ACT NOW — a practical guide to using WorkBuddy AI agent for document, spreadsheet, and presentation automation
Stop asking AI what to do. Give it the work.
That is the core idea behind Tencent WorkBuddy.
WorkBuddy is a desktop AI agent designed for everyday office tasks involving files, documents, spreadsheets, presentations and similar computer-based work. Instead of only returning text answers in a chat window, it can plan a task, break it into steps, execute those steps within the workspace you authorize, create files and deliver finished results.
For example, you can tell it:
> "Analyze this Excel file, identify the key trends, create three charts, and turn the results into a management report."
WorkBuddy is built to handle the workflow rather than merely explain how you could do it yourself.
This matters because AI is shifting from answering questions to executing multi-step work.
This guide covers how to use WorkBuddy effectively, the kinds of tasks it handles well, how to set up recurring automation, and where human review remains essential.
WorkBuddy in One Sentence
• WorkBuddy is a desktop AI agent that plans and executes multi-step computer work inside the folders and permissions you give it.
Documented use cases include:
- Document generation
- Spreadsheet and data analysis
- Presentation creation
- Research and report writing
- Email drafting
- Batch file processing and organization
- Coding assistance
- Recurring automated tasks
The key difference from a conventional chatbot is execution. A normal AI might reply: "Here are five steps for organizing your files." WorkBuddy is designed to actually perform those steps (within the limits of the workspace and permissions you set).
Start with a Real Task
Do not begin by reading every feature page.
Open WorkBuddy and create a new task. Describe what you want in natural language. Official examples include generating an analysis report from sales data, organizing images by date, creating a PPT from meeting notes, extracting resume information into a spreadsheet, and researching an industry topic.
A safe first experiment:
> "Analyze the files in this folder and create a summary of what they contain. Do not modify any files."
This lets you observe how WorkBuddy reads your workspace without making changes.
Once you are comfortable, move to a task that produces output:
> "Read the sales spreadsheet in this folder and create a one-page summary of the most important trends. Save the result as a Word document."
You are now using the intended loop:
• Input → Reasoning → Execution → Output
How WorkBuddy Works
The basic workflow is straightforward:
- Create a task from the main interface.
- Choose a workspace — the folder WorkBuddy is allowed to read and write for that task.
- Describe the job clearly: what you want, which files to use, the desired final format, and any restrictions.
- Select a mode (current interface offers):
- Ask — information or analysis only; no file changes.
- Plan — generates an execution plan for review before changes.
- Craft — executes the task and creates or modifies files.
- Review the result — the interface shows generated files, changes and previews.
Better Results Come from a Clear Brief
Treating the agent like a search box limits its value.
Instead of "Analyze this," give a structured brief:
• Goal + Input + Actions + Output + Constraints
Example:
> Goal: Prepare a monthly sales report.
> Input: sales.xlsx in the current workspace.
> Actions: Calculate monthly revenue, growth rate, product and regional performance.
> Output: A Word report with three charts.
> Constraints: Verify all calculations against the source data. Do not invent missing numbers.
Official guidance recommends stating the goal, input, output format and constraints. You can also reference files with @, upload files or paste screenshots. This small change usually improves reliability.
Practical Task Examples
1. Excel → Management Report
> "Analyze sales-2026.xlsx. Calculate monthly revenue and month-over-month growth. Identify the three fastest-growing product categories and the three largest declines. Analyze regional performance and create three charts. Produce a concise management report in Word format. Verify all calculations against the source data and flag any missing or ambiguous data."
2. Organize a Messy Folder (Plan first)
> "Analyze all images in this workspace. Group them by year and month based on available metadata. Show me the proposed folder structure and the list of files that would be moved. Do not modify anything yet."
Review the plan, then approve execution if it looks correct.
3. Meeting Notes → Formal Minutes
> "Read the meeting notes in this workspace and create formal meeting minutes. Include key discussion points, confirmed decisions, unresolved questions, action items with owners and deadlines. Separate confirmed decisions from suggestions. Save as a Word document."
