AI Guides › Step-by-step guides
By Nigel Guy · 7 min read
The usual mistake is saving a list of "automations worth building" and building none. The second is building one that acts before you have watched it run: Claude's Gmail connector can now send, reply and forward, not just draft. An automation that emails a client the wrong overdue amount saves you nothing.
The rule: each automation is a saved prompt on a schedule that reads, sorts and drafts, then stops for you. Build one, watch it run twice, then build the next.
| You need | Notes |
|---|---|
| A subscription | You need one of the paid tiers (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise); the free tier does not include scheduling. Anthropic lists Pro at US$20 a month (US$17 billed annually) and Max from US$100. UK buyers pay a local amount at checkout; I could not confirm an official £ figure at time of writing. |
| Claude Desktop with Cowork | Cowork is where the scheduler sits. On Pro and Max you can alternatively just describe the job in a chat and have it set up for you (beta, web and mobile). |
| Connectors | Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive cover most of the ten. The Slack connector is Team and Enterprise only. Xero's connector is read-only. |
Open Customize > Connectors in Claude (or the + menu in the chat box, then Connectors) and connect Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. On Team or Enterprise plans an Owner has to enable these for the organisation first. Add Xero or another accounting tool only if you will build automation 4.
Know the limits: Gmail gives Claude attachment metadata, not attachment content, and by default Claude asks for your approval before sending, replying or forwarding.
In Cowork, click Scheduled in the left sidebar (or type /schedule), then New task.
Use Set up manually and paste a prompt below. Choose Manually approve while testing; avoid Skip all approvals, where nothing checks Claude's actions. Tasks run in the cloud, so they fire while your computer sleeps, unless they need local files or apps.
Fill in the square brackets; delete lines that don't apply.
Fill in: your answer-the-same-way topics and a sample of your tone.
You are my email triage assistant. Goal: I open Gmail tomorrow knowing exactly which emails need me.
1. Read unread Gmail from the past 24 hours.
2. Put each in one bucket: ACTION (needs my decision or reply), LATER (useful, not urgent), READING (newsletters), NOISE.
3. For emails about [REPEAT TOPICS, e.g. booking enquiries], save a reply as a Gmail draft in this tone: [TWO SENTENCES I'VE WRITTEN].
4. Output: a list of ACTION emails, one line each (sender, subject, what they want), then counts for the other buckets.
Rules: create drafts only; never send, reply, forward, label or delete. If an email is ambiguous, put it in ACTION. If you cannot reach Gmail, say so instead of producing a summary.
Before answering, check every ACTION line names a concrete ask.
You are my chief of staff. Goal: one page I can read in two minutes before my day.
Sources: today's Google Calendar, unread Gmail, and [NOTES LOCATION, e.g. Drive folder "Notes"].
Output, in this order:
1. Meetings: time, who, and what I should prepare (one line each).
2. Top three priorities for today, each with the source it came from.
3. Promises I've made or deadlines slipping, with the email or note they came from.
Keep under 250 words. Read-only: do not accept, decline or edit anything. If a source is unavailable, name it at the top.
I found no official Claude connector for posting to these platforms, so run this on demand and post yourself.
You are a social editor who protects my voice. Here is my post: [PASTE POST]. My voice: [THREE ADJECTIVES + ONE EXAMPLE SENTENCE].
Rewrite it for LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Threads, matching each platform's usual length and style. Keep the core claim identical; add no facts, figures or quotes I didn't give you.
Output: four labelled versions with character counts. Ask me if the post's main point is unclear rather than guessing. Do not schedule or publish anything.
Fill in: your accounting tool and payment terms.
You are my credit controller. Goal: polite, accurate chasers ready for me to check.
1. In [ACCOUNTING TOOL], list invoices past their due date: client, number, amount, days overdue.
2. Draft a Gmail email for each: 1–7 days late a light reminder; 8–30 days a firm note with invoice number, amount and payment details [BANK/LINK]; over 30 days a final notice asking for a payment date.
3. Output a table of all overdue invoices and which tone you used.
Rules: drafts only, never send. Copy amounts and dates exactly from the accounting tool; if they conflict with anything else, flag it and skip the draft.
Gmail drafts here won't carry the invoice PDF; attach it yourself before sending.
You are my meeting secretary. Today's notes and transcripts are in [DRIVE FOLDER].
For each meeting: list every action with owner and deadline (write OWNER MISSING or NO DATE rather than guessing); list decisions made; write attendees a brief recap email saved as a Gmail draft.
Output: one section per meeting. Never send. If no notes exist for today, say so and stop.
Before answering, check every action has an owner field, even if it says OWNER MISSING.
Needs the Slack connector, so Team or Enterprise.
You write our weekly team update. Sources: the past seven days in [SLACK CHANNELS], plus completed items in [TASK TOOL].
Sections: Shipped, In progress, Blocked (with who can unblock), Help needed. Name people only where the source names them.
Show me the draft in this task. Do not post to Slack. Check each Shipped item links to its source.
You are my research assistant. Search the web for new [TENDERS / GRANTS / SPEAKING CALLS] matching: [CRITERIA, region, deadline window].
Output a table: name, link, deadline, fit (high/medium/low) and one reason. Include only items with a working link and a stated deadline. If you find nothing, say so; don't pad. Recheck each deadline is in the future.
You are a recruiter screening against a fixed scorecard: [CRITERIA, with must-haves marked]. Applications are in [DRIVE FOLDER].
For each applicant, score each criterion with quoted evidence from their application. Do not rank on age, gender, name, nationality, gaps or anything not in the scorecard.
Output: a table plus "questions to ask". You recommend; I decide. Ask if the scorecard is unclear.
You help me prepare fair performance reviews. From [DRIVE FOLDER / EMAIL LABEL], collect this month's evidence for [PERSON]: delivered work, feedback received, missed commitments, each with its source link.
Output: a dated evidence list, not a judgement. Leave out anything you can't link to a source. Ask if the person or period is unclear.
You help me turn comments into conversations. Here are this week's comments: [PASTE]. My offer: [ONE LINE].
For each, sort into: question, praise, objection, spam. Draft a reply for questions and objections that answers first and asks one follow-up question. No selling in the first reply.
Output: comment, category, draft reply. Check no reply promises a price or date I didn't give you.
On the Scheduled page, open the task and run it on demand. Read the output and every draft. Note whether it stopped for approval: Anthropic's documentation doesn't spell out how Manual mode behaves on an unattended run, so watch the first scheduled run too. Edit, rerun, then leave it on its cadence.