Quickstart

Create an agent, a spending policy, an SDK key, and a funded wallet on Tempo Testnet, a free test network. Then send 0.01 pathUSD, check its settlement, and see how Conto handles a payment that needs approval and one it denies.

Choose your first test

Path	What you test	Funds and signer
This guide: Tempo Testnet	Policy checks and an actual onchain transfer	Free faucet tokens. Conto manages signing
Anonymous sandbox	API decisions, configurable controls, and test receipts	Simulated settlement. No signer or funded wallet needed

1. Create your project

You need Node.js 20.19+, npm, an interactive terminal, and a browser. Sign in or create a Conto account when the wizard opens the browser.

mkdir conto-first-payment
cd conto-first-payment
npx @conto_finance/create-conto-agent

Enter an agent name and type, keep the default daily limit, and choose Tempo Testnet (chain 42431). The wizard creates the agent, managed wallet, policy, and SDK key, then funds the wallet with faucet pathUSD. It writes .env.local, .gitignore, conto.config.json, and example.mjs, and installs the CLI locally. Store the generated credentials securely. To create each resource yourself, set up in the dashboard instead. For CI without a browser, use the agent sandbox quickstart.

2. Verify the wallet before sending

From the same directory:

npx @conto_finance/create-conto-agent doctor

Confirm the agent is active, the wallet chain is 42431, the balance is positive, and the key has payments:request and payments:execute. Fix any failed checks before continuing.

3. Request and execute one payment

npx @conto_finance/create-conto-agent pay 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001 0.01 --json

The command requests a 0.01 pathUSD payment to a test recipient, stops if controls do not approve it, and executes an approved request. Save the returned requestId and receipt. Each new invocation creates a new payment intent. Use the original ID to inspect an uncertain outcome. The response puts the transaction ID, transaction hash, and explorer URL under receipt. A submitted testnet transfer has status: "processing" and receipt.settlementMode: "live": here live means an onchain transfer, including testnet. An anonymous sandbox receipt uses settlementMode: "test" instead.

4. Confirm settlement

Run export CONTO_API_KEY="$(grep '^CONTO_API_KEY=' .env.local | cut -d= -f2-)", then replace REQUEST_ID with the ID returned above:

curl -sS https://conto.finance/api/sdk/payments/REQUEST_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTO_API_KEY"

Completion means status: "completed" and transaction.status: "completed". Check transaction.chain.id is "42431", and open transaction.explorerUrl to inspect the transfer on Tempo Testnet. While it is processing, wait and check again. Do not repeat execution. See track and recover a payment for bounded polling and error handling.

5. See approval and denial

New organizations start with two starter policies, linked to every new agent:

Up to 10 pathUSD: approved.
Over 10 pathUSD: waits for a person to approve.
Over 25 pathUSD, or over 100 pathUSD in a day: denied.

Check two larger amounts. Neither amount is approved automatically, so nothing is sent:

npx @conto_finance/create-conto-agent pay 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001 12 --json
npx @conto_finance/create-conto-agent pay 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001 30 --json

The first returns REQUIRES_APPROVAL and sends the owner a review request. Approving it sends the payment, so deny it in Alerts & Approvals or let it expire. The second returns DENIED with the reason in reasons. Edit or replace the starter policies in Policies.

If the result needs attention

Result	Next action
`DENIED`	Read `reasons`, then inspect wallet limits and applicable policies
Every payment `DENIED` after you edit wallet limits	A wallet limit of `0` blocks all payments through that link. On the agent detail page, set a positive cap or clear the field to remove the cap
`DENIED` when you expected `REQUIRES_APPROVAL`	Policies combine with AND logic. If one policy denies while another requires approval, the denial wins. Check the agent’s Permissions tab for every assigned policy
`REQUIRES_APPROVAL`	Approve or deny it from the owner’s email or Alerts & Approvals, then check the original request ID
Timeout or disconnect during execution	Check the original request’s status before any further write
Insufficient balance (`INSUFFICIENT_BALANCE`)	Confirm chain and wallet, fund with the testnet faucet, then inspect request state
`AUTH_FAILED`	The SDK key is invalid or expired. Generate a new one from the agent detail page

Set up in the dashboard instead

Create your account

Sign up at conto.finance with your email and a strong password, then create your organization. It is the top-level container for agents, wallets, and policies.

