Playbooks for AI agents · Reviewed 14 Oct 2026
What can I safely hand to my AI agent, and what should I approve?
Plain-English playbooks for small-business owners and solo operators who use an AI agent: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, or an open agent or automation. Every playbook gives the job a Handoff rating and names the exact moment a human should approve.
The Handoff rating, in four levels
The rating describes the job, not the agent. The higher the number, the more of a human checkpoint it needs.
Handoff 1
Read-only research
The agent reads and reports. It changes nothing outside the chat.
Handoff 2
Drafts for review
The agent prepares drafts or files. A human sends, files or publishes.
Handoff 3
Acts, but reversible
The agent changes things that can be undone: labels, moves, scheduled items, record edits.
Handoff 4
Acts irreversibly, or with money or people
Payments, messages to customers, cancellations, public posts. A human approves each one.
Playbooks
Showing all 30 playbooks.
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Inbox & admin
Sort this morning's inbox into Act, Reply, Read later and Ignore
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A short list of what needs you today, so you open the right five emails first.
You approve: Before you act on the list: scan the 'Ignore' pile for anything misfiled, because that is where an important email would hide.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini
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Inbox & admin
Draft replies to routine emails for you to check and send
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
Ready-to-edit drafts sitting in your drafts folder, written in your voice.
You approve: Before any reply is sent: you open each draft, check facts (prices, dates, promises) and send it yourself.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Inbox & admin
Find newsletters you never read and unsubscribe from the ones you choose
Handoff 3 Acts, but reversible
Fewer unwanted newsletters, without losing the ones you rely on.
You approve: Approve the final list of senders, name by name, before it clicks any unsubscribe link.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Open agents & automations
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Inbox & admin
Propose meeting times from your calendar in a reply draft
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
A draft reply offering three times that genuinely fit your calendar.
You approve: Before the reply is sent and before anything goes in your calendar: check the times against your real day (travel, school run, focus time).
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Research
Shortlist three suppliers for something your business needs
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A comparison table of three credible suppliers with prices, terms and links.
You approve: Before you contact or pay any supplier: open each supplier's own website and confirm the price and terms yourself.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Research
One-page snapshot of a competitor's offer and prices
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A one-page summary of what a competitor sells, for how much, and how they describe it.
You approve: Before you change your own prices or copy: check the figures on the competitor's live site.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Research
Find grants or funding schemes your business might qualify for
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A list of possible schemes with eligibility, deadlines and official links.
You approve: Before you start any application: read the eligibility rules on the funder's official page.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Research
Summarise an official guidance page in plain English
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A plain-English summary of what the guidance asks of you, with the parts to check.
You approve: Before you rely on it: read the original sections it points to, or ask a qualified adviser.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Sales follow-up
Draft follow-ups for quotes with no reply after seven days
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
Friendly follow-up drafts for every quiet quote, ready for you to send.
You approve: Before each follow-up is sent: check the quote is still valid and the customer has not already replied by phone or another channel.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Sales follow-up
Research a new lead before your first call
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A one-page brief: what the business does, recent news, and three good questions to ask.
You approve: Before you quote anything from it on the call: check the fact on the lead's own website.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Sales follow-up
Update your CRM or deal spreadsheet with notes from recent emails
Handoff 3 Acts, but reversible
Deal records that reflect the latest emails, without retyping.
You approve: Review the proposed changes as a list (record, field, old value, new value) before it writes anything.
Suggested: Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Sales follow-up
Turn call notes into a first-draft proposal
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
A structured first draft proposal you can finish in a fraction of the time.
You approve: Before the proposal goes to the client: check every price, date, deliverable and promise yourself.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Customer support
Draft answers to common customer questions from your own FAQ
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
Accurate draft answers built only from your own policies.
You approve: Before each answer is sent: check it matches your current policy, especially on returns, refunds and delivery.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Customer support
Tag and prioritise incoming support messages
Handoff 3 Acts, but reversible
Every new message labelled by topic and urgency, so the right ones get answered first.
You approve: Approve the labelling rules on a sample of 10 messages before it labels anything else, and re-check weekly.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Open agents & automations
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Customer support
Draft replies to online reviews
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
Calm, specific reply drafts, especially for the tricky reviews.