4. Source Materials → Presentation
> "Review all files in this workspace and create a 10-slide presentation for an executive audience. Start with an executive summary, then cover the most important findings, supporting data, trends and conclusions. Use charts where they communicate information more clearly than text. Keep each slide concise."
5. Research → Structured Report
> "Research the latest developments in consumer robotics. Focus on major product launches, company announcements, significant events and technology developments. Separate confirmed facts from interpretation. Create a structured research report with sources for major claims."
These examples turn a request into a defined deliverable rather than a summary.
Plan Before You Execute
The Ask / Plan / Craft modes give useful control:
- Ask — pure information, no changes.
- Plan — see the proposed steps first (especially useful for file reorganization or bulk operations).
- Craft — execute after review.
AI proposes → human reviews → AI executes.
Safety: Limit the Workspace
WorkBuddy can read and write files, organize folders, generate documents and, depending on permissions, run certain scripts or programs. That power is useful and also the reason for boundaries.
Best practice:
- Create a dedicated workspace folder for each task or project.
- Keep backups of important files.
- Do not point the default workspace at your entire Documents or Downloads folder.
AI-Workspace/
├── weekly-report/
├── invoice-processing/
├── research/
├── presentation/
└── experiments/
Permissions
WorkBuddy offers different permission levels. The recommended everyday setting is the more restricted mode, where higher-risk actions (deletion of important files, sensitive paths, scripts, external programs, certain network operations) require confirmation.
Full Access reduces those confirmation steps. Use it only in isolated, recoverable environments — never on production data, customer data, financial records or the only copy of critical files.
Practical rule: Restricted/default permissions for normal work. Full Access only for controlled experiments.
Recommended Five-Step Process for New Tasks
1. Create a clean workspace with only the relevant files.
- Start with Ask or Plan to understand the scope.
- Review the files, paths and expected outputs.
- Execute under restricted permissions.
- Open and verify the actual result files — do not rely solely on a "completed" message.
Skills and Automation
Skills extend what the agent can do. Official documentation lists 20+ built-in skills covering PPT creation, report generation, Excel processing, file organization and more. Community and custom skills can also be added.
Automation lets you schedule recurring or one-time tasks (hourly, daily, weekly, or specific times). You assign a workspace to each automation.
Example:
> Every Monday at 9:00 AM, analyze the latest sales files in the Weekly Reports workspace and prepare a management summary.
Important: Never automate a workflow you have not first run and refined manually. Test → review → improve the prompt → then schedule.
Parallel Tasks and Mobile Control
WorkBuddy supports multiple independent tasks running at the same time. This is useful for research, content production or data processing.
Remote control is available through supported messaging platforms (including Slack, Telegram, Discord, WeChat Work, Feishu, DingTalk, QQ and others). You send a message from your phone; the desktop instance executes the task and can return results.
Limitation: Your computer must be powered on and WorkBuddy must be running. This is remote control of a local instance, not fully independent cloud execution.
Pricing (as listed on the international site)
| Plan | Price | Credits (approx.) | Automated Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 / month | 3 |
| Pro | $10 / month | 2,000 / month* | 15 |
| Pro Annual | $96 / year | 2,000 / month* | 15 |
| Team | $40 / seat / month | 1,000 / seat / month | — |
*Pro figures typically include base + promotional bonus credits. Chinese-site pricing and credit amounts differ and are quoted in RMB. Always check the official pricing page, as promotions and exact quotas change.
When WorkBuddy Makes Sense
It is most useful for people whose work involves repetitive, multi-step computer operations: researchers, analysts, content creators, marketers, small-business operators, solo professionals and developers handling routine file or document work.
The common factor is the presence of defined workflows that can be described clearly and verified afterward.
Where You Must Stay Involved
- Financial or operational numbers — always verify.
- Sensitive or customer data — use extreme caution.
- Destructive file operations — review lists before approving.
- Scripts or external programs — do not approve what you do not understand.
- Research claims — cross-check important facts against primary sources.
- Automated outputs — periodically re-check quality as data or requirements change.
Five Prompts to Try Today
1. Analyze a spreadsheet and produce a management report with charts.
- Propose a folder structure for the current workspace (do not modify yet).
- Create a concise executive presentation from existing source files.
