Manus left blank what it could not verify
In Agent Shootout 3, Manus was fast and honest on a Ninja AF101 price hunt. It said plainly when it could not verify delivery to Raleigh 27601, marked a $75 Walmart listing as out of stock instead of pushing it as a deal, and picked Home Depot at $119.99. It still only scored a partial because it left Amazon's seller and return window blank, plus some other return fields. The lesson for shoppers: an agent that leaves blanks is often safer than one that invents a tidy table. Ask for empty cells when a fact is missing.
The lesson: An agent that leaves blank seller or return fields is often safer than one that fills every cell with a guess.
Copy this prompt
Price [PRODUCT] for delivery to [ZIP]. For every retailer, fill seller, return window and shipping only if you can verify them on the page. If you cannot verify a field, leave it blank and say why. Never invent a marketplace seller or a return policy. Prefer sold-by-retailer offers. End with a short pick and a list of blanks.
Our own prompt, written from what the source describes. We haven't run it ourselves. Text in [BRACKETS] is what you replace.
Watch out for
- Blank fields mean more work for you, but invented return windows are worse.
- Out-of-stock bargain prices are not deals. Make the agent label them.
- Re-check delivery to your zip on the retailer site before you buy.
Where this comes from
Original post by @MichaelGannotti on X, Nov 3, 2026. We rewrote it in our own words. Check the original for the full context.
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