How do I make sure an Agent follows up on the right item when I say "the third one"?

Question

If I ask Buda to shortlist five companies and then research one further, I might simply reply 'the third one.'

But there may be companies with the same name, or the list could be reordered later. Do you have it preserve original IDs or stable reference numbers from the start, then repeat the selected name and reference before continuing?

I'd like a confirmation step in the workflow so the follow-up research doesn't end up on a different company.

Kelly · Answer

Yes — and it’s worth baking into the workflow: before anyone says “the third one,” the shortlist should carry **stable numbers / source IDs**, then the Agent should echo the pick and wait for your confirm.

![](https://community.buda.im/api/attachment/attachments/WtJ2kixlg57xJeXbXqNd18nSLIbu1VQN/blobs/sha256/3a/3a93ab70c941a07873843a9774ae83274916e2cb94a103ed82f1531c2a62e828.png)
(Diagram: numbered list → echo name+ID → continue only with that stable ID.)

![](https://community.buda.im/api/attachment/attachments/WtJ2kixlg57xJeXbXqNd18nSLIbu1VQN/blobs/sha256/80/8034b6b28c63d6b3671c4b89be64d1a69f51db0b7752868de0a5c473364ada8b.png)
(Local demo: agent chat session)

![](https://community.buda.im/api/attachment/attachments/WtJ2kixlg57xJeXbXqNd18nSLIbu1VQN/blobs/sha256/d1/d15fb1397d34900e90d2e1585e6bae1247abb9cea767ed76a9ae82374d094cf8.png)
(Local demo: CRM / leads scenario session)

## Suggested steps

1. **Number the shortlist on first output**  
   Ask [Buda](https://buda.im) for lines like `#1 Company | source ID or site`, `#2 …`. Keep those numbers fixed for the task even if the table is re-sorted later.  
2. **Confirm before deeper research**  
   On “the third one,” require: `I’ll proceed with #3 <name> (source ID: …) — confirm?` Only after you confirm (or correct the number) should research start.  
3. **Use the stable ID afterward**  
   Folders, rows, and follow-up tasks should reference `#3` / the source ID — not “whatever is third in the current sort.”  
4. **Encode it in a Skill** if you repeat this often  
   Put “always number,” “always echo,” and “wait for confirm” in a Skill so teammates don’t skip the gate.

## How to confirm

- Every candidate row has a stable number / source ID.  
- Chat shows one name+ID confirmation before deep research.  
- Final notes land on the ID you confirmed, not a new “third” after a reorder.

## Boundaries

- Same-name companies need the number or source ID — spoken order alone is fragile.  
- If the Agent rebuilds the list with a **new numbering scheme**, old `#3` is invalid; confirm again.  
- This is process discipline in the brief/Skill, not a separate product toggle.

Suggested steps

How to confirm

Boundaries

Your reply