Create and fund a wallet

Go to Wallets > Create Wallet.

Field	Value
Wallet Name	`Test Operations Wallet`
Blockchain Network	EVM Chains, then Tempo Testnet (`42431`)
Wallet Type	Standard Wallet (EOA)
Ownership	Conto-managed, or Organization-controlled if you added an owner key

Conto assigns an onchain address when it creates the managed wallet. The wallet belongs to your organization, and Conto controls signing. You get no separate wallet-provider account or direct key access.To fund it, open the wallet’s menu on the Wallets page, choose Deposit, then click Request Testnet Tokens. Free testnet pathUSD arrives in seconds. Tempo Testnet charges gas in pathUSD, so you need no separate gas token.To register a wallet your agent already signs for, use Wallets > Import Watch-Only instead. For a Solana address, choose the Solana network in the import dialog. For other custody modes (EXTERNAL, SMART_CONTRACT), see wallet custody.

Connect an agent

Go to Agents > Connect Agent. Enter a name such as Test Payment Agent, the type CUSTOM (or your framework), and a description such as Quickstart test agent. Click Connect Agent. The agent starts in ACTIVE status.To create the agent with the API instead, use an organization API key from Settings > API Keys. To choose the owner, fetch a membership ID:

curl https://conto.finance/api/organizations/me/members \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTO_ORG_API_KEY"

Pick members[].id for the org member or service account that should own the agent, then create the agent. If you omit ownerMembershipId, Conto assigns an organization owner.

curl -X POST https://conto.finance/api/agents \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTO_ORG_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Test Payment Agent",
    "agentType": "CUSTOM",
    "description": "Quickstart test agent",
    "ownerMembershipId": "cmm59z8fj000l49h7bjqza11p"
  }'

Valid agentType values: OPENAI_ASSISTANT, ANTHROPIC_CLAUDE, AUTOGPT, CUSTOM. Agent statuses: ACTIVE, PAUSED, SUSPENDED, REVOKED.

Link the wallet to the agent

On the agent detail page, open the Wallets tab, click Link Wallet, and pick the Tempo Testnet wallet. If the organization has no wallet to link yet, click Create testnet wallet in the dialog, then Get test tokens to fund it.Set spending limits. Recommended for this test:

Setting	Value
Per Transaction	`50`
Daily Limit	`500`
Weekly Limit	`2000`
Monthly Limit	`5000`

A limit of 0 blocks every payment through this wallet link. Clear the field for no cap.

Defaults lists the default limits, time windows, and other agent-wallet link defaults.

Generate an SDK key

On the agent detail page, open the SDK Integration tab and click Generate SDK Key. Name it (for example Testnet Key) and keep the default Standard preset and the default expiration of 1 year. Keys and scopes explains the presets.The full key is shown once. Save it to your environment immediately:

export CONTO_API_KEY="conto_agent_your_key_here"

Verify the setup

curl https://conto.finance/api/sdk/setup \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTO_API_KEY"

Check that:

the agent is available for payment calls
the setup summary includes your Tempo Testnet wallet and balance
scopes includes payments:request and payments:execute

Next steps

To write your own rules, see test allow, review, and deny decisions. To integrate it into application code, install the SDK. To test an existing agent and wallet from code, open Developers and use Test this agent’s integration. Before moving real funds, complete production readiness.

Get started

Integrate

Payments

Conto Commerce

Spending controls

Operate

Conto Pay

Choose your first test

1. Create your project

2. Verify the wallet before sending

3. Request and execute one payment

4. Confirm settlement

5. See approval and denial

If the result needs attention

Set up in the dashboard instead

Next steps

​Choose your first test

​1. Create your project

​2. Verify the wallet before sending

​3. Request and execute one payment

​4. Confirm settlement

​5. See approval and denial

​If the result needs attention

​Set up in the dashboard instead

​Next steps

Choose your first test

1. Create your project

2. Verify the wallet before sending

3. Request and execute one payment

4. Confirm settlement

5. See approval and denial

If the result needs attention

Set up in the dashboard instead

Next steps