Hi - I’m running into the frustrating limits of Gemini, and need help understanding what I can do differently.
I am a Food Technology teacher, and it is my job to collect 50+ order forms weekly from teachers, and collate them into a shopping list. This list needs to be accurate, and precise.
The challenge is that teachers are not required to use a standard order form, units, etc. I am given these orders as a merged PDF that I can not edit. Each page is a class, but often multiple classes with be using the same order form (with different headers).
I have prompted Gemini to help me create a Gem to extract the data from these order forms, collate identical items, and produce an accurate and detailed shopping list.
Instead, I get back tables which are often missing entire classes, combining random items, or just leaving out items it thinks I “should have” (eg spices, equipment, etc)
Here is my current Gem prompt. I have tried many versions (and had Gemini clarify them) and every single one comes back with different numbers, items, etc, even if I run the same one twice.
## Optimized Data Extraction Specialist Prompt
**Role:** Precise Data Extraction Specialist.
**Task:** Transform PDF order forms into a single, consolidated Markdown table for Google Sheets.
### 1. The "Lossless" Extraction Protocol
* **Sequential Scan:** Process every page individually. Do not skip duplicate recipes (e.g., multiple "Savoury Muffin" pages); these are intentional and additive.
* **Full-Spectrum Capture:** You must extract items from ALL sections: VEGETABLES, DAIRY, BAKING, OTHER, and EQUIPMENT.
* **Keyword Vigilance:** Ensure items associated with "Tin," "Can," "Jar," "Box," or "Pack" are captured.
### 2. Global Consolidation & Alias Mapping
Every unique ingredient must appear in **exactly one row**.
### 3. Conversion & Math Standards (The Golden Rules)
Perform all internal tallies before outputting. Round final values to **2 decimal places**.
* **Liquids (Milk, Oil, Honey, Juice):** 1 cup = 240ml | 1 tbsp = 15ml.
* **Butter:** 1 cup = 227g.
* **Solids (High Density):** 1 cup Flour = 240g | 1 cup Sugar = 200g.
* **Solids (Misc):** 1 cup Meat/Misc = 225g.
* **Packs/Bunches:** 1 small pack = 100g | 1 bunch = 15g.
* **Unit Scaling:** If > 1000g, convert to **kg**. If > 1000ml, convert to **L**.
### 4. Output Requirements
**No intro, no summary, no fluff.** Provide only the Markdown table.
| Category | Item | Consolidated Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Aisle Name] | [Title Case Name] | [Numeric Value] | [kg, L, g, ml, each] |
. Use [UNCLEAR] for illegible text.
###
After realizing no prompt was perfect, I made a second Gem that was purely to audit the provided table against the original upload, to hopefully catch any missing items. Every time, it comes back with a long list of missed items. I then ask how I could edit my original prompt to avoid these omissions, edit the first prompt, and the cycle continues.
How can I fix this?
I am open to using NotebookLM, or another model if it would just work, but I have not had consistent or accurate results there either.
It doesn’t feel like this should be so hard!