Set up Claude and Microsoft Copilot (free)
Listen to this lesson
Nigerian voice narration
Fictional training case. Your office lives in Excel and you write long formal reports often. This lesson sets up two more free tools — Claude for long documents and Copilot for Excel-heavy work — and shows when to rotate between all four assistants. Work through the example, identify the evidence needed and practise the method with cleared or synthetic inputs. Any additional figures in the explanation are separate practice examples, not claimed rows in a downloadable file.
Worked example
Open claude.ai or the official Anthropic app and follow its available free sign-up method. For Copilot, use Microsoft’s official site and an eligible Microsoft account when prompted. Start with a short fictional excerpt in Claude and ask Copilot chat for a formula based on sample columns. Free chat is not the same as an embedded Office licence, so paste the formula into your spreadsheet and verify it manually. When a limit appears, read its displayed notice. Wait or move a cleared excerpt to another approved free tool. There is no fixed reset interval or unlimited rotation promised here.
The method
Follow the verification and sign-in methods shown by Anthropic and Microsoft’s official sites. Use Claude for the fictional document draft and Copilot chat for formula explanations. Test formulas in your own spreadsheet. If a free limit appears, wait or use another approved available assistant with synthetic inputs; switching providers does not bypass confidentiality or service rules.
Worked practice and common mistakes
Copilot chat and a licensed assistant embedded in an Office application are different experiences. Practise by asking for =SUMIF(B:B,"Lagos",C:C), then test the formula on synthetic rows in your spreadsheet. Claude limits depend on the task and current policy; there is no fixed multiplier or reset interval promised here. Wait or use another approved free assistant with a cleared excerpt.
Review before using the result
Record the approved official sites and successful harmless tests. Free chat access is not an automatic Office application licence. Keep small excerpts and a manual fallback ready, and follow current usage notices; multiple tools cannot guarantee uninterrupted or unlimited access.
Your workplace practice
Use the recommended free assistant with this lesson's fictional example. Give me the Excel formula to add up column C only where column B says 'Lagos'. Explain each part in simple words. Keep a copy of the input and draft. Compare the result with the verification steps above, record any correction, and retain placeholders where evidence is missing. The expected result is a checked draft for human review, not an automatically approved decision. Course examples and practice responses are fictional; amounts, dates, rules and thresholds are not official guidance or supplier quotations.
Give me the Excel formula to add up column C only where column B says 'Lagos'. Explain each part in simple words.
All-round drafting, rewriting tone, brainstorming and step-by-step explanations.
Free: Free chat for drafting and explanations; message, upload and feature limits vary. Read the displayed notice when a limit is reached.
Paid: Paid plans generally raise allowances or add tools; current availability and pricing are on the official plan page.
Sign up: Go to chatgpt.com → Sign up → Continue with Google (or email) → verify your phone number if asked.
Free chat for drafts, explanations and source-checking. Direct integrations inside Google applications may require a different plan.
Free: Free chat with an eligible Google account. Uploads, search and other features depend on current limits and account availability.
Paid: Paid Google AI plans may add features and allowances; check the current plan, account eligibility and application requirements.
Sign up: Open gemini.google.com → sign in with your Gmail account → accept the terms. No new account needed.
Long documents, careful formal writing, policies and reports where tone and nuance matter.
Free: Free text assistance and supported uploads with changing limits. Follow the displayed usage notice; no fixed reset time is promised.
Paid: Paid plans generally offer higher allowances and additional capabilities; check the current official comparison.
Sign up: Go to claude.ai → Continue with Google or email → confirm the link sent to your inbox.
Excel formulas, Word and Outlook-style writing, and staff whose office already runs on Microsoft 365.
Free: Free chat where available; sign-in, uploads and feature allowances depend on current account and service requirements.
Paid: Embedded Office features have separate application, account and licensing requirements; check the current plan comparison.
Sign up: Visit copilot.microsoft.com → Sign in with an Outlook/Hotmail account (or create one free).
Source-oriented search for research and fact-checking; open the cited passages and verify the actual claim.
Free: Free search with changing limits on advanced features. Sources still require independent verification.
Paid: Paid plans generally raise allowances and add research features; current options and limits can change.
Sign up: Open perplexity.ai → Sign up with Google or email. You can also search without an account.
Studying cleared documents through source-grounded answers and references; check the response against the original passages.
Free: Free access with an eligible Google account; notebook, source and audio feature limits can change.
Paid: Paid options may raise notebook, source and feature limits; check the current official comparison and eligibility.
Sign up: Go to notebooklm.google.com → sign in with Gmail → Create new notebook → upload a PDF or paste text.
Quick help inside WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram — great for short replies and broadcast drafts on the go.
Free: Free text assistance where available in Meta apps or on the official website. Account and regional availability vary.
Paid: No paid AI upgrade is required for this course exercise. Check the official service for current plans and features.
Sign up: In WhatsApp tap the blue-ring Meta AI icon on the Chats screen, or open meta.ai and log in with Facebook/Instagram.
Free limits and prices change often — check each tool's website for the latest.