feat: Add Semantic API Search as built-in skill

[peter-j-thompson]

Summary

Adds semantic_api_search as a built-in skill for the automaton framework.

What it does

• Universal API discovery layer — search and discover APIs using natural language queries
• 163 providers, 771 capabilities indexed and searchable
• CLI available — pip install semanticapi-cli for terminal usage
• MCP server — pip install semanticapi-mcp for Claude Desktop / ChatGPT
• x402 USDC micropayments on Base — no API keys needed, pay-per-query
• API key auth — traditional auth also supported via X-API-Key header
• Natural language search across all indexed providers and capabilities
• Batch queries (up to 10), preflight checks (free), and agentic execution

Changes

• Updated skills/semantic-api/SKILL.md — no existing files modified

Skill repo

Full source and provider registry: https://github.com/peter-j-thompson/semantic-api-skill

Links

• API: https://semanticapi.dev
• CLI: https://pypi.org/project/semanticapi-cli/
• MCP: https://pypi.org/project/semanticapi-mcp/
• Open source engine: https://github.com/peter-j-thompson/semanticapi-engine

[peter-j-thompson]

Hey @0xSigil! Updated the SKILL.md to v1.2.0 — now includes documentation for both Discovery and Execution modes, batch queries, preflight checks, and auto-discovery.

Here's a quick demo of what an automaton agent gets with this skill:

# Discovery: "What API do I use to send marketing emails?"
curl -s https://semanticapi.dev/api/query \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  -d '{"query": "send marketing emails"}'

# Returns: Resend API → POST /emails/batch
# + auth setup URL, code snippets, alternative providers (SendGrid, Mailgun)

The agent gets the exact endpoint, required params, auth instructions, and working code snippets — for 163+ providers. If the provider isn't in our catalog, auto-discovery finds it live from the web.

Happy to answer any questions or adjust the skill definition!

[peter-j-thompson]

Hey @0xSigil — quick update on what's new since the last comment:

CLI Tool (PyPI: semanticapi-cli v0.1.3)

• Published to PyPI — agents/humans can pipx install semanticapi-cli and query from terminal
• Commands: discover, query, preflight, status
• Colorful output with emojis, full JSON responses, code snippets
• 60-sec demo video showing it in action

Server Improvements

• Auto-heal for stale provider configs — if a provider's spec drifts, we fix it automatically
• Better error handling — no more silent 502s, proper logging + graceful fallbacks
• Relaxed timeouts so complex queries actually complete
• Query cache (1K entries/1hr TTL) for repeated lookups

x402 Micropayments (LIVE)

• All priced endpoints accept HTTP 402 + USDC on Base mainnet as alternative to API keys
• Agents can pay-per-query with no account needed — just a crypto wallet
• Settlement running on-chain every 4 hours

The skill definition in this PR is current with all of the above. Let us know if you have any questions or want to take it for a spin!