What You'll Do
Think about something you do on your computer every day or every week. The same steps, the same clicks, the same copy-paste routine. Claude can build a tool that does it for you in one click.
Before You Start
Make sure you have completed the Mac Setup or Windows Setup guide.
Step 1: Pick Your Repetitive Task
Think of something you do repeatedly. Here are some common examples:
- Renaming a batch of files every week
- Copying data from one place to another
- Sending the same email with different names
- Resizing photos before uploading them
- Converting files from one format to another
Step 2: Start Claude
claudeStep 3: Describe What You Do
Tell Claude exactly what your repetitive task looks like. Be specific. Here is an example:
Every Monday I need to rename all the files in my Invoices folder. Each file is named something random like "invoice_final_v2.pdf". I want them renamed to the format "2026-02-21_ClientName_Invoice.pdf" based on the date and the client name in the file. Can you build me a tool that does this automatically?Claude will build a script that handles the renaming for you. Next time, you just run one command.
Step 4: Try Another Automation
Once you see how it works, try automating something else:
I have 50 photos in a folder. Resize them all to 800 pixels wide and save them in a new folder called "resized".Every week I copy my team's hours from a spreadsheet and paste them into an email. Build me a tool that reads the spreadsheet and creates the email for me.I need to convert all the Word documents in this folder to PDF files.Step 5: Save Your Tools
Ask Claude to save each automation in its own folder so you can run it anytime:
Save this automation in a folder called ~/my-tools/rename-invoices/ with a clear name so I can run it again next Monday.What You Learned
You just turned a repetitive chore into a one-command tool. The trick is describing your exact routine to Claude and letting it build the automation. Every repetitive task you automate gives you time back. Over a month, those minutes add up to hours.
