You'll leave with: a working Dinner Planner agent and a written verdict on how far you can trust it.
Step 1: Paste the agent
Open any AI chat. Copy the Dinner Planner pack from the Agent Library and paste it as your first message (or into a Project's instructions: see Lesson 8). It follows the Agent Brief from Lesson 6: role, steps, rules, output format.
Step 2: Give it a real task
When the agent asks, answer with something like:
4 people, $40 budget, no peanuts, 40 minutes, I shop at [YOUR USUAL STORE].
It should come back with a recipe, a grocery table with a price and a price source for each line, a total, and a note on what it's least sure about.
Step 3: Run the truth test
- Add the column yourself. Use a calculator. Does your total match the agent's total?
- Spot-check two prices on the store's own website or app. Are they close? Are they labeled “estimate”?
- Check the recipe against your allergies: not just the list.
- Check the quantities. Does “1 lb of chicken” feed four people the way you cook?
Step 4: Make one improvement
Use the iteration loop from Lesson 3. Examples of single changes:
- “Show quantities in the units my store uses.”
- “Prefer store-brand items and say so.”
- “Add a second column showing the cost per serving.”
Re-run, re-check the total.
Step 5: Write the verdict
An agent isn't “good” or “bad”. It's trustworthy for certain jobs under certain checks. Write three lines:
| Question | My answer |
|---|---|
| What did it do well? | |
| What did I have to fix? | |
| Would I rely on it again, and with what check? |
Exercise
Run the Dinner Planner for two different situations (for example “4 people, $40” and “2 people, vegetarian, $25”). For each, record:
- The agent's total, and your total.
- How many prices were labeled “estimate”.
- One thing you'd change in the instructions.
Then update the pack with your change, and save it in your prompt log. That edit is your first real agent upgrade.
Key takeaways
- You can build a useful agent with just instructions: no code and no purchases.
- Always add up the totals yourself. Confident tables can hide wrong sums.
- Write a verdict: trust depends on the job and the check.
Related: Dinner Planner pack