E-Commerce: Returns & Refunds

Problem Statement

Initiating a return involves selecting an order, choosing items, specifying a reason, and optionally uploading evidence. This is a destructive operation with financial side-effects (refund processing).

Why Human-Only Semantics Fail

• Return forms are multi-step wizards with no declared state machine
• Reason dropdowns don't expose their enum values
• Return eligibility (within 30 days, unused, etc.) is visually indicated but not machine-readable
• Refund amount calculation is displayed but its formula is opaque

Why Scraping Fails Here

• Multi-step return forms use SPA navigation
• Eligibility checks happen server-side; DOM only shows the result
• File upload components use custom dropzones
• Confirmation modals are dynamically rendered

How AXAG Eliminates Scraping

return.initiate is annotated with preconditions (eligibility), required parameters (reason, items), risk level, and confirmation requirements. The agent can validate eligibility before attempting the action.

Annotated UI Example

<button
  axag-intent="return.initiate"
  axag-entity="return"
  axag-action-type="write"
  axag-required-parameters='["order_id","items","reason"]'
  axag-optional-parameters='["notes","evidence_urls"]'
  axag-preconditions='["order must be within return window","items must not be final-sale"]'
  axag-postconditions='["return request created","refund processing initiated"]'
  axag-risk-level="high"
  axag-confirmation-required="true"
  axag-idempotent="false"
  axag-side-effects='["refund_processing","inventory_update"]'
  axag-description="Initiate a return for one or more items from an order"
>Start Return</button>

Semantic Manifest Excerpt

{
  "intent": "return.initiate",
  "entity": "return",
  "operation_id": "return_initiate",
  "action_type": "write",
  "parameters": {
    "order_id": { "type": "string", "required": true },
    "items": {
      "type": "array",
      "required": true,
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
          "item_id": { "type": "string" },
          "quantity": { "type": "integer", "minimum": 1 }
        }
      }
    },
    "reason": {
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "enum": ["defective", "wrong_item", "not_as_described", "changed_mind", "other"]
    },
    "notes": { "type": "string", "required": false, "maxLength": 1000 },
    "evidence_urls": { "type": "array", "required": false, "items": { "type": "string" } }
  },
  "preconditions": ["order must be within return window", "items must not be final-sale"],
  "postconditions": ["return request created", "refund processing initiated"],
  "risk_level": "high",
  "confirmation_required": true,
  "idempotent": false,
  "side_effects": ["refund_processing", "inventory_update"]
}

Generated Tool Example

{
  "tool_name": "return_initiate",
  "description": "Initiate a return for one or more items from an order",
  "input_schema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "order_id": { "type": "string" },
      "items": {
        "type": "array",
        "items": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "item_id": { "type": "string" },
            "quantity": { "type": "integer", "minimum": 1 }
          },
          "required": ["item_id", "quantity"]
        }
      },
      "reason": {
        "type": "string",
        "enum": ["defective","wrong_item","not_as_described","changed_mind","other"]
      },
      "notes": { "type": "string", "maxLength": 1000 }
    },
    "required": ["order_id", "items", "reason"]
  },
  "safety": {
    "risk_level": "high",
    "confirmation_required": true,
    "idempotent": false,
    "side_effects": ["refund_processing", "inventory_update"],
    "preconditions": ["order must be within return window", "items must not be final-sale"]
  }
}

Constraints & Safety Notes

• High risk: triggers financial refund processing
• Confirmation required: agent MUST confirm with user before executing
• Not idempotent: submitting twice creates duplicate return requests
• Preconditions are machine-checkable: return window and final-sale status
• Reason enum ensures valid categorization