- Research a defined topic and produce a structured report separating facts from interpretation.
- Set up a weekly automated summary after first refining the prompt manually.
Bottom Line
WorkBuddy is most valuable when you stop treating it as another chatbot and start treating it as a tool that can execute a defined piece of work.
Begin small: one folder, one clear task, one deliverable.
Then expand to multiple files, parallel tasks and carefully tested automation.
The progression is:
• Ask AI → Collaborate with AI → Delegate defined work → Automate proven workflows
If you have a repetitive weekly task that currently consumes time, put the relevant files in a clean workspace, describe the exact result you want, and let WorkBuddy attempt it. Review the output carefully. That is the fastest way to decide whether it fits your actual work.
• Always verify results. Always keep important data recoverable.
FAQ
Q1: What exactly is Tencent WorkBuddy?
Tencent WorkBuddy is a desktop AI agent built for everyday office work. Unlike a chatbot that only answers questions, it plans multi-step tasks, reads and writes files in an authorized workspace, creates spreadsheets, documents, presentations, and delivers finished results. It supports Ask, Plan, and Craft modes so humans can review intent before execution.
Q2: Is WorkBuddy the same as a chatbot like ChatGPT or Gemini?
No. A chatbot returns text answers — it tells you how to do something. WorkBuddy is built to actually do it within the folders and permissions you give it. For example, it can read an Excel file, compute trends, create charts, insert them into a Word report, and save the output as a file on your computer.
Q3: What is the Ask / Plan / Craft difference?
Ask mode is information or analysis only; no files are changed. Plan mode shows the agent's proposed step-by-step plan and file list for review. Craft mode then executes those steps and creates or modifies files. The recommended flow is Ask or Plan → review → Craft.
Q4: Which tasks does WorkBuddy handle best?
Document generation, spreadsheet analysis and reporting, presentation creation, research and structured report writing, email drafting, folder and file organization by date/type, batch processing, coding assistance, and recurring scheduled automation (e.g., weekly summaries). It works best on clearly defined, repeatable, verifiable workflows.
Q5: How safe is WorkBuddy with my files and data?
Safety depends on how you set it up. Always use a dedicated workspace folder per project (never your entire Documents or Downloads), keep backups of important files, and use restricted/default permission mode for everyday work. Higher-risk actions (deleting files, running scripts, sensitive paths, external programs, network operations) should require explicit confirmation. Never point Full Access at production, customer, or financial data with no backup.
Q6: Can WorkBuddy run multiple tasks in parallel?
Yes. WorkBuddy supports multiple independent tasks running simultaneously, which is useful for research, content production, data processing, or generating multiple documents and reports at once. Each task should have its own clean workspace.
Q7: Can I control WorkBuddy remotely from my phone?
Remote control is available through supported messaging platforms including Slack, Telegram, Discord, WeChat Work (WeCom), Feishu, DingTalk, and QQ. You send a message; your desktop instance executes the task and returns results. Important limitation: your desktop computer must be powered on and WorkBuddy must be running — this is remote control of a local instance, not fully independent cloud execution.
Q8: What are the WorkBuddy pricing tiers?
As listed on the international site, WorkBuddy pricing includes Free ($0, 100 credits/month, 3 automated tasks), Pro ($10/month, approximately 2,000 credits/month*, 15 automated tasks), Pro Annual ($96/year, same monthly credit allowance as Pro), and Team ($40/seat/month, approximately 1,000 credits/seat/month). Chinese-site pricing and credit amounts differ and are quoted in RMB. Always check the official pricing page as promotions and exact quotas change.
Q9: Who should use WorkBuddy?
WorkBuddy is most useful for researchers, analysts, content creators, marketers, small-business operators, solo professionals, and developers handling routine file or document work — anyone whose work involves repetitive, multi-step computer operations that can be described clearly and verified afterward.
Q10: Can I automate WorkBuddy tasks on a schedule?
Yes. WorkBuddy Automation lets you schedule recurring or one-time tasks at hourly, daily, weekly, or specific times and assign each a dedicated workspace. Never automate a workflow you have not first run and refined manually: Test → review → improve the prompt → then schedule.