Using PromptLoop Tasks
PromptLoop Tasks are no‑code AI agents. Give them a list of websites or search terms and they return clean, structured data—at any scale.
1. Why Tasks?
- Automate research that normally takes hours per prospect or company.
- Scale instantly from a single test row to thousands of data points.
- Keep results consistent with strict formats, confidence scores, and guardrails.
Copy one of our proven task templates and tweak it. Task creation and edits are free on every plan, so experiment freely.
Helpful Links
2. Task Basics
Inputs vs. Outputs
| What it is | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Input | The starting value PromptLoop analyzes | https://acme.com · "Acme Corp" |
| Output | One or more data points the AI returns | description · phone_number · is_b2b |
A single input row → one (or many) output columns. When using List format the task can add extra rows—one per list item.
Task Types
| Task Type | Best When You Have | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website | A list of URLs | Crawls the site and extracts answers | Find pricing on competitor pages |
| Search | Only a name/keyword | Searches first, then crawls | Get LinkedIn URL for “Acme Corp” |
Crawl Depth
Choose in the Browsing Type dropdown when creating/editing a Website task.
| Depth | How Deep It Goes | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Single Page | Only the exact URL provided | You want data only from that page (e.g., marketplace listing) |
| Smart Crawl (default) | Follows relevant links a few levels deep | Most website tasks—fastest & cheapest |
| Deep (more credits) | Explores far more pages | Hard‑to‑find info buried deep in sites |
3. Quick‑Start (Most Users)
Step 1 – Create a Task
Option A – AI‑Generated Task (fastest)
- Go to Tasks → New Task.
- Describe what you need and the desired columns.
- Review the auto‑generated columns, tweak if required, and Save.
PromptLoop uses your prompt to pre‑fill each column’s search query and format, saving tons of setup time.
Option B – Copy a Template
Browse the template library and clone a task that’s close to your goal (e.g., Find Information from a Website, Extract List from Website).
Step 2 – Test & Iterate
- Open the task and paste one sample input.
- Click Run Test.
- Review what information was found and hover over the info icon to see reasoning.
- Tweak queries or formats, then retest.
Step 3 – Run on a Dataset
- Upload or select a dataset with your inputs.
- Click Launch Job and pick your task.
- PromptLoop adds new columns or rows with the outputs.
Explore, filter, and export results from the Datasets tab.
4. Editing a Task
Toggle Edit ↔ Test at the top of the task page.
Search Items (Output Columns)
| Field | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| Name | Column header—keep it unique and short |
| Query | Natural‑language question (e.g., “What is the main phone number?”) |
| Instructions | Extra rules (e.g., “≤ 10 words”) |
| Source Toggle | Add a _source column with the URL found |
| Format | Pick Text, Number, Category, List, etc. |
Tasks with > 6 items can run slower or lose accuracy. For complex jobs split into multiple tasks.
Answer & Category Formats
| Format | Best For |
|---|---|
| Text | Descriptions & summaries |
| True/False | Yes/no checks |
| Number | Counts, prices |
| Link | URLs |
| Image Link | Image URLs |
| JSON | Multi‑field objects |
| Script | CLI commands or code |
| Single Category | One label from options |
| Multiple Categories | Multi‑label tagging |
| List | One row per list item (people, addresses) |
Categories ensure uniform outputs. Define the allowed options; anything else returns Not Found.
Lists extract repeatable items (people, products, etc.) from a single site page.
Need a list gathered across the internet? Use Dataset Generation instead. List output here covers items inside one website.
Lists Recap
- Adds extra rows—one per item.
- Each list column you define becomes a standard output column.
5. Advanced Topics
Managed Tasks
Built In Solutions: Managed Tasks are PromptLoop-maintained, no-code AI agents you can run directly on your datasets to return clean, structured columns—at any scale.
Where you will find them
Datasets → Add Column → Managed Tasks Choose a task, map inputs, set parameters, preview, and Launch Job. New columns are appended to your dataset. Credits for the run are visible in the launch step.
What you can run today
-
AI Column Generate or transform text into clean, typed columns (summaries, categories, normalizations) with strict formats.
-
Email Enrich Given a person + company/domain, return a verified/probable work email and related metadata (confidence, source, etc.).
-
Phone Enrich Given a person + company/domain, return a verified/probable work or mobile phone
Credits vary by task and options and are shown clearly in the launch step before you confirm the job.
Chained Tasks
Run multiple tasks back‑to‑back in one workflow (e.g., crawl website → enrich via LinkedIn). Build a chain under Chains in the sidebar.
Immutable: once saved, a chain cannot be edited. Duplicate to make changes.
Building a Chain (step-by-step)
- Open Chains in the sidebar and click New Chain.
- Add Inputs – choose the dataset column that kicks off the workflow (e.g., website_url).
- Add Step → Select Task – pick your first task (e.g., “Company Details”).
- Map Outputs to Next Step – click the ➔ icon next to an output and choose which task input it feeds.
- Add Additional Steps as needed (max 5).
- Save Chain – give it a name and description. ⚠️ Chains are immutable; duplicate to edit later.
- Run on Dataset – launch just like any other task; results from every step are appended to the dataset.
Best Practices
- Start with Smart Crawl, switch to Deep only if data is missing.
- Keep queries generic (not company‑specific).
- Use Categories for anything you’ll filter or group on later.
6. Troubleshooting & FAQs
- Why is my task returning blanks? Test the URL in a single‑page crawl to debug.
- How many rows can a task handle? Tens of thousands; performance scales automatically.
- Can I change the input column later? No; create a new task to switch input type.
Next Steps
- Datasets – upload data, launch jobs, and analyze outputs.
- Accuracy & Confidence – interpret scores and improve tasks.
- Signals – automate change monitoring over time.
Get started now by creating your first task, or schedule a demo to explore advanced use‑cases with our team.