Keep every specific the user gave you
If you are passing a user’s request through to Autumn, preserve their specifics verbatim: names, URLs, constraints, exclusions, desired fields, counts, geography, and examples. Summarizing the request is where detail gets lost.Say how many
target_count on the output, or a count in the prompt, tells the agent when to stop. Without
one it decides for itself, and “find companies” has no natural end.
Name the columns you want
If you already know the shape, declare it rather than describing it. A schema is a contract; a sentence is a hint. See Structured output.Add per-row quality rules
Rules are what keep a list honest. State the bar each row must clear:- must be Series A or later
- must be US-based
- must have a current CTO title
- must cite a source for the funding figure
Decide whether a question is worth it
clarify: false is the default and the right choice for automation. Reach for
clarify: true only when someone is around to answer, and the answer would change the
work. See Human in the loop.
Restate the goal when continuing
When you continue a task, rewrite the user’s follow-up into a clear instruction that states the current goal, not just their raw words. “Add a column” is clear to a human reading the thread and ambiguous to an agent reading one message.Prompting for Scout
A well-specified prompt is what makes the faster tier viable. If the columns, the bar, and the count are all pinned down,scout has less to infer. If the task still has to decide
where to look, stay on ranger. See Model tiers.
Checklist
Before you send
Count, columns, per-row rules, exclusions, and every specific the user gave you.
Before you continue
Restate the current goal as one clear instruction rather than forwarding a reply.