Optimizing AI Instructions

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General Principles for AI Instructions

1. Be Specific and Unambiguous:
   • Avoid vague terms. Instead of “Get the important details,” specify which details: “Extract the product name, price, and SKU.”
   • Clearly identify target elements. Instead of “Click the button,” use “Click the button labeled ‘Add to Cart’.”
2. Provide Sufficient Context:
   • Briefly tell the AI what kind of page it’s on or what the overall goal is, if it helps clarify the task.
   • Example for Extract Data: “You are on a product detail page. Extract the following specifications.”
3. Use Simple and Direct Language:
   • AI understands straightforward language best. Avoid complex sentence structures, jargon (unless it’s specific to the domain and the AI would know it), or colloquialisms.
   • Keep instructions concise but complete.
4. One Clear Task per Instruction (Usually):
   • For blocks like Interact with Page (when used step-by-step), each line should represent one distinct action.
   • For Extract Data attributes, each “Description” should clearly define one piece of information.

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Tips for Specific Block Types

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Extract Data

• NAME Column: Use clear, unique, and descriptive names for your data fields (e.g., product_price, author_name). These become your JSON keys or column headers.
• EXAMPLE VALUE OR A LONGER DESCRIPTION Column: This is critical!
  • Be Very Descriptive: Explain what the data is and where/how to find it if there’s ambiguity.
  • Provide Concrete Examples: E.g., for review_date, write: The date the review was published, e.g., "March 15, 2024" or "2 days ago". Extract in YYYY-MM-DD format if possible.
  • Indicate Data Type (Implicitly or Explicitly): E.g., “Extract the rating as a number out of 5.”
  • Specify Format if Necessary: E.g., “Extract the phone number including the country code.”
• “Add additional instructions and guidance…” Field:
  • Global Rules: “Translate all extracted text to English.”
  • Handling Missing Data: “If a rating is not found, leave the rating_stars field empty.”
  • Negative Constraints: “Do not extract prices from the ‘Customers also bought’ section.”
  • Disambiguation: “If multiple dates are present, extract the ‘last updated’ date.”

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Explore Content

• Crafting the Goal:
  • Clearly state the type of information or page(s) you’re looking for.
  • Example: “Find all pages on this site that discuss pricing plans for enterprise customers.”
  • If exploring search results: “From these Google search results, identify and open the official company website for {{company_name}}.”

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Find Links

• Describing Target Links:
  • Use anchor text: Find the link with text 'Download PDF'
  • Use URL patterns: Find all links that contain '/product-details/'
  • Combine with context: In the main product grid, find the link for each product image.

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Interact with Page

• Step-by-Step Actions:
  • Clearly identify the element: click on the button with text 'Next Page', type {{user_query}} into the search bar with placeholder 'Search articles...'
  • Be explicit about the action: click, type, select 'Option A' from dropdown 'Category'
• Goal-Oriented Tasks (if using increased steps):
  • Clearly state the desired outcome on the page: Complete the login form with username {{username}} and password {{password}} and submit it.

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Iterative Refinement: The Key to Success

1. Test with a Small Sample: Run your workflow on one or a few examples.
2. Analyze Results: Carefully examine what the AI extracted or how it behaved.
   • Did it miss information?
   • Did it extract the wrong information?
   • Did it interact with the wrong element?
3. Refine Your Instructions: Based on the analysis, make your instructions more specific, add examples, or clarify ambiguities.
   • If it’s too broad, add constraints.
   • If it’s too narrow and misses valid cases, generalize slightly or add alternative descriptions.
4. Repeat: Continue testing and refining until you achieve the desired accuracy and reliability.

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Using Variables in Instructions

• Example for Extract Data: Extract the shipping cost for the product named {{product_name}}.
• Example for Interact with Page: type {{city_name}} into the 'City' input field.

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Conclusion