How Agent Reach Prioritizes Platforms Using the Channel Tier System

Agent Reach assigns every platform channel a tier value (0–2) based on setup complexity, then orders diagnostic reports so zero-config platforms appear first, free-key platforms second, and complex-setup platforms last—guiding users toward the most immediately usable options.

Agent Reach is an open-source automation framework that abstracts social media and web platforms as modular channels. The channel tier system built into the codebase categorizes these platforms by their configuration requirements, ensuring that when users run health checks or select backends, the most accessible platforms surface first.

How Channel Tiers Classify Platform Complexity

Each channel inherits from Channel in agent_reach/channels/base.py and declares a tier class attribute. The channel tier system defines three levels:

• Tier 0 (Zero-config): Platforms requiring no API keys or authentication, such as YouTube, RSS, or GitHub. These work immediately after installation.
• Tier 1 (Free-key/login): Platforms requiring free API keys, cookies, or basic account credentials, such as Twitter or Reddit.
• Tier 2 (Complex setup): Platforms requiring paid subscriptions, OAuth flows, or non-trivial installation, such as LinkedIn or XHS.

For example, TwitterChannel in agent_reach/channels/twitter.py sets tier = 1 to indicate it requires a free key or cookie:

# agent_reach/channels/twitter.py

class TwitterChannel(Channel):
    name = "twitter"
    description = "Twitter / X"
    backends = ["twitter"]
    tier = 1                        # needs a free key / cookie

Prioritization Logic in the Doctor Component

The prioritization executes in agent_reach/doctor.py within the check_all and format_report functions (lines 62–89). The system collects health status from every channel via get_all_channels(), then groups results by tier value:

1. Tier 0 channels always appear first under the "✅ 装好即用" (ready-to-use) section.
2. Tier 1 channels appear next under "可选渠道（已安装）" only if at least one Tier 1 channel reports an "ok" status.
3. Tier 2 channels display only when no Tier 1 channels are active, preventing complex options from overwhelming users when simpler alternatives exist.

The relevant grouping logic filters channels by tier value and status:

# agent_reach/doctor.py lines 62–88

tier1 = {k: r for k, r in results.items() if r["tier"] == 1}
tier1_active = {k: r for k, r in tier1.items() if r["status"] == "ok"}
tier2 = {k: r for k, r in results.items() if r["tier"] == 2}
tier2_active = {k: r for k, r in tier2.items() if r["status"] == "ok"}

if tier1_active:               # show Tier 1 first

    ...
elif tier2_active:            # only show Tier 2 if no Tier 1 active

    ...

Practical Code Examples for Tier-Based Selection

Generating a Tier-Ordered Health Report

from agent_reach.config import Config
from agent_reach.doctor import check_all, format_report

cfg = Config()                      # loads ~/.agent-reach/config.yaml

results = check_all(cfg)            # dict keyed by channel name

print(format_report(results))       # prints a tier-grouped, colour-coded report

Filtering Zero-Config Channels

from agent_reach.doctor import check_all
from agent_reach.config import Config

cfg = Config()
all_results = check_all(cfg)

zero_cfg = {name: info for name, info in all_results.items()
            if info["tier"] == 0 and info["status"] == "ok"}

print("Zero-config channels ready to use:")
for name, info in zero_cfg.items():
    print(f"- {info['name']} ({info['message']})")

Selecting Backends by Tier Priority

from agent_reach.channels import get_all_channels
from agent_reach.config import Config

cfg = Config()
for ch in get_all_channels():
    status, _ = ch.check(cfg)
    if status == "ok":
        print(f"Use {ch.name} via backend {ch.active_backend}")
    else:
        print(f"{ch.name} is unavailable (tier {ch.tier})")

Summary

• The channel tier system in Agent Reach assigns values 0–2 to platforms based on setup complexity, with Tier 0 requiring no configuration and Tier 2 requiring complex authentication.
• The doctor.py module implements strict prioritization: Tier 0 displays first, Tier 1 appears only if active, and Tier 2 surfaces only when no Tier 1 options are ready.
• Each concrete channel class, such as TwitterChannel in agent_reach/channels/twitter.py, defines its tier by setting the tier class attribute inherited from agent_reach/channels/base.py.
• Users can programmatically filter the results dictionary from check_all() by the "tier" key to identify the most accessible platforms for immediate use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What determines a channel's tier level in Agent Reach?

A channel's tier is determined by its configuration requirements as defined in the class definition. Tier 0 channels require no API keys or authentication, Tier 1 channels require free keys or cookies, and Tier 2 channels require paid subscriptions or complex OAuth flows. This value is stored as the tier class attribute in each channel's implementation file.

How does Agent Reach handle multiple channels with different tiers?

The check_all function in agent_reach/doctor.py aggregates health status from all channels, then format_report groups them hierarchically. Tier 0 channels always appear first in reports. Tier 1 channels appear next only if they are active, and Tier 2 channels display only when no Tier 1 channels are active, ensuring users see the simplest options first.

Can I customize which tier levels are displayed in health reports?

While the default format_report function follows the built-in prioritization logic, you can programmatically filter the results dictionary returned by check_all() to customize display behavior. The dictionary includes a "tier" key for each channel result, allowing you to build custom reports that include or exclude specific tier levels based on your requirements.

Where is the tier attribute defined for new channels?

The tier attribute is defined in the concrete channel class that inherits from Channel in agent_reach/channels/base.py. When creating a new channel, you must set tier = 0, tier = 1, or tier = 2 as a class attribute, similar to how TwitterChannel sets tier = 1 in agent_reach/channels/twitter.py.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}