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Reporting and knowledge · Public service teams

Draft an FOI request from the page

Use selected browser sources to draft an FOI request from the page. DeepShell assists with draft work; you prepare the inputs, verify the evidence, and complete any external action.

Process guideIllustrative — extension test pendingUpdated 2026-09-06

Before you start

Inputs: Public authority page and scope of information sought.

Define: the audience, date or version, comparison criteria, and intended destination.

Access: open the sources yourself and select only content you are authorised to send to a model provider. Inaccessible or unselected pages are outside the task.

The process, step by step

  1. 1
    You complete

    Prepare public authority page and scope of information sought. Confirm you can share the selected material with a model provider.

  2. 2
    You complete

    Open the relevant pages or attachments, select the sources in the panel, and set the scope. Log in or navigate to any required pages yourself.

  3. 3
    DeepShell assists

    Prepare an editable draft using only the supplied facts. Request: Authority, Information requested, Date range, Preferred format, Closing.

  4. 4
    You complete

    Verify recipient, names, facts, tone, and approval before copying or sending.

  5. 5
    You complete

    Review the final text, then copy it into the intended application. You approve and send or publish it yourself.

Requires another tool: sending, publishing, form submission, CRM updates, purchases, and schedules are outside this extension workflow. Use the destination application yourself.

Your reusable workflow pack

Replace bracketed fields before use. Keep the sources and output together for the next reviewer.

Reusable prompt
Task: Draft an FOI request from the page.
Use only these selected sources: Public authority page and scope of information sought.
Audience: [add the intended reader].
Scope: [add dates, criteria, versions, or exclusions].
Return these fields or sections: Authority, Information requested, Date range, Preferred format, Closing.
Cite the source and page or section for factual statements. Mark missing information as "Not stated". Separate facts from assumptions. Do not invent figures, decisions, or events.
Finish with unresolved questions and a review checklist. Do not send, submit, purchase, or update another system.
Output template
Authority: [fill from the selected source; otherwise Not stated]
Information requested: [fill from the selected source; otherwise Not stated]
Date range: [fill from the selected source; otherwise Not stated]
Preferred format: [fill from the selected source; otherwise Not stated]
Closing: [fill from the selected source; otherwise Not stated]

Output structure

Government & public sectorIllustrative workflow
Example output

Authority / Information requested / Date range / Preferred format / Closing

  1. 01Authority: [source-grounded authority]
  2. 02Information requested: [source-grounded information requested]
  3. 03Date range: [source-grounded date range]
  4. 04Preferred format: [source-grounded preferred format]
  5. 05Closing: [source-grounded closing]
Reusable output template. Bracketed fields are placeholders, not observed results. Replace them only with information supported by your selected sources.

Review, then complete the process

  • Verify recipient, names, facts, tone, and approval before copying or sending.
  • Every material claim has a source you can open and inspect.
  • Missing information is explicitly marked; no placeholders remain in the final deliverable.
  • A named person has approved the result before it is shared or used.

Review the final text, then copy it into the intended application. You approve and send or publish it yourself.

Done means: the intended reviewer can trace the result to its sources, all missing details are resolved or explicitly flagged, and any external action has been completed by an authorised person.

If the result is incomplete

Check source selection and access first. Narrow the question, specify the missing field, or supply an authorised source. For long or scanned documents, verify that the relevant text is readable. If evidence is still missing, record the gap rather than accepting an invented answer.

Time, cost, and validation

No measured run time, cost benchmark, or end-to-end extension test is recorded for this guide. Actual cost depends on source length, model, and retries. Use the settled receipt from a real run; do not treat the example as a performance promise.

Practical questions

What should I prepare?

Public authority page and scope of information sought. Define the audience, scope, and required fields before you start.

Which steps are automated?

Prepare an editable draft using only the supplied facts. Source selection, review, and any sending, submission, or system update remain your responsibility.

What if the source is incomplete?

Keep missing values marked as Not stated. Add an authorised source or narrow the task; do not ask the model to fill gaps with plausible facts.

Has this workflow been tested in the extension?

This is an illustrative process guide. No end-to-end extension test or measured cost benchmark is recorded for this guide.

Continue the work