Your first task

Start with your agent#

Open your workspace and choose Agent in the sidebar. This is the default agent created with your account. It never does more than you could, keeps its own persistent files, and follows the instructions you give it. You can start with a file and a task before connecting an external service or building an app.

If the workspace is new, you can first tell the agent what your business does. It can help capture company context and your role. You can also go straight to work and refine that context later.

Give it a specific outcome#

Describe the source, the result, and any boundary that matters. For a first task, use a file whose contents you know so you can judge the result.

Use the attached spreadsheet to prepare a weekly operations summary. Group the work by owner, flag missing deadlines, and create a one-page report. Save the report and the script used to calculate the totals. Do not change the source file.

If the information lives in an app or connected account, identify it. The agent needs access to that source; describing a system does not connect it.

Follow the work#

The chat shows what the agent writes, its questions, and the files it makes; while it works, a line beside its avatar says what it is doing. The agent can read the attachment, use a document or spreadsheet tool, and write and run code when the task calls for it. It can keep the source, script, and result in its workspace files.

To see each action and its result, turn on Show the agent's steps in Settings → General. If the agent asks a question, give it the missing detail. You can also send a correction while it works: it reads it after its current step. If an action needs approval, review the target and proposed change before accepting. Approvals and access permissions serve different purposes.

Check and refine the result#

Open the generated file or resulting record. Check the values, the source, and whether the output answers your request. Reply in the chat to refine it:

Put the three oldest items first, keep the report under one page, and explain any rows excluded from the totals.

A file saved in the agent workspace can be reused later. If the result needs to be a shared business record, ask the agent to store it in the appropriate app or storage location and confirm the sharing. A chat attachment and a team record are different things.

Make the next task easier#

Save durable company information in Context, and use a skill for a process you repeat. Give the next task in the same chat. It never resets: the agent keeps its workspace and settings, and it can look back at earlier work when you mention it.

Once a task works reliably, ask about a schedule. If the work needs a dedicated interface, describe the workflow and build an app. You can keep using the chat and apps together.