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Epode does not label ordinary HTTP traffic as agent traffic without evidence.

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Why HTTP is best-effort

An HTTP response can be read by a browser, script, service, or agent. The response metadata cannot prove which one used it. Generic agents may also ignore a response-side request to perform a second network action. Use HTTP instrumentation to measure opportunities and returned feedback. Use a feedback-aware agent adapter when you control the customer-agent runtime and need deterministic submission. HTTP responses with an explicit shared cache policy are skipped by the Node SDK’s safe default. This prevents an observability plugin from unexpectedly disabling a CDN. If agent callers can identify themselves at request time, cacheMode: "request" instruments only requests with Agent-Feedback-Request: 1.

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Why MCP is stronger

MCP exposes tools to a tool-capable client. Epode registers report_product_feedback alongside your business tools and decorates the result with a scoped feedback handle. A business-tool call is therefore a confirmed interaction even if no report follows.
Confirmed interaction does not mean identified agent. MCP client information is a self-reported runtime hint, not an identity.

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Delivery and ordering

Product responses never wait for telemetry. Supported SDKs batch metadata in a bounded queue, add a process-local sequence, retry transient failures with bounded exponential backoff, and flush within a bounded graceful-shutdown window. If a queue fills, metadata is dropped rather than degrading the customer’s product; the Node SDK logs the first drop and delivery failure. Feedback may arrive before its background interaction metadata. Epode creates an idempotent placeholder, then reconciles the exact surface, operation, customer, session, timing, and client sequence when telemetry arrives. A retry with the same feedback handle returns the original report.