You approve: Before anything is posted publicly: you read the reply, check it reveals no private customer details, and post it yourself.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Customer support
Check refund requests against your policy and prepare a decision
Handoff 4 Acts irreversibly, or with money or people
Each request checked against your policy with a recommended decision and a reply draft.
You approve: You approve every decision and issue every refund yourself in your payment system. The agent never has access to refund buttons.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Finance admin
Chase overdue invoices with polite reminders
Handoff 4 Acts irreversibly, or with money or people
Polite, escalating reminders for each overdue invoice, sent only after you confirm they are unpaid.
You approve: Before each reminder is sent: confirm in your accounts or bank that the invoice is still unpaid, then approve that specific email.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Finance admin
Turn a folder of receipts into an expense spreadsheet
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
A spreadsheet with date, supplier, amount, VAT if shown, and category for each receipt.
You approve: Before you submit, file or claim anything: check totals and VAT figures against the receipts.
Suggested: Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Finance admin
Suggest categories for bank transactions you export
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
Suggested categories for every transaction, ready for you to accept in your accounting tool.
You approve: Before anything goes into your accounts: review every suggestion, especially anything marked uncertain.
Suggested: Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Finance admin
Prepare a weekly list of bills to pay
Handoff 4 Acts irreversibly, or with money or people
One list of bills due this week with amounts, due dates and payee details checked against past payments.
You approve: You check each payee and amount, and you make every payment yourself in your bank. Any changed bank details are verified by phone using a number you already hold.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini
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Content & social
Turn your rough notes into a blog post draft
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
A clear first draft in your voice that you can finish in minutes.
You approve: Before publishing: check every fact, name and claim, and make sure it sounds like you.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Content & social
Plan a week of social posts from one article
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
Five to seven post drafts with suggested days, adapted for each platform.
You approve: Before anything is scheduled or posted: check each post, image choice and link.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Content & social
Schedule posts you have already approved in your social tool
Handoff 3 Acts, but reversible
Your approved posts queued in your scheduling tool at the right times.
You approve: Approve the final calendar (text, image, time) before it schedules anything, and check the first post goes out correctly.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Open agents & automations
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Content & social
Draft your monthly customer newsletter
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
A newsletter draft built from your month's news, ready to load into your email tool.
You approve: Before it goes to your list: send a test to yourself, check links and offers, then press send yourself.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Operations & reporting
Compile a weekly numbers report from your spreadsheets
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A one-page weekly summary of your key numbers and how they changed.
You approve: Before you share the report with anyone: spot-check three numbers against the source sheet.
Suggested: Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Operations & reporting
Turn meeting notes into actions and owners
Handoff 2 Drafts for review
A clear list of who does what by when, ready to share.
You approve: Before it is shared with the team: check owners and deadlines are what was actually agreed.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Operations & reporting
Tidy a messy shared folder into a clear structure
Handoff 3 Acts, but reversible
A tidy folder structure with files moved into place, and nothing deleted.
You approve: Approve the proposed folder plan (every move listed) before it moves anything. Deleting is never part of this job.
Suggested: Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Operations & reporting
Flag stock that needs reordering
Handoff 1 Read-only research
A short list of items below their reorder level, with suggested quantities.
You approve: Before you place any order: check the flagged items against what is physically on the shelf.
Suggested: Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Personal admin
Compare travel options for a work trip
Handoff 1 Read-only research
Three sensible options with times, prices found and trade-offs, so you can book in one go.
You approve: Before you book: check the price and times on the operator's own site; you make the booking.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Open agents & automations
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Personal admin
Cancel a subscription you no longer use
Handoff 4 Acts irreversibly, or with money or people
The subscription cancelled, with confirmation saved, once you have confirmed it is the right one.
You approve: You confirm the exact subscription and approve the final 'Cancel' click. Download anything you need from the account first.
Suggested: Claude, ChatGPT, Open agents & automations
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"Suggested" agents are the ones with a relevant feature we found in their official documentation. Other agents may still do the job.
Want it all on paper? The Starter Pack
A printable PDF with an approval checklist for each Handoff level, an agent permission settings worksheet, a handoff policy template, a weekly review checklist, an incident log and all 30 playbooks, one page each. £19, one-off, instant download. The playbooks on this site stay free.