open-web-agent-rs/docs/input.md

Agent Input Documentation

Overview

This document explains how input works for agents in the open-web-agent-rs project. Understanding how input is processed is essential for creating effective agents and integrating them with client applications.

Input Flow

The input for agents follows this flow:

1. API Request: A client sends a request to the API with a resource type and input string.
2. Webhook Handler: The webhook handler extracts the input and passes it to the appropriate agent function.
3. Agent Function: The agent function passes the input to the run_agent utility function.
4. ShimBinding: The run_agent function creates a ShimBinding that passes the input to the GenAIScript shim as a command-line argument.
5. GenAIScript: The GenAIScript accesses the input through env.vars.user_input and typically assigns it to a variable named "USER_INPUT".

Input Format

The input is a simple string that can contain any text. There are no specific format requirements, but the input should be relevant to the agent's purpose. For example:

• For a web search agent: "What is the capital of France?"
• For a news search agent: "Latest developments in artificial intelligence"
• For an image generator: "A sunset over a mountain lake with pine trees"

Accessing Input in GenAIScript

In a GenAIScript file, the input is accessed through the env.vars.user_input property. It's common practice to assign this to a variable named "USER_INPUT" using the def function:

def("USER_INPUT", env.vars.user_input);

You can then use this variable in your script's instructions:

$`You are an assistant that performs a specific task.
- Use the USER_INPUT to guide your response
- ...other instructions...`

Input Processing Examples

Web Search Agent

// In web-search.genai.mts
def("USER_INPUT", env.vars.user_input);

$`You are an assistant searching for web content using complex queries to pinpoint results.
- tailor search to answer the question in USER_INPUT
- ...other instructions...`

News Search Agent

// In news-search.genai.mts
def("USER_INPUT", env.vars.user_input);

$`You are an assistant searching for news using complex queries to pinpoint results.
- tailor search to answer the question in USER_INPUT
- ...other instructions...`

Input Validation

Currently, there is no built-in validation for input. If your agent requires specific input formats or validation, you should implement this in your GenAIScript file. For example:

def("USER_INPUT", env.vars.user_input);

// Simple validation example
if (!USER_INPUT || USER_INPUT.trim() === "") {
  $`Please provide a valid input query.`;
  exit();
}

// More complex validation could be implemented here

Best Practices

1. Be Clear About Input Requirements: Document what kind of input your agent expects.
2. Handle Edge Cases: Consider how your agent will handle empty, very short, or very long inputs.
3. Preprocess Input When Necessary: If your agent needs input in a specific format, consider preprocessing it in the GenAIScript.
4. Provide Examples: Include example inputs in your agent's documentation.

Testing Input

Using the API

You can test how your agent handles different inputs using the API:

curl -X POST https://your-server.com/api/webhooks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <session_token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"resource": "your-resource-name", "input": "Your test input"}'

Direct Invocation Examples

You can also run agents directly from the command line using the GenAIScript CLI or the shim. Here are examples from the project's package.json:

Web Search Agent

# Using genaiscript CLI
genaiscript run packages/genaiscript/genaisrc/web-search.genai.mts --vars USER_INPUT='who won the 2024 election?'

# Using the shim
./dist/shim.js --file=genaisrc/search.genai.mts USER_INPUT="Who won the 2024 presidential election?"

News Search Agent

genaiscript run packages/genaiscript/genaisrc/news-search.genai.mts --vars USER_INPUT='What are the latest updates and developments in the Ukraine war?'

Web Scrape Agent

# Read mode
genaiscript run packages/genaiscript/genaisrc/web-scrape.genai.mts --vars USER_INPUT='{"url":"https://geoff.seemueller.io/about","query":"Describe the details of the page.", "action": "read"}'

# Scrape mode
genaiscript run packages/genaiscript/genaisrc/web-scrape.genai.mts --vars USER_INPUT='{"url":"https://www.time4learning.com/homeschool-curriculum/high-school/eleventh-grade/math.html","query":"What is on this page?", "action": "scrape"}'

Note the different input formats:

• Simple text queries for search and news agents
• JSON objects for the web scrape agent, specifying URL, query, and action

Related Documentation

• Agents Guide - General information about agents
• API Documentation - API endpoints and usage examples