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Supercharge Your Workflow with Autocrat + Google Sheets

 

Educators are always juggling many tasks, and time is a limited resource. From giving personalized feedback to creating progress reports and celebrating student successes, the administrative side of teaching can be tough. But what if you could automate the creation of these personalized documents, saving you hours each week? Enter Autocrat, a powerful Google Chrome Extension that will help you save a lot of time.


Autocrat is a versatile, easy-to-use document merge tool that automatically generates PDFs or shared Google Docs and Slides from your spreadsheet data. Imagine quickly creating customized progress reports for parents, complete with personalized comments, or producing unique certificates for each student in your class, all with just a few clicks. By using Autocrat, educators can save a significant amount of time and improve the level of personalization in their materials for students and colleagues.


Endless Possibilities for Your School

Autocrat is a versatile tool for a wide range of educators:


  • Teachers can create personalized feedback letters based on student performance data, generate custom progress reports, send updates on grades or attendance, design rubrics, and even send birthday messages. 

  • Instructional Coaches can produce customized professional development materials, generate personalized observation reports for teachers, and develop flexible lesson plan templates. 

  • Administrators can automate the creation of enrollment reports, performance evaluation forms for staff, and various communication letters for parents, such as welcome letters and school policies.

How to Get Started with Autocrat

While it might seem complicated, setting up an Autocrat job is easy. Once it's configured, it can run automatically for as long as you need. I have instructions available in both text and video formats. 


Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:


Step 1: Collect Your Data in a Google Sheet

Your first step is to have your data organized in a Google Sheet. You can input it manually or use a Google Form to populate the sheet with responses automatically.

Step 2: Create a Template

Next, create a template for your document in Google Docs or Google Slides. Wherever you want to merge data from your spreadsheet, use <<tags>>. For example, if your spreadsheet has a "Name" column, use the tag <<name>> in your template.

Step 3: Install and Launch Autocrat

If you don't already have it, you'll need to install the Autocrat add-on. In your Google Sheet, go to the Extensions menu, select Add-ons, and then click Get add-ons. Search for "Autocrat" and install it. After installation, return to the Extensions menu, locate Autocrat, and click Launch.

Step 4: Set Up Your Merge Job

A window will pop up to guide you through the setup process.

  1. Start a New Job: Click the "NEW JOB" button.

  2. Name Your Job: Give your merge job a descriptive name for easy reference.

  3. Choose Your Template: Select the Google Doc or Slide template you previously created.

  4. Map Source Data: This is a crucial step. You need to tell Autocrat which column in your spreadsheet corresponds to each <<tag>> in your template.

  5. Configure File Settings: Determine how your new documents will be named. You can even use tags in the file name for easy identification. Choose the output format, such as a PDF or an editable Google Doc/Slide.

  6. Choose Destination Folder: Select the Google Drive folder where you want all the merged documents to be saved.

  7. Advanced Options (Optional): The next few steps involve advanced features, such as setting merge conditions or adding job triggers (e.g., running the job every time a new form is submitted). You can skip these for a basic merge.

  8. Save and Run: Save your job, and then press the "run" button (a small play icon) to execute the merge.

Step 5: See the Magic Happen!

Autocrat will then start working, creating a personalized document for each row of data in your spreadsheet. The links to these new documents will show up directly in your sheet for easy access.

Data influences much of what we do in education, and Autocrat offers an easy way to use that data to generate customized reports, letters, and certificates without added work. By automating these repetitive tasks, you free up valuable time to focus on what truly matters, teaching and learning.


Let’s keep learning together - Jennifer
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