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Automate Basics

// No installs, no admin rights, only what IT already approved.

I work inside a company

On a locked-down, IT-managed machine you can’t self-host or add vendors. Your automation surface is the AI chat box and the apps you’re already signed into, Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, Shortcuts. We start every recommendation with “which tool is sanctioned for this data?”

// tools that fit you

✓ Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat · AI assistants ✓ Microsoft 365 Copilot (in Excel/Outlook/Teams) · AI assistants ✓ ChatGPT (Projects, GPTs, Tasks) · AI assistants ✓ Claude (Projects, Artifacts) · AI assistants ✓ Google Gemini in Workspace · AI assistants ✓ NotebookLM · AI assistants ✓ Microsoft Power Automate (cloud) · No-code platforms ✓ Apple Shortcuts · Desktop & OS ✓ Power Automate Desktop · Desktop & OS ✓ Excel, Copilot, Office Scripts & VBA · Desktop & OS ✓ Google Sheets, Gemini & Apps Script · Desktop & OS ✓ Windows built-ins (PowerToys, Task Scheduler) · Desktop & OS ✓ ChatGPT Agent · AI agents ✓ Copilot Studio (computer use) · AI agents Perplexity Comet / ChatGPT Atlas · AI agents

Guides for you

◐ Personal Productivity AI assistants ✓ Works at work · no install

Build a Daily AI Briefing With ChatGPT Tasks (No Server, No Code)

Wake up to a short briefing written by ChatGPT every morning. Use the built-in Tasks feature to run a prompt on a schedule, no automation tool, no server, no code.

Beginner · 10 min At workSolo
▤ Finance & Invoicing AI assistants ✓ Works at work · no install

Clean a Messy CSV and Build a PivotTable with Excel Copilot, in Plain English

No formulas, no macros, nothing to install. Use Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel to clean a messy export and build a PivotTable just by describing what you want, plus the free fallback if you don’t have a Copilot license.

Beginner · 15 min At workSolo
⛯ Operations & Admin AI assistants ✓ Works at work · no install

Answer Questions From a 100-Page Policy Pack With NotebookLM (Cited, No Guessing)

Stop scrolling through PDFs for one answer. Upload your documents to NotebookLM and ask questions in plain English, with answers grounded only in your sources and linked to the exact page. Free, no install.

Beginner · 10 min At workSolo
⛯ Operations & Admin AI assistants ✓ Works at work · no install

Triage Your Flooded Outlook Inbox with Copilot, and Draft Replies (No Auto-Send)

Open your inbox to a prioritized, summarized list and one-click reply drafts. How to use Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook to triage email and draft responses in your style, inside Outlook, nothing to install, and it never sends without you.

Beginner · 15 min At work
⛯ Operations & Admin No-code platforms ✓ Works at work · no install

Auto-File Email Attachments to SharePoint and Notify Teams (Power Automate)

Stop dragging attachments into SharePoint by hand. Build a Power Automate cloud flow that saves every incoming attachment to the right SharePoint folder and posts a note in Teams, using the Microsoft tools your company already pays for.

Beginner · 25 min At workTeam / agency
◆ Foundations AI assistants ✓ Works at work · no install

Which AI Chat Is Safe for Work Data? Copilot vs ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini

Before you paste company data into an AI chat, read this. A plain-English guide to which AI assistant is safe for work, Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and the free-tier trap that trains the model on your chats.

Beginner · 5 min read At work
◆ Foundations No-code platforms

Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs Just ChatGPT: Which Should You Use in 2026?

A plain-English decision guide. Stop comparing feature lists and answer four questions instead: can you install software, how much will it run, what is your budget, and how technical are you? Then pick the right automation tool with confidence.

Beginner · 8 min read At workSoloTeam / agency