> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.0xarchive.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Choose a tooling workflow

> Choose REST, WebSocket, SDKs, CLI, MCP Server, OpenAPI, Markdown, Skills, or coding-agent workflows for a 0xArchive task.

Tooling workflow decisions start after the market-data job is known and before the request is implemented in code, a terminal, an agent host, or a product flow.

| Job                                | Best first interface                                                         |
| ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| One payload check                  | REST or Playground                                                           |
| Application integration            | SDK or REST                                                                  |
| Streaming or replay                | WebSocket                                                                    |
| Shell, cron, CI, or incident check | CLI                                                                          |
| Agent tool calls                   | OpenAPI plus the right surface: CLI, SDK, MCP Server, Markdown, or Skill     |
| Code generation                    | OpenAPI plus Markdown pages                                                  |
| OpenClaw harness workflow          | Skill first for simple prompts; ACP, CLI, or MCP Server only when configured |

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="SDKs" icon="package" href="/sdks">
    Typed application clients.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI" icon="terminal" href="/cli">
    Shell-native requests.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Choose an interface" icon="network" href="/tooling">
    Host, harness, surface, protocol, and API rules for agents.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP server" icon="plug" href="/mcp-server">
    Typed tools for MCP-capable clients.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Skill" icon="sparkles" href="/skill">
    Reusable `SKILL.md` workflow package.
  </Card>

  <Card title="OpenAPI" icon="braces" href="/openapi">
    Route contract for generators and clients.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Why 0xArchive Fits

The same route, auth, response-envelope, and freshness rules work across REST, SDKs, CLI, MCP Server, Skill, OpenAPI, Markdown, and WebSocket. That lets teams start with a bounded request and move it into the interface that matches their runtime.

## Decision Sequence

Pick the API primitive first: REST for request/response, WebSocket for stream or replay, data-quality routes for gatekeeping. Then pick the developer surface: SDK for app code, CLI for shell execution, MCP Server for typed tools in MCP-capable hosts, Skill for reusable agent instructions, OpenAPI for generated clients, and Markdown or `llms.txt` for retrieval context.

Keep host and surface separate. Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Devin, and OpenCode are coding-agent hosts. OpenClaw is a harness/runtime. CLI, MCP Server, SDKs, Skill, OpenAPI, REST, WebSocket, and docs Markdown are the surfaces those environments can use.

## Minimum Task Checklist

Before switching from one surface to another, write down the request contract.

| Field              | Example                                                                                             |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Venue family       | Hyperliquid core, Hyperliquid Spot, HIP-3, HIP-4, or Lighter                                        |
| Route or tool goal | order book snapshot, candles, funding comparison, freshness gate, export quote                      |
| Symbol and window  | `BTC`, `HYPE-USDC`, `km:US500`, HIP-4 outcome ID, ISO start/end, limit, cursor                      |
| Auth surface       | `X-API-Key`, `OXA_API_KEY`, `OXARCHIVE_API_KEY`, SDK config, or MCP client secret                   |
| Output contract    | JSON envelope, stream message, generated client object, CLI stdout, MCP tool result, or export file |
| Quality check      | freshness, coverage, incident, latency, or SLA route that gates the job                             |

That checklist lets a workflow move from Playground to REST, from REST to SDK, from SDK to CLI, or from Markdown to an agent host without changing the market family or losing the response envelope.

## Surface Translation Rules

Do not translate examples by search-and-replace alone. REST examples use `X-API-Key` and `OXARCHIVE_API_KEY`; CLI commands use `OXA_API_KEY`; MCP Server setup uses `OXARCHIVE_API_KEY` inside the client configuration. WebSocket workflows need connection, subscription, replay, and gap behavior that a one-shot REST route does not cover. Data Catalog jobs need schema, rights, quote, credits, checkout, and delivery fields that an API response does not contain.

For agent workflows, name both layers: "Codex using CLI" is different from "Codex using MCP Server" and different from "Codex reading OpenAPI plus Markdown." The host explains where the model runs; the surface explains what it can call or cite.

## Next Step

Open [Choose an interface](/tooling) for the main chooser, or jump directly to [CLI](/cli), [MCP server](/mcp-server), [Skill](/skill), [SDKs](/sdks), or [OpenAPI](/openapi).