How to Use Formula Builder

Craft Your Own Herbal Formula Blend

We are making our own in-house tool available to use by our customers on this website to build custom herbal formulas. We use this tool to aid us in building and pricing out herbal formulas that we fill. We hope you are able to use this to price out your own herbal formulas and teas to order from our site. This is an informational guide on how to use it.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Please review anything that is parsed as there can be mistakes and different names for herbs. If you need help, please do a manual quote or add to the notes in the formula**

Ways to Build:

  • Direct Input: Simply type an herb name to search our database of 700+ herbs and add it manually to the herbal formula list. You can use English common names (Licorice Root), english scientific names (Glycyrrhiza), and Chinese names (甘草). Please include the quantities as well (12g, 12克, 1两, 2钱). You can also include special instructions such as pack separately to cook first or cook at the end.

  • AI-Powered Parsing:
    • Parse Text Button: After typing or pasting your formula/herbs in the search bar, click the "Parse Text" button. The AI will analyze your input and identify the herbs, quantities, and any special instructions.

 

    • Upload File Button: Have a photo or a PDF of your formula? Click "Upload File" to let our AI read and interpret it. It will analyze the input and identify the herbs in the formula. 

Note: The AI works best on files with text of the herbs. It is not tuned to identifying herbs in the file as herbs do not come standard and can be different cuts

    • Take Photo Button: Use your device's camera to take a picture of your formula by clicking "Take Photo." The AI will analyze the photo to identify items in the formula.

Note: The AI works best on images of text for the herbs. It is not tuned to identify herbs in images as herbs do not come standard and can be different cuts

  • Manual Quote: If the tool is not working as intended, you are having issues finding the correct herbs, or you do not know the herbs yourself, please submit a request to our team for a manual quote. Make sure to attach a photo/file or provide the text of your formula. Please allow 1-2 business days for our team to get back to you with clarifications and/or the price of the formula per package. Please make sure your contact info is correct so we can contact you. If the contact info (email/phone number) is incorrect, we have no way of getting in touch with you.

Reviewing AI Suggestions:
Once the AI processes your input, a review dialog will appear:

  1. Matched Items: On the left hand column will be the herbs the AI believes it successfully identified and matched to our database. You can edit quantities or instructions here. Please confirm the items were matched correctly. Sometimes, especially with handwritten formulas, there may be interpretation issues with numbers.
  2. Unmatched/Ambiguous Items: On the right hand column will be anything the AI couldn't clearly identify or find. You can use the "Manual Search & Add" option within the dialog to find these herbs in our database or mark them as resolved if they are not needed.
  3. User Added Items: Herbs you add manually during the review process will appear here underneath the Matched Items.

Finalizing Your Formula:
After reviewing and making any necessary adjustments in the dialog, confirm your selections and press the button to add it to the list. The herbs will be added to the comprehensive list outlining what is in the formula. Pricing will be provided for the list (the formulas are priced by increments of $1 to work with the online cart) Then please do the following:

  • Give your formula a unique name (e.g., "Sheng Hua Tang", "Postpartum Soup", 生化汤, or your name: "Jane Li"). We will use this to reference your formula
  • Specify the number of packages you need.
  • Add any notes for the formula.
  • Click "Add to Cart" to send the custom formula to your cart. You can continue shopping or proceed to checkout.

AI Disclaimer: 
While the AI tool is helpful, it is a tool. With so many different names for herbs across many cultures (even across provinces and dialects) this tool can make mistakes. Please double check the results from the parsing. All formulas will be carefully reviewed by our herbalists before they are put together and shipped. Pricing is subject to this final review. Please make sure your contact information is correct so that we can communicate with you.