Free Morning Brief Automation Template to Copy and Fill

Starting from a blank page is the slowest part of any new routine. This post gives you a morning brief automation template you can copy, fill in and use today. It has two parts: the instruction you give your AI assistant, and the shape of the note you want back.

A filled example follows each part so you can see how it works. The example business is invented for illustration.

If you want the guided version, Lesson 6.5 covers it: A short brief waiting every morning. The lesson is listed as coming soon, so the template below is yours to use now.

Fill in six blanks, add four safety rules, and ask for a note you can read in two minutes.

Part one: the instruction template

Copy everything inside the quote, then replace the square brackets.

I run [type of business]. Each morning I want a short note, readable in two minutes on my phone. Include only these things: [item 1], [item 2], [item 3]. Put them in this order: a one line headline, then what needs me today (no more than five items, each with the next step), then what happened that needs no action, then what can wait. Here is an example of a note I like: [paste one]. Rules: use only the information I give you. If something is unclear, say so instead of guessing. Do not send, reply to or delete anything. Do not use hype or filler. Before you write the first one, ask me up to five questions.

That is the whole template. Each part has a job, covered next.

What each blank does

1. Type of businessOne short phrase. It tells the assistant what counts as important. "A two person bookkeeping practice" gives different results from "a florist".
2. Items to includeTwo or three things you act on, such as new orders, messages that need a reply, today's calls. Fewer is better.
3. OrderThe fixed shape. A fixed shape means you learn where to look each morning.
4. Example noteOne note you wrote by hand from yesterday's real information. This does more for quality than any other part.
5. RulesThe safety lines. They keep the note factual and stop the assistant from acting for you.
6. Questions firstAsking for questions before the first draft catches gaps while they are cheap to fix.

If you want more on writing this kind of instruction, see How to brief AI like a senior hire.

A filled example

Say you run a small dog grooming salon with one assistant. This is invented to show the template in use.

I run a small dog grooming salon. Each morning I want a short note, readable in two minutes on my phone. Include only these things: new booking requests, messages from customers that need a reply, and today's appointments. Put them in this order: a one line headline, then what needs me today (no more than five items, each with the next step), then what happened that needs no action, then what can wait. Rules: use only the information I give you. If something is unclear, say so instead of guessing. Do not send, reply to or delete anything. Do not use hype or filler. Before you write the first one, ask me up to five questions.

Part two: the shape of the note

This is what you want back. Use it as the example you paste into the template.

Today: Busy morning, four appointments, two messages need you. Needs you 1. Reply to the customer asking to move Thursday's booking. Offer two other times. 2. Confirm the new booking request for Saturday. Happened Three bookings confirmed yesterday. One payment received. Can wait A supplier newsletter. A question about gift vouchers that can be answered on Friday.

Notice what it does. The headline sets the tone in one line. The action items name the next step. The "can wait" list gives you permission to leave things alone. Short paragraphs also make it quick to read: plain language guidance recommends short paragraphs and short sentences.

How to fill the example note

Take yesterday. Open your email, messages and calendar. Write the note you wish you had received this morning, using the four parts above. Keep it to about 100 to 150 words.

Do not tidy it into perfection. A rough, honest note is a better example than a polished one that does not match your real day.

How to get the information in

The template works with whatever you paste in. At the start, you can copy the day's items in by hand and ask for the note. That is a fine first week.

Some sources can be automated later. Google Calendar can email you a daily agenda each morning, so you can paste that in or read it alongside the brief. If you connect an assistant to other accounts, read the permissions first and connect only what the note needs.

How to check the first notes

For the first week, compare every note with the sources. Ask three things:

• Did it miss anything that mattered?
• Was anything wrong?
• Did I use every line?

Then change the template, not the note. If it missed a message type, add a line saying what counts as important. If it invented detail, repeat the rule about using only the information given.

Three variations

For a solo creator: replace the items with new comments that need a reply, deadlines this week, and one idea you noted yesterday.

For a shop: use new orders, delayed shipments, and customer messages that mention a problem.

For a service business: use today's appointments, new enquiries, and invoices that are overdue.

Change only the items line. Everything else stays the same.

Common questions

Questions people ask

Do I need an example note?

It is the most useful part. If you do not have one, describe the length and tone in plain words, then replace it with a real one after a few days.

Which AI assistant should I paste this into?

Any that you already use and trust with your information. The template does not depend on a particular tool.

Can I run this every day automatically?

Some tools can run a saved instruction on a schedule. Check the documentation of your own tool to see whether it can, and what access it needs.

How often should I change it?

Review it weekly at first, then whenever you find yourself checking something by hand.

Use it today

Copy the template, fill the six blanks, write one example note and run it on yesterday's information. Then follow Lesson 6.5, A short brief waiting every morning, to get it arriving on its own. If you want more ideas for what to put in it, see 12 examples to adapt.