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Tips & Best Practices

Choosing the Right Method​

  • Use "📍 Location + Miles" if:

    • You want a simple circular area around a specific point
    • You're setting up an area around your home or workplace
    • You prefer thinking in terms of "how many miles around me"

  • Use "📝 Set Coordinates" if:

    • You need a precise rectangular area
    • You want to cover a specific neighborhood or district
    • You have exact coordinates from another source

Saving Multiple Areas​

Save different areas for different purposes:

  • "Home 5mi": Your home area with 5-mile radius
  • "Work 10mi": Your work area with 10-mile radius
  • "Weekend Downtown": A specific downtown area for weekend rides
  • "Airport Route": Coordinates covering rides to/from the airport

This lets you quickly switch your monitoring area based on your current needs without re-entering coordinates.

Understanding Radius Conversion​

When you use "📍 Location + Miles" with a radius:

  • The system creates a circle around your center point
  • This circle is converted to a rectangle that fully contains the circle
  • The rectangular area is what the bot actually monitors (because the Gig Worker API uses rectangular coordinates)
  • The preview map shows both your center point (🔴) and the resulting rectangle (🔵)

Why? The Gig Worker API requires rectangular coordinates (southwest and northeast corners), so the system automatically converts your radius into an equivalent rectangle.

Fine-Tuning with Shifts​

Use the ↗️ Shift buttons when:

  • Your area is almost perfect but slightly off
  • You want to expand one side of your area
  • You need to exclude a specific street or include a nearby neighborhood

Example: If your area includes too much of a neighboring city, shift the northeast corner by -0.01,0 to move it slightly south.

Common Questions​

Q: What happens if I don't configure a schedule area? A: The bot will not start monitoring until you configure a schedule area. When you check /status, you'll see a message indicating that you need to configure your area first. This is a required step before the bot can begin searching for rides.

Q: What happens if I set a very large area? A: Larger areas will show more available rides, but may also include rides that are too far away to be practical. Start with 5-10 miles and adjust based on your needs.

Q: Can I have multiple areas active at once? A: No, only one area can be active at a time. However, you can save multiple areas and quickly switch between them using the "💾 Apply Saved Area" button.

Q: Will the bot find rides outside my area? A: No, the bot only searches for rides that start within your configured area. The ride destination can be anywhere.

Q: How precise do my coordinates need to be? A: The more decimal places, the more precise. The system shows 14-15 decimal places for maximum precision, but typically 6-8 decimal places are sufficient for most users.

Q: Can I see my area on a real map? A: Yes, if Google Maps API is configured, the bot will show you a visual map preview with your area boundaries clearly marked. This helps you verify your area covers the right locations.

Back to Main Menu​

To return to the main configuration menu, click the ⬅️ Back to Main button at any time.

From there, you can access other configuration options like:

  • 📅 Weekly Schedule - Set automatic scheduling times
  • 💰 Search Filters - Set minimum price and other filters
  • 📊 View Current Config - See all your current settings

Need Help?​

If you're having trouble configuring your area:

  1. Use the 📍 Location + Miles method with a simple radius (start with 5 miles)
  2. Check the preview map to verify your area looks correct
  3. Use the 💾 Apply and Save option to save your working configuration
  4. Try the shift buttons for small adjustments instead of re-entering coordinates

For technical issues or questions, contact your bot administrator.