SDK dashboard shows a SKILL.md emitted alongside the quickstart and API docs for each
    target.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/sdk-generator
  tier: paid
- id: registry-rules
  name: Registry rules (Spectral-compatible)
  description: >-
    Spectral-compatible rulesets extending spectral:oas, managed in the Registry and publishable as public
    rules.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/registry/rules
  tier: unknown
- id: registry
  name: Scalar Registry
  description: Stores and versions OpenAPI/AsyncAPI documents, JSON Schema and rules with Git integration.
  source: https://scalar.com/products/registry
  tier: unknown
maps:
- feature: api-reference
  check: api_reference_present
  layer: composite
  provider_must: Host the reference and declare it as an APIReference pointer.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.222
  facet: developer_ergonomics
  points: 3
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.942
  saturated: true
  saturated_note: >-
    94% of providers with a contract, docs and a reference already earn this; the vendor cannot move it
    for most of its buyers.
- feature: api-reference
  check: console_or_sandbox
  layer: composite
  provider_must: Declare the reference (Test Request) or the hosted client as a Console pointer.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.089
  facet: developer_ergonomics
  points: 3
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.332
- feature: api-reference
  check: openapi_examples
  layer: agent_readiness
  grade: documented
  partial: true
  partial_note: >-
    The dimension reads examples inside the OpenAPI first; code samples the reference renders reach only
    the Examples / Code Samples link fallback.
  points: 7
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.36
- feature: scalar-docs
  check: documentation_present
  layer: composite
  provider_must: Declare the docs site as a Documentation pointer.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.453
  facet: developer_ergonomics
  points: 4
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.95
  saturated: true
  saturated_note: >-
    95% of providers with a contract, docs and a reference already earn this; the vendor cannot move it
    for most of its buyers.
- feature: llms-txt
  check: llms_txt_published
  layer: composite
  provider_must: >-
    Publish on its own custom domain (a Pro feature); on apidocumentation.com the file is not on the provider's
    surface.
  note: >-
    Generated from the provider's own docs on the provider's domain, so it reads as the provider's (rule
    2's own-content, own-domain case).
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.351
  facet: discoverability
  points: 4
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.65
- feature: installation-mcp
  check: mcp_server
  layer: agent_readiness
  grade: platform
  note: >-
    Calls the provider's API, but from mcp.scalar.com on one Scalar template; 0.22.0 grades that `platform`
    (0.25 of 12). The docs MCP on the provider's domain is also a single template.
  points: 12
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.22
- feature: sdk-generator
  check: sdk_count_1
  layer: composite
  provider_must: Publish at least one SDK to a public registry under its own name and declare it as an
    SDK pointer.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.148
  facet: developer_ergonomics
  points: 3
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.413
- feature: sdk-generator
  check: sdk_count_3
  layer: composite
  provider_must: Publish three or more SDKs (each beyond the first is priced separately) and declare each.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.018
  facet: developer_ergonomics
  points: 4
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.043
- feature: sdk-generator
  check: cli_present
  layer: composite
  provider_must: Generate and publish the CLI target and declare it as a CLI pointer.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.063
  facet: developer_ergonomics
  points: 3
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.19
- feature: sdk-skill
  check: agent_skills
  layer: agent_readiness
  credit: 0.25
  provider_must: Publish the generated SKILL.md where agents can discover it.
  note: Generated from the OpenAPI by Scalar's generator, so `derived` unless the provider rewrites it.
  points: 5
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.236
- feature: sdk-skill
  check: agent_skill_present
  layer: composite
  credit: 0.25
  provider_must: Declare the skill as an AgentSkill pointer.
  note: Same artifact and discount as agent_skills.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.033
  facet: developer_ergonomics
  points: 3
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.236
- feature: registry-rules
  check: rules_present
  layer: composite
  provider_must: >-
    Make the rule public in the Registry (or publish it elsewhere) and point apis.json at it; private
    rules publish nothing.
  catalog_pass_rate: 0.006
  facet: contract_governance
  points: 10
  baseline_pass_rate: 0.063
earns_nothing:
- feature: api-client
  check: postman_present
  why: A Postman-compatible client is not a Postman collection the provider publishes.
- feature: scalar-docs
  check: well_known_published
  why: No Scalar page claims an api-catalog, security.txt or protected-resource document on docs sites.
- feature: registry
  check: apis_json_self_hosted
  why: A contract hosted at registry.scalar.com sits on Scalar's host, not one the provider controls.
out_of_reach:
  checks:
  - agent_card
  - change_log_present
  - status_page_present
  - info_complete
  - operations_description_coverage
  - error_responses_documented
  note: >-
    Scalar serves no A2A agent card or changelog feature and does not write the contract prose or error
    model the provider's OpenAPI lacks.
unscored_practice:
- feature: installation-mcp
  why: >-
    Delegated and passthrough authentication for an API-calling MCP server is real agent-access design
    the platform grade flattens.
- feature: api-reference
  why: >-
    Rendering other vendors' extensions (x-codeSamples from Stainless and ReadMe) keeps contracts portable;
    no check reads portability.
surface:
  discoverability:
    reachable: 4.0
    total: 54
  contract_governance:
    reachable: 10.0
    total: 33
  developer_ergonomics:
    reachable: 20.8
    total: 42
  agent_readiness:
    reachable: 6.0
    total: 139
hard_rule: >-
  A model, not a score. Adopting this vendor changes a provider's Kin Score only when the provider publishes
  the resulting artifacts on its own surface; nothing here writes a score, and no sponsorship or partnership
  can.
method: searched
source:
- https://scalar.com/products/agent/mcp
- https://scalar.com/products/docs/configuration/ask-ai
- https://scalar.com/products/docs/configuration/domains
- https://scalar.com/products/docs/configuration/llms-txt
- https://scalar.com/products/registry
- https://scalar.com/products/registry/rules
- https://scalar.com/products/sdk-generator
- https://scalar.com/solutions/openapi-documentation
measured:
  cohort:
    method: vendors-catalog.json detections (CNAME / header / URL shape / markup), never a name match
    detected: 15
    in_baseline: 12
  control:
    basis: providers earning contract_present + documentation_present + api_reference_present, minus the
      cohort
    n: 5204
  metric: >-
    cohort_pct / control_pct = mean share of the check's points earned (derived and platform credit weighted),
    x100
  measured_on: '2026-09-25'
  status: 'not measurable: 12 detected customers clear the baseline (need 20)'
simulation:
  simulated_on: '2026-09-25'
  rubric: 0.23.0
  population: providers publishing a contract (contract_present earned), replayable exactly
  providers: 8977
  providers_unreplayable: 987
  providers_moved: 8976
  conditional_rows: excluded (they depend on what the API already does)
  composite_lift:
    median: 10.0
    p75: 11.4
    p90: 12.4
    max: 14.3
    mean_among_movers: 9.8
  agent_readiness_lift:
    median: 3.1
    p75: 4.3
    p90: 4.3
    max: 5.1
    mean_among_movers: 3.2
  facet_lift_median_among_movers:
    discoverability: 7.4
    contract_governance: 30.3
    developer_ergonomics: 32.7
  composite_band_moves:
    thin -> developing: 2863
    developing -> strong: 2186
    strong -> exemplar: 737
    emerging -> thin: 415
    emerging -> developing: 9
    minimal -> emerging: 3
  agent_readiness_band_moves:
    agent-aware -> agent-ready: 1292
    agent-ready -> agent-native: 96
  method: >-
    each provider's own kin/checks file, the vendor's maps at their stated credit, the scorer's composite
    formula; from -> to, nothing written