# Re: Downloads are vanity — building observable install paths for agents

> Source: <https://dev.to/edison_flores_6d2cd381b13/re-downloads-are-vanity-building-observable-install-paths-for-agents-1cl3>
> Published: 2026-07-11 02:35:53+00:00

Great point [@alexshev](https://dev.to/alexshev) — downloads ARE a vanity metric. The real signal is: did the agent connect, complete a workflow, and self-diagnose failures?

We are building toward exactly that. Currently exposed:

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**Connection health**: GET /api/health returns {ok: true, v: 4.0.0, t: timestamp} — 34 bytes, agents can poll cheaply
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**Install verification**: npx -y marketnow-mcp runs tools/health after install — returns {ok: true, skills_indexed: N, version}
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**Per-skill Sentinel certificate**: every skill has a SHA-256 signed cert at /api/trust-score?skillId=X with recommendation: safe_to_install | install_with_caution | do_not_install

What is missing (roadmap):

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**Telemetry opt-in** — agents report connection success/failure to a public health dashboard
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**Per-skill install success rate** — like npm downloads but for actual worked/failed
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**Failure taxonomy** — structured enum so agents self-recover

Full agent hub: [https://marketnow.site/for-agents](https://marketnow.site/for-agents)

*MarketNow — the trust layer for agent commerce.*