Overview
Surfer 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, Surfer visits websites, captures what it sees, and returns structured data based on your specific instructions.
With Surfer, 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
Automate routine data collection tasks that would normally require manual browsing
Surfer is available to any plan that includes access to Moby Agents and integrates seamlessly with the Agent Builder workflow.
Get Started with Surfer
Access Surfer 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 Surfer 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 Surfer 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 Surfer exactly what information you're looking for and where to find it.
❌ Poor instruction: "Tell me about my competitor's product"
✅ Good instruction: "Visit [specific competitor website URL] and tell me about their product offering. Call out specific products and bundles"
Provide Context
Help Surfer understand why you need this information and what details matter most to you.
Examples of Well-Written Instructions:
"Visit [specific competitor website URL] and analyze their product pricing. Focus on any promotional offers or bundle deals they're running."
Execute and Review Results
After writing your instructions, click Run to start the Surfer
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
Surfer works best as part of a complete workflow:
Start with Surfer to gather raw data from the web
Use one or multiple Surfer 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."
Troubleshooting
When Surfer Can't Access a Website
If Surfer 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 Surfer steps
Specify the format you want for the response
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can Surfer access password-protected websites?
No, Surfer cannot access sites that require authentication or login credentials. It works only with publicly accessible content.
2. Can I use multiple Surfer steps in one agent?
Yes! You can combine multiple Surfer steps to gather data from different sources, then use Report steps to analyze and summarize all the collected information.
3. What format does Surfer return data in?
Surfer 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.
4. What should I do if Surfer 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.