# border.bot API documentation

> Classify products to HS codes and calculate duties, taxes and landed cost for cross-border parcels with the border.bot REST API or MCP server.

Source: https://border.bot/docs
Last updated: 2026-10-09

> Documentation index: https://border.bot/llms.txt. Every page is Markdown at its URL + `.md`.


border.bot classifies products to HS codes and works out the duties, taxes and fees a parcel pays on arrival. The same engine runs the dashboard, the REST API at `https://api.border.bot` and the remote MCP server at `https://api.border.bot/mcp`.

## When to use border.bot

Use border.bot when software, or an agent working for someone, needs one of these answers for a cross-border shipment:

| Job                                                                              | REST endpoint                                                            | MCP |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --- |
| The HS, HTS, CN or UK commodity code for a product, in the destination's format  | `POST /v1/classify` (`/classify/batch` for up to 25)            | yes |
| Landed cost: every duty, tax and fee line and the total for a parcel             | `POST /v1/calculate` (`/calculate/shipment` for up to 50 lines) | yes |
| How additional duties stack on one line (US Section 232, 301, IEEPA and similar) | `POST /v1/calculate/stacking`                                   | no  |
| Where a product was made, from a URL, title or barcode                           | `POST /v1/origin`                                               | yes |
| Whether goods are restricted or prohibited in the destination                    | `POST /v1/restrictions`                                         | yes |
| Denied-party screening of a buyer or seller                                      | `POST /v1/screen`                                               | yes |
| Thousands of products at once                                                    | `POST /v1/bulk/runs`                                            | no  |

border.bot gives estimates and classifications backed by cited sources. It does not issue binding rulings, file customs declarations or book freight.

## Two ways in

- **REST API**: JSON over HTTPS with a workspace API key. Best for checkouts, catalogues and back-office jobs. Start with the [quickstart](https://border.bot/docs/quickstart).
- **MCP server**: for Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and other MCP clients. People sign in with OAuth, so no API key is needed. See [MCP](https://border.bot/docs/mcp).

Both use the same prepaid credits. New workspaces get free credits, and three reference endpoints need no key at all (see [authentication](https://border.bot/docs/authentication#endpoints-without-a-key)).

## For agents

Every docs page is available as Markdown: add `.md` to its URL or send `Accept: text/markdown`. The index of everything is at [/llms.txt](https://border.bot/llms.txt), and the machine-readable discovery files are listed in [Agent discovery](https://border.bot/docs/agents).