🍳 AI Recipe: Find the Perfect Dupe for Your Discontinued Fave
Automatically turn product heartbreak into new finds with ChatGPT’s Agent Mode
The heartbreak is real. Your favorite product is discontinued. You’ve hoarded the last few drops. You’ve searched online forums. You’ve tried random “dupes” from TikTok lists that just aren’t the same.
This recipe shows you how to turn ChatGPT into your personal product scout. You’ll craft a smart prompt that captures exactly what made the original great, then let Agent Mode scour the web for your closest match.
It’s like having an AI-powered shopping assistant who actually gets what you’re looking for, and comes back with 3–5 solid options you can trust, not just ad-driven guesses.
From search fatigue to curated results
❌ Before:
You’d scroll through endless Reddit threads, watch YouTube reviews that don’t quite match your skin type, and open 23 tabs comparing ingredient lists side-by-side. Still no winner.
✅ After:
Now, you define exactly what you want and ChatGPT does the legwork. It searches retailer sites, analyzes reviews and ingredients, and brings back a short list of promising dupes with direct links and reasons why each one fits.
Prep Time: 10 - 60 minutes (depending on agent processing time)
Difficulty Level: Easy
🧂 Ingredients:
A ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Team account (Agent Mode required)
A discontinued product you want to replace
What you loved about it (e.g. texture, finish, ingredients, scent, price range)
📖 Instructions:
Research What Makes a Good Agent Prompt - Prompting doesn’t have to be hard. Here’s the best way to form an effective prompt fast -
Start by asking ChatGPT:
Can you draft a prompt for deep research on best practices for agent mode prompts?
Then, follow up the response with a prompt for Deep Research saying:
Follow the above
(Side note: Check out this recipe on ChatGPT’s Deep Research mode if you’ve never used it before)
Draft the Perfect Prompt - Once the research is complete, tell ChatGPT something like:
Use the research above to draft and agent mode prompt for finding the best dupe for a discontinued product. My old favorite body wash (Colleen Rothschild creamy oil body wash in Honey Vanilla) was discontinued. I loved how moisturizing it was, the consistency, and the scent. I'd like the agent to look up and review the ingredients to determine which ones contributed most to the things I liked, then create a list of best possible dupes that I should try next including pricing and buy links.Update the example prompt above to include:
Product name and brand
Key things you loved (e.g., finish, scent, effect)
Any price or ingredient requirements
ChatGPT will generate an effective prompt specifically written with Agent Mode best practices in mind.
Run It in Agent Mode - Copy the generated agent prompt, and in a new window paste it. Then, select the plus sign and click ‘Agent mode’ before hitting enter.
The agent will:
Analyze the discontinued product
Compare ingredient lists and customer reviews
Search top beauty retailers and comparison blogs
Return a list of close matches with links and reasons why they fit
(Here’s a link to the full report if you’re curious what it found)
Review the results and ask follow-ups like:
Filter these to under $40 and available in the USCompare the texture descriptions between these top 3You now have a vetted shortlist of alternatives without the endless tabs.
The content below is usually reserved for paid subscribers, but for a limited time, it's open to everyone. Enjoy the full experience and consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support this newsletter and gain exclusive perks!
🍽️ Serving Suggestions:
Match your aesthetic in decor or furniture - Find pieces that align with a specific vibe for your home or brand shoot
Find travel swaps that fit your vibe - Replace overpriced or overbooked destinations with lower-cost, similar-feel alternatives
Recreate outfits from inspiration photos - Turn Pinterest looks into shoppable links matched by style, cut, and price
Curate smarter gifts for specific people - Discover thoughtful gift ideas based on someone’s taste or past favorites
Break down competitors for internal decks - Research product alternatives and return side-by-side comparisons with links
Chef’s Insights: Pro Tips & Limitations
🧑🍳 Pro Tips:
Follow-ups are free - Only your first agent run counts toward your monthly quota. You can keep refining or filtering results in the same thread without using additional credits
Auto-rerun agents on a schedule - Click the clock icon next to the result to schedule the agent to rerun daily or weekly. Great for catching price drops or inventory updates
Use ‘Take over browser’ to log in - If the agent hits a login wall, click the browser icon and take over. You can log in manually, then hand control back
Keep your scope tight - Long or vague requests often time out. Aim for 3–5 results, not “all possible options”
⚠️ Limitations to Keep in Mind:
Monthly cap on agent runs - Plus = 40 agent messages, Pro = 400. Plan accordingly
Runtime limit ≈ 30 minutes - If your agent takes too long (e.g., too many pages, broad task), it will time out. Keep things focused to ensure it finishes
Some sites block AI agents - Retailers using Cloudflare or similar services may block ChatGPT’s access
Privacy & prompt-injection risks - Agents can navigate the web and read your connectors—watch mode, minimal connectors, and common-sense supervision are your friend
User Reviews:
Tried this recipe? Let us know how it worked for you in the comments.