AI Commerce Infrastructure
Custom Blinds operates a live API that allows AI assistants to browse products, get real-time pricing, configure made-to-measure blinds, and place orders on behalf of customers. No forms. No UI. Just structured data and instant responses.
Developers and AI builders: endpoint documentation at shop.customblinds.co.za/mcp-manifest.json
When a customer asks an AI assistant to find blinds for their lounge, the AI can now connect directly to the Custom Blinds shop, pull live product data, calculate an exact price for the customer’s window dimensions, and send through an order confirmation. The customer never needs to visit a website or fill in a form.
This is not a chatbot. It is a structured API layer sitting on top of the existing Custom Blinds shop, exposing the same pricing engine, product catalogue, and order system that powers the shop configurator, but accessible to any MCP-compatible AI agent.
A real example: A customer tells Claude “I need a white blockout roller blind for a 1400mm wide window, 2100mm drop.” Claude calls the MCP server, confirms the product exists, validates the dimensions, returns a price in ZAR, and creates a draft order with a payment link. The whole exchange takes seconds.
These are the types of requests AI assistants can handle via the API:
Search products
{ “tool”: “search_products”, “params”: { “type”: “roller”, “colour”: “white” } }
Get live pricing
{ “tool”: “get_price”, “params”: { “product_id”: “roller-blockout”, “width”: 1400, “height”: 2100 } }
Configure a blind
{ “tool”: “configure_product”, “params”: { “product_id”: “roller-blockout”, “width”: 1400, “height”: 2100, “colour”: “white”, “mount_type”: “inside” } }
Place an order (authorised agents)
{ “tool”: “create_order”, “params”: { “product_config”: {…}, “customer_name”: “Jane Smith”, “customer_email”: “jane@example.com” } }
API Reference
| Tool | What It Does | Access | Returns |
|---|---|---|---|
| search_products | Filter the catalogue by product type and colour | Open | Product list with IDs, names, available colours, URLs |
| get_price | Get live ZAR pricing for any product at exact dimensions | Open | Price in ZAR, dimension validation, product details |
| configure_product | Full configuration with colour validation and pricing summary | Open | Complete configuration object ready for order creation |
| submit_enquiry | Send a customer enquiry to the Custom Blinds sales team | Bearer token | Confirmation with reference number |
| create_order | Create a draft order and return a Yoco payment link | Bearer token | Order ID and payment URL |
The following made-to-measure indoor blind ranges are available via the API. All products are supplied nationally across South Africa with delivery to all nine provinces.
| Product | Width Range | Height Range |
|---|---|---|
| Roller Blinds (Blockout and Sheer) | 600 to 3000mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Honeycomb Blinds (Blockout and Duotone) | 600 to 2500mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Aluminium Venetian 25mm and 50mm | 600 to 3000mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Aluwood Venetian 25mm and 50mm | 600 to 2600mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Wooden Venetian | 600 to 2400mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Plaswood Venetian | 600 to 2500mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Bamboo Venetian | 600 to 2250mm | 600 to 2400mm |
| Zebra Double Roller | 600 to 2400mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Duo Roller | 600 to 3000mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Vertical Blockout | 697 to 4087mm | 600 to 3000mm |
| Outdoor Blinds (bamboo: 3000 x 3000mm max) | 1000 to 4500mm | 1100 to 4000mm |
Awnings, shutters, shade ports, and security screens are not available via the API. These products require a professional site visit and are only available on the Garden Route. Contact Duncan Kane on 079 523 5407.
The MCP server uses the JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol. Any MCP-compatible AI client can connect immediately using the endpoints below.
Endpoint
POST https://shop.customblinds.co.za/.well-known/mcp.json
Discovery manifest
GET https://shop.customblinds.co.za/mcp-manifest.json
Authorised calls (transactional tools)
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MCP_API_KEY
Browse and pricing tools require no authentication. Transactional tools (submit_enquiry and create_order) require a Bearer token. To request access for your AI agent or automation workflow, contact sales@customblinds.co.za.
Pricing integrity: All prices are calculated server-side using the live pricing engine. AI clients cannot submit or manipulate pricing. Every order price is verified before confirmation.
Any MCP-compatible AI client can call the browse and pricing tools immediately without authentication. Claude (Anthropic) and agents built on the MCP protocol are fully supported. ChatGPT integration is available via the existing OpenAPI plugin at /.well-known/ai-plugin.json. As more AI platforms adopt MCP, they will be able to connect without any changes on our side.
Yes. Authorised AI agents can call create_order and receive a Yoco payment link in the response. The customer receives the payment link and completes the transaction. The order enters the Custom Blinds fulfilment system exactly as a standard shop order would.
The validation layer checks every configuration request against the live pricing engine before any order is created. If dimensions exceed the maximum for a fabric or product, the API returns a structured error with the actual limit and a suggestion. Prices are always calculated server-side. No client can submit an arbitrary price or an out-of-range configuration.
Yes. If you are building an AI agent, automation workflow, or B2B procurement tool that needs access to a live South African blind supplier with real-time pricing and order creation, contact sales@customblinds.co.za to discuss API access.
The MCP manifest at shop.customblinds.co.za/mcp-manifest.json describes all five tools, their input parameters, and output formats in machine-readable JSON. A public GitHub repository with integration examples is available at github.com/CustomBlinds/cb-stack-1.
Browse the manifest, test the open tools, or contact us to discuss authorised access for your AI agent or automation workflow.
Further reading: AI Shopping API for Blinds South Africa
Custom Blinds® is a registered trademark of Saxon Commodities T/A Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings, an independent window covering specialist founded in 2010 by Duncan Kane in Knysna, South Africa. We manufacture Custom Lifestyle Awnings™ and Custom Lifestyle Outdoor Blinds™ in Knysna. Our Custom Lifestyle Shutters™ range is manufactured in Cape Town. We supply roller blinds, honeycomb blinds, venetian blinds, zebra blinds, and no-drill blinds nationally via shop.customblinds.co.za.
Send rough sizes, a photo or two of the opening and anything you already know. We come back on fabric, system and pricing, usually within one working day.
We have what we need to start on your assessment. Expect a reply on the number you gave, usually within one working day.