> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.octoparse.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Core concepts

> Core Octoparse concepts and how they fit together: tasks, templates, AI Assistant chats, routes, fields, runs on your computer or in the cloud, and exports.

Whichever way you start in Octoparse, you end up with a task: a scraper you can run again. This page explains the terms you'll see across Octoparse and how they fit together.

## Task

A task is a reusable scraper saved to your account. It knows which site to open, how to get to the data, which fields to collect, and how to run. Every run of a task follows the same rules, so you get the same fields every time.

You can get a task in three ways:

| Way | What you do |
| - | - |
| [Template](#template) | Pick a ready-made scraper and fill in a few inputs, such as keywords or URLs |
| [AI Assistant](#ai-assistant-and-chats) | Describe the data you need, and AI Assistant sets up the task |
| [Octoparse Desktop](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/desktop/index.md) | Build the task yourself by clicking the data on the page |

All your tasks are in your [task list](https://www.octoparse.com/console/task/task-list).

## Template

A [template](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/templates/overview.md) is a ready-made scraper for a popular site or common data, built and maintained by Octoparse. You fill in the inputs and run it. If no template fits, build your own task with AI Assistant or Octoparse Desktop.

## AI Assistant and chats

[AI Assistant](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/ai-assistant/index.md) is where you describe the data you need, in your own words. A chat is the conversation where you do this. A chat and a task are different things: the task is what you keep, and only chats that build a Browser Use or Cloud Agent task are saved with it. See [Chats and tasks](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/ai-assistant/chats-and-tasks.md).

## Routes

A route is the way AI Assistant gets your data:

* **Templates**: AI Assistant recommends a matching template first, when one fits.
* **Browser Use**: builds a task that runs in your own browser, so it can use your sign-ins.
* **Cloud Agent**: builds a scraper that runs on Octoparse Cloud, on a schedule.
* **Auto-detect**: generates an Octoparse Desktop task from one page URL.

See [Ways to get your data](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/ai-assistant/index.md#ways-to-get-your-data).

## Field

A field is a column in your data, such as product name, price, rating, URL, or review date. Clear field names make the exported data easier to use:

| Less clear | Better |
| - | - |
| Text 1 | Product name |
| Field 2 | Price |
| Link | Product URL |
| Date | Review date |

## Workflow actions

In Octoparse Desktop, a task is a workflow of actions, such as opening a page, clicking, looping through a list, paging through results, scrolling, and extracting data. Templates and AI Assistant set these up for you. See [No-code builder](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/desktop/no-code-builder.md).

## Run

A run is one execution of a task. Run a task again whenever you need fresh data. Where it runs depends on how the task was built:

| Where | Used by |
| - | - |
| Your computer | Octoparse Desktop tasks run with [Local Extraction](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/desktop/local-extraction.md), and Browser Use tasks run in your browser |
| [Octoparse Cloud](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/cloud/cloud-extraction.md) | Octoparse Desktop tasks, templates that can run in the cloud, and Cloud Agent scrapers. Runs keep going with your computer off and can be [scheduled](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/cloud/cloud-schedules.md) |

## Export

Export sends the data out of Octoparse so you can use it elsewhere. Export it yourself, or automatically to [files, spreadsheets, databases, and cloud storage](https://www.octoparse.com/docs/en/cloud/export-formats.md). Data from every kind of task can be exported the same way.

## How these concepts fit together

**1. Get a task**

Pick a template, describe the data to AI Assistant, or build the task in Octoparse Desktop.

**2. Run it**

Run it on your computer or on Octoparse Cloud, once or on a schedule.

**3. Export the data**

Send the data to the file, spreadsheet, database, or cloud storage you need.


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