More in Groceries & food delivery.
Let ChatGPT agent fill a taco night grocery cart (Walmart blocked it)
PartialEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked
ChatGPT agent built Kiri Masters a correct taco cart for four on Instacart, but Walmart and Amazon Fresh blocked it.
How to use this
- Tap Copy prompt.
- Open the tool the case used (or a similar one) and paste the prompt; results may differ from the original.
- Paste it into the message box.
- Replace anything in [CAPITAL LETTERS IN BRACKETS] with your own details.
- Send it, then read the answer before acting on it.
New to this? What's a prompt?
A prompt is the message you send to the AI tool. Copy the one on this page, put your own details where it asks, and read the answer before you act on it.
Prompt
Improved prompt
Our fuller version of the source's prompt, with fill-in details and rules, or one written to avoid what went wrong. Not tested by the poster.
Our fuller version of the person's prompt. They didn't use this version, and we haven't tested it.
Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Fill an online grocery cart for one meal tonight without checking out. Questions to ask me first: - Which store do you want me to use, and are you signed in there? - How many people, and any dislikes or allergies? - What do you already have at home? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Meal: [MEAL, e.g. tacos] - People: [NUMBER] - Store: [STORE / ANY STORE THAT WORKS] - Already have: [ITEMS] - Budget: [AMOUNT] Rules: - Add items to the cart only; don't check out or pay. - If a store blocks you or asks for sign-in or verification, stop and tell me instead of trying to get around it. - Pick sensible sizes for the number of people. - Tell me which store you used and why. Checkpoint: Show me the shopping list before adding anything to a cart. If you get stuck: If the first store fails, ask me before switching stores. Verify before you finish: List every item in the cart with size and price, and flag anything missing or substituted. Output: A cart summary with items, prices and the total. Done when: The cart has everything for the meal and is ready for me to review and check out.
Customize this prompt
Answer these questions and we'll put your answers into the prompt for you. You can leave any of them empty.
e.g. 50 dollars
Your prompt
Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Fill an online grocery cart for one meal tonight without checking out. Questions to ask me first: - Which store do you want me to use, and are you signed in there? - How many people, and any dislikes or allergies? - What do you already have at home? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Meal: [MEAL, e.g. tacos] - People: [NUMBER] - Store: [STORE / ANY STORE THAT WORKS] - Already have: [ITEMS] - Budget: [AMOUNT] Rules: - Add items to the cart only; don't check out or pay. - If a store blocks you or asks for sign-in or verification, stop and tell me instead of trying to get around it. - Pick sensible sizes for the number of people. - Tell me which store you used and why. Checkpoint: Show me the shopping list before adding anything to a cart. If you get stuck: If the first store fails, ask me before switching stores. Verify before you finish: List every item in the cart with size and price, and flag anything missing or substituted. Output: A cart summary with items, prices and the total. Done when: The cart has everything for the meal and is ready for me to review and check out.
Scroll to see the whole prompt. Your answers show in green.
5 blanks are still empty: Meal; People; Store; Already have; Budget. They'll stay in brackets in your prompt, so the chat tool may ask you about them.
What you type stays in this browser tab. We don't send it or save it, and it's gone when you leave the page. If you use a "Try this in" button, your answers go to that tool as part of the prompt.
Try this in:
This prompt has blanks to fill in, like [NUMBER]. We'll copy it instead of filling it in, so you can edit it before you send.
Opens in a new tab. We don't see what you send.
These links are only a shortcut. We're not affiliated with OpenAI, Google, Anthropic or xAI, and your results may not match the source.
The prompt they actually used
The exact prompt from the source.
Buy me ingredients for tacos for 4 people tonight
AI tool
Outcome
Kiri Masters, who writes about retail e-commerce, asked ChatGPT agent to buy ingredients for tacos for four people that night. After some trial and error it built a correct cart, on Instacart. ChatGPT explained that it had tried Amazon Fresh and Walmart first, but both returned errors or asked for sign-in or verification steps that blocked it. When Masters asked it to try Walmart.com specifically, it was blocked again, twice.
Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
Known limitations
PartialThe source says it only partly worked, or had a significant problem a person had to deal with.
What went wrong: It got a correct cart on Instacart after trial and error, but Amazon Fresh and Walmart blocked it or returned errors.
Source
- Posted
- by Kiri Masters (LinkedIn)
- Last checked
- Method:
- How we verify
Context: Original prompt: quoted in the post. Improved prompt: our fuller version, not tested. The post date is estimated from the LinkedIn post ID. Masters is a retail e-commerce commentator.
More in Groceries & food delivery
Test Instacart Sage for recipes and grocery lists (it confused stores)
Instacart Sage gave Angelika Modawal recipes and lists, but it partly failed: wrong default store, missing butter and contradictions.
PartialInstacart SageEvidence: Described by posterView CaseCompare six AI agents building a takeout lunch cart for a vegan boss
WIRED had six agents build a lunch cart; ChatGPT Dots won at $30.57, but Gemini Spark failed with one spring roll.
PartialChatGPT Dots +5Evidence: Described by posterView CaseCut a $400 monthly grocery bill to about $300 with ChatGPT and Gemini tips
Elton Jones asked ChatGPT and Gemini how to spend less on groceries without eating less, and the next bill fell from $400 to $300.56.
WorkedChatGPT +1Evidence: Described by posterView CaseOrder Christmas cookie ingredients on Instacart inside ChatGPT
ZDNET's Elyse Betters Picaro gave ChatGPT a cookie recipe link and went from Instacart cart to paid delivery in about two minutes.
WorkedChatGPTEvidence: Article or interviewView CaseKeep a retiree's weekly groceries under $60–$80 with ChatGPT
Walt P, a retiree, gives ChatGPT a weekly grocery budget of $60 to $80 and gets meals, a list and a rough cost for each meal.
WorkedChatGPTEvidence: Article or interviewBeginner-friendlyView CaseCatch grocery tracker mistakes and repeat buys with ChatGPT
ChatGPT helped Joyce Zahariadis, who shops for a family of five, find wrong entries, non-food items in the grocery total and repeat buys.
WorkedChatGPTEvidence: Described by posterBeginner-friendlyView Case
Similar cases
Fill a Walmart cart with anti-inflammatory groceries with Claude in Chrome
Claude in Chrome built a 34-item, $218.70 diet-friendly Walmart cart but couldn't pass Walmart's bot checks without a person.
PartialClaude in ChromeEvidence: Screenshots or logsView CaseFill a Walmart pickup cart with 26 meal-plan groceries using ChatGPT computer control, stopping before checkout
ChatGPT filled a 26-item Walmart cart from its meal plan but got one quantity wrong; the parent reviewed it: partial.
PartialChatGPTEvidence: Described by posterView CaseHand a family's weekly grocery shop to ChatGPT's in-app browser and find it takes nearly an hour
ChatGPT did a family's weekly online shop under budget, but it took nearly an hour and had a wrong item: partial.
PartialChatGPTEvidence: Article or interviewView CaseOrder a customised fast-food meal for delivery with ChatGPT agent
With one prompt, ChatGPT agent ordered a customised Wendy's meal for delivery, working around snags; a CVV field nearly broke it.
WorkedChatGPT agentEvidence: Described by posterView CaseOrder a pizza to your door with ChatGPT agent
ChatGPT agent worked through site obstacles to order a pizza and handed back at checkout, though one restaurant took a long detour.
WorkedChatGPT agentEvidence: Article or interviewView Case

