Overview
Operator is Triple Whale's web automation feature that acts as your digital assistant for collecting data from the internet. Whether you're monitoring competitor activity, analyzing your product listings, or researching market trends, Operator visits websites, captures what it sees, and returns structured data based on your specific instructions.
With Operator, you can:
Monitor competitor websites and track their pricing, product launches, and marketing strategies
Analyze your product listings on your own site or other platforms
Research video content on YouTube and other platforms for market insights
Automate routine data collection tasks that would normally require manual browsing
Operator is available to any plan that includes access to Moby Agents and integrates seamlessly with the Agent Builder workflow.
Get Started with Operator
Access Operator in Agent Builder
Steps:
Navigate to the Agent Builder in Triple Whale
Create a new agent or edit an existing one
Add a Get Data step to your agent workflow
Select Operator as your data source
You'll see a text box where you can provide your instructions
Write Effective Instructions
The key to getting great results from Operator is providing clear, specific instructions with proper context. Here's how to write instructions that work:
Be Specific About What You Want
Instead of vague requests, tell Operator exactly what information you're looking for and where to find it.
❌ Poor instruction: "Search for my product on Google"
✅ Good instruction: "Search for my product [insert name of your product here] and tell me about what you see on the search results page. Be specific and tell me if there are other products above mine that may be taking away from my visibility on Google"
Provide Context
Help Operator understand why you need this information and what details matter most to you.
Examples of Well-Written Instructions:
"Visit [competitor website] and analyze their product pricing for [product category]. Focus on any promotional offers or bundle deals they're running."
"Watch this YouTube video [URL] about [topic] and summarize the key points related to [specific aspect you care about]."
Execute and Review Results
After writing your instructions, click Run to start the Operator
Operator typically takes 1-2 minutes to complete its task
Click Show Response to view the collected data
Review the plaintext results and use them in subsequent agent steps
Best Practices
Optimize Your Instructions
Do:
✅ Be specific about the data you want extracted
✅ Provide context for why you need this information
✅ Include exact product names, URLs, or search terms when relevant
✅ Specify the format you'd like for the response (lists, comparisons, etc.)
Don't:
❌ Use vague or generic instructions
❌ Ask for data from password-protected or authenticated sites
❌ Request actions that require logging into accounts
Integrate with Other Agent Builder Steps
Operator works best as part of a complete workflow:
Start with Operator to gather raw data from the web
Use one or multiple Operator steps to collect information from different sources
End with Report steps to summarize findings and create actionable insights
Common Use Cases
Competitor Analysis
"Visit [competitor website] and analyze their homepage messaging, featured products, and any current promotions. Compare their value proposition to what we offer."
Content Research
"Watch the top 3 YouTube videos about [your product category] and summarize the main benefits customers are looking for."
Market Research
"Search Google for '[your product] alternatives' and analyze the top 5 results. What are competitors highlighting as their main advantages?"
Troubleshooting
When Operator Can't Access a Website
If Operator returns an error or incomplete data, the website may have:
Advanced bot protection measures
Authentication requirements (login walls)
Geographic restrictions
Technical issues preventing access
Solution: Try alternative websites or sources for the same information, or consider manual data collection for sites with strict access controls.
Improving Data Quality
If results aren't what you expected:
Refine your instructions to be more specific
Add more context about what you're looking for
Break complex requests into multiple, simpler Operator steps
Specify the format you want for the response
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long does Operator take to complete a task?
Operator typically takes 1-2 minutes to complete most tasks, depending on the complexity of the website and the data being collected.
2. Can Operator access password-protected websites?
No, Operator cannot access sites that require authentication or login credentials. It works best with publicly accessible content.
3. Can I use multiple Operator steps in one agent?
Yes! You can combine multiple Operator steps to gather data from different sources, then use Report steps to analyze and summarize all the collected information.
4. What format does Operator return data in?
Operator returns data in plaintext format based on what it observes on the websites. You can specify in your instructions how you'd like the information formatted.
5. What should I do if Operator returns incomplete results?
Try refining your instructions to be more specific, or break your request into smaller, more focused tasks. Some websites may have restrictions that prevent complete data collection.