subtitle: Run ad-hoc browser automations with natural language
slug: cloud/run-a-task
---
The **Discover** page is where you run one-off browser automations. Type what you want done in plain language, and Skyvern opens a browser and does it for you.
Type a natural language instruction describing what you want automated. Be specific about the goal and any data you want extracted.
**Examples:**
- "Go to amazon.com and find the price of the MacBook Air M4"
- "Fill out the contact form at example.com/contact with name John Doe and email john@example.com"
- "Get an insurance quote from geico.com for a 2020 Toyota Camry"
<img src="/images/cloud/prompt-box-filled.png" alt="Prompt box with a sample prompt" />
Click the **send button** or press **Enter** to start.
Below the prompt box, **quick-action buttons** offer pre-built examples like "Add a product to cart" or "Get an insurance quote." Click one to run it immediately or use it as a starting point.
---
## Choosing an engine
The dropdown next to the send button controls which engine runs the task.
| **Proxy Location** | Route the browser through a residential proxy in a specific country. Default is `RESIDENTIAL` (US). Set to `NONE` to disable. Available: US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, India, Japan, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Netherlands, Philippines, Turkey. |
| **Webhook URL** | URL that receives a POST request when the task finishes. The payload includes status, extracted data, screenshots, and recording URL. |
| **Browser Session ID** | Run inside an existing persistent browser session (`pbs_xxx`). Preserves cookies and login state across multiple tasks. |
| **CDP Address** | Connect to your own browser via Chrome DevTools Protocol (e.g., `http://127.0.0.1:9222`). For local development. |
| **2FA Identifier** | Links your TOTP credentials to this task. Skyvern uses it to retrieve the correct code when a 2FA prompt appears. |
| **Extra HTTP Headers** | Custom headers sent with every browser request, as JSON (e.g., `{"Authorization": "Bearer token"}`). |
| **Publish Workflow** | Save a reusable workflow alongside the task run. Re-run the same automation later from the Workflows page. |
| **Max Steps Override** | Cap the number of AI reasoning steps. Each step = one screenshot-analyze-act cycle. Useful for controlling cost during development. |
| **Max Screenshot Scrolls** | Number of scrolls for post-action screenshots. Increase for pages with lazy-loaded content. `0` = viewport only. |
---
## Data extraction schema
The **Data Schema** field in advanced settings lets you define the structure of extracted output as [JSON Schema](https://json-schema.org/).
Without a schema, the AI returns data in whatever format it chooses. With a schema, output conforms to your structure, making it predictable for downstream use.
<img src="/images/cloud/data-schema-field.png" alt="Data schema field with JSON" />
```json
{
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"product_name": {
"type": "string",
"description": "The name of the product"
},
"price": {
"type": "number",
"description": "The price in USD"
},
"in_stock": {
"type": "boolean",
"description": "Whether the product is in stock"
}
}
}
```
Use the `description` field on each property to guide the AI on what to extract.
<Accordion title="Example: Extracting a list of items">
```json
{
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"quotes": {
"type": "array",
"items": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"premium_amount": {
"type": "string",
"description": "Total premium in USD (e.g., '$321.57')"
},
"coverage_type": {
"type": "string",
"description": "Type of coverage (e.g., 'Full Coverage')"
},
"deductible": {
"type": "string",
"description": "Deductible amount"
}
}
}
}
}
}
```
</Accordion>
---
## Workflow templates
Below the prompt box, the Discover page shows a gallery of **workflow templates**: pre-built automations for common use cases.
**Write specific prompts.** Include the exact goal, target fields, and what "done" looks like.
| Instead of | Write |
|-----------|-------|
| "Get some data from this site" | "Extract the product name, price, and availability from the first 5 results on amazon.com/s?k=wireless+mouse" |
| "Fill out the form" | "Fill the contact form at example.com/contact with name 'Jane Doe', email 'jane@example.com', and message 'Demo request'" |
**Control cost with Max Steps.** Set **Max Steps Override** to a reasonable limit (e.g., 10–20 for simple tasks) during development. Each step consumes one credit. Remove the cap once you've confirmed the task works.
**Debug failures in order.** If a task fails or produces wrong results:
1. Check the **Failure Reason** at the top of the run detail page
2. Read the **Thought cards** in the Overview timeline to find where the AI went off track
3. Watch the **Recording** to see what actually happened on screen
4. Review **Parameters** to confirm the inputs were correct
