---
title: "AUTO 101 · Automate your routine work"
publisher: Maestro College (Maestro Open)
lessons: 16
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work
full: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/llms-full.txt
---

# Automate your routine work (AUTO 101)

Spot the routine work worth automating, then map it, build it with no-code triggers and actions, test it, plan for errors and protect the data passing through.

Copying data from forms into spreadsheets, sending the same reminder every week, saving email attachments to the right folder: routine tasks like these quietly eat hours. This course teaches you to spot work worth automating, map it step by step and build it with no-code tools that connect your apps through triggers and actions. You'll set up email, form and spreadsheet automations, test them properly, plan for errors and protect the data passing through them. You'll finish with a working automation design for a task from your own job.

## Course objectives
- Spotting tasks that are worth automating and mapping a process
- Triggers, actions, data mapping, filters and branches
- Common email, form, spreadsheet and notification automations
- Testing, error handling and maintenance
- Permissions, data privacy and responsible automation

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## Lessons
### Unit 1: Find what to automate
- [What automation is](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/what-automation-is.md)
- [Spotting tasks worth automating](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/spotting-tasks-worth-automating.md)
- [Mapping a process before you automate it](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/mapping-a-process-before-you-automate-it.md)
- [Challenge: the automation shortlist](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/challenge-the-automation-shortlist.md)

### Unit 2: How no-code automation tools work
- [Triggers, actions and connected apps](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/triggers-actions-and-connected-apps.md)
- [Moving data between steps](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/moving-data-between-steps.md)
- [Filters, conditions and branches](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/filters-conditions-and-branches.md)
- [Challenge: write the recipe](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/challenge-write-the-recipe.md)

### Unit 3: Everyday automations
- [Email automations](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/email-automations.md)
- [Forms and spreadsheets](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/forms-and-spreadsheets.md)
- [Schedules, reminders and notifications](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/schedules-reminders-and-notifications.md)
- [Challenge: automate an office workflow](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/challenge-automate-an-office-workflow.md)

### Unit 4: Reliable and responsible automation
- [Testing before you trust it](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/testing-before-you-trust-it.md)
- [Errors, monitoring and maintenance](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/errors-monitoring-and-maintenance.md)
- [Data privacy and permissions](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/data-privacy-and-permissions.md)
- [Challenge: ready to launch](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/challenge-ready-to-launch.md)

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.
Start with lesson 1 unless the learner asks for a specific lesson. Keep track of which lesson you are on.

## When a lesson is done
Teach one lesson at a time. A lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed for it; check each with a small task or question.
When it is complete:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson N complete: <lesson title>." (use the lesson's number and title).
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, say "Lesson N+1 of 16: <title>", and ask if they're ready to start it. Start it only when they say yes.
After the last lesson, congratulate them on finishing the course.