Tutorial, step by step

Let's get you a harness

A harness is just the AI app where your assistant lives. You need one to run your skill. Here is how to set one up. Most of it is free, and it takes about five minutes.

Pick any one of these. They are all a home for the same assistant, and they all run the same skill you make here.

Good chance you already have one. If your job gives you Copilot or ChatGPT, you are set. Skip down to Step 3.

First, pick your assistant

Any of these work. They all run the same skill you make here.

ChatGPT

by OpenAI

The easiest place to start if you have never used one. Works in your browser and on your phone. Good at a bit of everything.

Go to chatgpt.com

Claude

by Anthropic

Great with documents and longer, careful tasks. Also in your browser and on your phone. Keeps a tidy home for your skills.

Go to claude.ai

Copilot

by Microsoft and GitHub

Already built into a lot of the Microsoft and GitHub tools your job may use. If work gave you this, you are set.

Go to copilot.microsoft.com

Cursor

by Anysphere

The hands-on option, made for people who work in code. It lives on your computer and can read and edit your files directly. Great once you are comfortable, not the place to start.

Go to cursor.com

Then, set it up

Pick one. Do not overthink it.

Choose from the list above. Picking one is not a marriage, you can switch later. If you have never tried any, start with ChatGPT.

Make a free account.

Go to the website, click sign up, and use your email or your Google or Microsoft login. This account is your token. The free version is plenty to start.

Find the instructions spot.

This is where your skill goes. Every app has one. You are looking for a place to give it standing instructions so you stop repeating yourself.

ChatGPT: make a Project, paste your skill into the Project instructions.
Claude: make a Project, paste your skill into the project instructions.
Copilot: paste your skill at the top of a new chat, or save it as a custom instruction.

Easiest: The simple way that works everywhere: open a new chat, paste the whole skill, and say follow this.

Hand it the skill.

Open the skill you made here, copy the whole thing, and paste it in. That is the welcome guide your assistant follows.

Give it a real task.

Now just ask. Try okay, do this for today. It follows the guide you gave it, step by step.

What about a “token” or “key”?

You might hear someone say go get a token, or bring your own key. Do not let it scare you. For most people, that just means: make an account at one of the places above. That is the whole thing.

A real API key is a different, more technical thing for wiring AI into other software. You can ignore it until you ever need it, and most people never do.

Free or paid?

Free plans are great for trying this out. Paid plans give you more room and the Projects feature, which is the tidiest place to keep a skill. Start free, upgrade only if you find yourself using it every day.

Got your assistant? Good.

Now make a skill and hand it over.

Make a skill Back to How it works