Skip to main content
AI Assistant reads your request, looks for a ready-made template first, and otherwise recommends the route that fits your request best. If something important is missing, such as the site or the fields you want, it asks you before recommending anything.

​
Templates come first

Templates are ready-made scrapers for popular sites and common data. When one matches your request, AI Assistant shows it before anything else, because it’s the fastest way to get the data. See Templates.

​
Suggested data sources

If you haven’t named a site, or another site might suit your request better, AI Assistant suggests data sources to collect from. Select one to put a ready-made request for it in the input box, replacing anything you’ve typed. Edit it if you like, then send it.

​
How it picks a route

Each route has its own strengths and limits:
  • Browser Use works in your own browser, so it can reach data you see when you’re signed in. It builds quickly, so check its preview before it starts collecting. It’s best for simple, one-off collection.
  • Cloud Agent builds a dedicated scraper that runs on Octoparse Cloud, and on a schedule from Standard. It takes longer to build, because it tests the scraper before handing it over. It’s best for custom fields and filters and for recurring or large jobs.
  • Auto-detect generates a task from one page URL, for well-structured pages such as lists and tables.
AI Assistant recommends the route that fits your request and the site. There’s no fixed order between them. If a route can’t handle a site yet, AI Assistant may leave it out for that site. Each option shows what it needs, such as Extension required or Desktop app required. In the chat, the Auto-detect option is called Desktop app, because the task it creates opens in Octoparse Desktop. Browser Use and Cloud Agent build a task in the same two steps: explore the site, then write the collection rules. They write the rules once, while they build. Each run after that follows the same rules, in your browser or on Octoparse Cloud, so you get the same fields every time. We keep improving these recommendations based on user feedback, and we keep adding templates to the gallery. Rate a response with the feedback buttons under it to tell us how it did.

​
Choose a route yourself

When you start a new chat, the mode selector at the bottom left of the input box shows Auto, so AI Assistant picks the route. To use a specific route, open it and pick Browser Use, Cloud Agent, or Auto-detect instead. Later in the chat, pick from the options AI Assistant offers.

Ways to get your data

Compare what each route gives you and where it runs.

Troubleshooting

What to do when a route isn’t offered or can’t get the data.