Automate the
Boring Stuff

In this Beacon, you'll discover what automation actually means — and build your first one.

You'll use a tool called Make.com to create a simple "if this happens, do that" rule — without writing a single line of code.

By the end, you'll have your very first automated workflow running in the real world.

Make.com is a visual automation platform. Instead of writing code, you drag and drop blocks to connect apps and create rules.

The idea is simple: when something happens in one place, Make does something in another place — automatically.

For example:

• When you receive an email with an attachment → save it to Google Drive
• When a new row is added to a spreadsheet → send yourself a reminder
• When you fill out a form → get a notification on your phone

Make.com works with thousands of apps. Today you'll use Google services — because you already have a Gmail account.

🔗 Go to: https://www.make.com and click Get started free.

On the sign-up page, click Sign up with Google and follow the steps — you'll enter your name and country, then click Sign up for free.

Make will then ask you a few questions about yourself — just pick the options that feel right and continue. At the end, click Get started.

In Make.com, your automation is called a scenario.

A scenario has two parts:

Trigger — the thing that starts the automation.

Example: "A new row is added to my Google Sheet."

Action — what happens as a result.

Example: "Send me an email."

That's it. Trigger → Action. If this, then that.

Every time the trigger fires, Make runs the action automatically — even if you're not at your computer.

Make.com's free plan gives you 1,000 credits per month.

A credit is one module action in your scenario. So a trigger + one action = 2 credits per run.

For a simple automation that runs once a day, 1,000 credits is plenty of room to explore.

You also get 2 active scenarios on the free plan — more than enough to get started.

You're going to build a real automation. When you add a row to a Google Sheet, Make will send you a confirmation email.

Open Google Sheets (sheets.google.com) and create a new blank spreadsheet. Name it "My Automation Test".

In the first row, add these column headers:

Task | Status | Date

Leave it open — you'll come back to it.

1. Go to https://www.make.com, sign in, and click + Create scenario in the top right corner
2. A tips window may appear — just click Next and then close it to continue
3. Click the large + circle in the middle of the screen
4. Search for Google Sheets and select it
5. Choose the trigger: Watch New Rows — don't worry if you see a small "Acid" badge next to it, that's normal
6. Under Connection, your Google account should appear automatically. If not, click Add and sign in with Google
7. An permission screen will appear — tick both checkboxes (Google Drive + Google Sheets) or click Select all, then click Continue. This is important — without it, Make can't find your spreadsheet.
8. Back in the Google Sheets settings, click Click here to choose file under Spreadsheet ID and select My Automation Test. Under Sheet Name, select or type Sheet1, then click Save
9. A "Choose where to start" window appears — select All and click Save
10. Click the small + button to the right of the Google Sheets block, then click Add module
11. Search for Gmail and select Send an email
12. Under Connection, your Google account should appear automatically. If not, click Add and sign in with Google
13. Fill in:

- To: click + Add recipient and enter your Gmail address

- Subject: New row added to my sheet!

- Content: A new task was just added.

1. Click Save
2. Click Run once (bottom left), then switch to your Google Sheet and add a new row: Buy groceries | Pending | Today
3. Check your inbox — the email should arrive within a minute! 📬

Screens and menus may look slightly different — that's normal. Just explore and you'll find your way. 😊

After the scenario runs, look at the two blocks on the canvas. Each one now shows a green checkmark and a small ✓1 badge at the top — that means one item passed through each step successfully.

Click on either badge to see exactly what data Make processed.

That's the moment it clicks: Make didn't just run your code — it read a real row from a real spreadsheet and sent a real email. You built something that works.

Make runs on a schedule, not instantly.

On the free plan, your scenario checks for new rows every 15 minutes when running automatically. The Run once button bypasses this — great for testing.

You may see a reauthorization notice.

Sometimes Make shows a yellow warning saying you need to reauthorize your connection by a certain date. This is normal — just follow the link if it appears.

You can turn scenarios on and off.

The toggle in the scenario view switches it between active and paused. Active means it runs automatically every 15 minutes. Paused means it waits.

Two active scenarios is plenty for learning.

The free plan allows 2 running at the same time. You can build more — just keep only 2 turned on.

Automation isn't just for tech people.

The whole point of Make is that anyone can build workflows. If you can describe a rule in plain English — "when this happens, do that" — you can build it here.

You just built your first real automation. No code. No IT department. Just a trigger, an action, and a rule that works while you sleep.

Up next → Beacon 26: Build without code

You'll use an AI tool called Lovable to create a simple app — just by describing what you want. Yes, really.