---
title: "Constraint-driven shortlist"
method: POST
path: "/recommend"
tags: ["recommendations"]
---

# Constraint-driven shortlist

`POST /recommend`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://hlido.eu/v1`
- URL: `https://hlido.eu/v1/recommend`
- Auth: one of:
  - HTTP bearer
  - none

## Request body

- RecommendRequest
  - `need` string, required: Free-text description of the buyer's need.
  - `constraints` object
    - `category` 'AI Agent' | 'Coding' | 'Customer Experience' | 'Workflow & Automation' | 'Infrastructure' | 'Voice' | 'Productivity' | 'Image & Design' | 'Frameworks & Eval' | 'Specialized verticals' | 'Chat & Companion' | 'Research' | 'Marketing & Content'
    - `min_tier` 'VITAL' | 'STEADY' | 'FADING' | 'FLATLINE'
    - `budget_eur` number: Advisory only (surfaced in rationale, not used for filtering).
    - `languages` string[]
    - `deployment` 'cloud' | 'self-host' | 'cli' | 'web' | 'api': Advisory only.
  - `k` integer: Default 3 for paid tiers; FORCED to 1 for free tier regardless of input.

## Response `200`

Ranked shortlist.

- RecommendResponse
  - `request_id` string, required
  - `model_version` string, required
  - `cached` boolean, required
  - `tier_note` string: Present on free-tier responses only.
  - `results` RecommendResult[], required
    - `slug` string, required
    - `name` string, required
    - `tier` 'VITAL' | 'STEADY' | 'FADING' | 'FLATLINE', required
    - `score` integer, nullable, required
    - `category` 'AI Agent' | 'Coding' | 'Customer Experience' | 'Workflow & Automation' | 'Infrastructure' | 'Voice' | 'Productivity' | 'Image & Design' | 'Frameworks & Eval' | 'Specialized verticals' | 'Chat & Companion' | 'Research' | 'Marketing & Content', required
    - `rationale` string, required
    - `evidence_url` string, uri, required
    - `score_url` string, uri, required

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid body.
- `429`: Quota exceeded.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/hlido/apis/hlido-recommendation-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/hlido/apis/hlido-recommendation-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/hlido/apis/hlido-recommendation-api/revisions/392670c6fc80?raw)