Last updated:
Quick answer
Have the AI build a tracker with one row per application, then fill it from your application confirmation emails. Anything with no reply after 7 days gets flagged and a short follow-up drafted for you to send. Once a week, ask for a digest: sent, replies, interviews.
Free PDF
Get this setup as a PDF
Confirm your email and we'll open a print-ready copy of this setup you can save as a PDF. You also get the free starter pack and one setup a week. Unsubscribe anytime.
Already a subscriber? Unlock it on this device
At a glance
All outcome figures are estimates from cited sources, not independent verification by us.
- What it is allowed to do
- Adds sheet rows
Adds rows to your own Google Sheet.
- Time saved (estimate)
- About 20 minutes to set up, then 5 minutes a day.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Tools needed
- Claude, ChatGPT, Excel or Google Sheets
- Typical cost
- Gmail connectors depend on your plan. Prices: Not stated in sources.
Reviewed Nov 2, 2026
Basis (estimate): Estimate only: based on the steps above, not timed.
What does this setup do?
Keep one tracker of every job application, filled from your inbox, with a flag and a follow-up draft for anything silent after 7 days.
Who is it for?
Job seekers with dozens of applications out who lose track of who replied and when to follow up.
How do you set it up?
Tools
- Claude or ChatGPT
- Excel or Google Sheets
- Your inbox, through a connector or by pasting confirmation emails
Steps
- Ask the AI to build the tracker with the prompt below. Anthropic says Claude can create Excel files with working formulas.
- Fill it from application confirmation emails. With a Gmail connector the AI can search them; otherwise paste them in.
- Check each row against the email; fix company names and dates.
- Each morning, filter for FOLLOW UP. Draft a two-line follow-up for each and send it yourself.
- Update status as replies arrive: Replied, Interview, Rejected, Offer.
- Each Friday, ask for the digest: sent, replies, interviews, and which resume version got replies.
Example output
Illustrative. Your results will differ.
- This week: 12 applied, 3 replies, 1 interview
- Resume B: 3 replies from 7; Resume A: 0 from 5
- FOLLOW UP: Northwind, Operations Coordinator, applied Oct 24
Where to paste this prompt
Claude → Project knowledge & custom instructions
Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
Build a job application tracker (Excel) with one row per application:
Company | Role | Date applied | Contact | Resume version | Status (Applied, Replied, Interview, Rejected, Offer) | Last contact | Action
Rules:
- Action shows FOLLOW UP when Status is Applied and Last contact is 7 or more days ago.
- A summary at the top: applied this week, replies, interviews, reply rate by resume version.
- Then fill rows only from these emails, and leave a cell blank if the email does not say: [PASTE CONFIRMATION EMAILS]
Do not invent companies, dates or contacts.Newsletter
Get the free starter pack
Free starter pack with five beginner copy-paste prompts after you confirm, plus one researched setup in your inbox each week. Unsubscribe anytime.
What usually goes wrong?
Where agents tend to stall on this job. More patterns in Where AI gets stuck.
- Applying from several sites and missing confirmation emails.
- Following up more than once on the same application.
- Letting the AI mark rows as replied without seeing the reply.
Which chat tools work with this prompt?
This prompt needs routines and connectors, so it's written for:
- Claude
- ChatGPT
Common questions
- What is the best way to track job applications?
- One sheet with company, role, date, contact, resume version and status, plus a flag for anything silent after 7 days.
- Can AI fill it from my email?
- With a Gmail connector it can search confirmation emails, or paste them in. Check each row.
- When should I follow up on an application?
- A common rule is once, about a week after applying, with a short note.
Where should you go next on this site?
What tips make it smoother?
- Log the resume version; after 20 applications it shows which one works.
- Three replies is luck, not a pattern. Wait for more data before changing everything.
- Keep follow-ups to one, then move on.
Where do the claims come from?
Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.
- Read Anthropic’s write-up (support.claude.com)
Anthropic: Create and edit files with Claude: Excel spreadsheets with working formulas; upload CSV and other files for analysis (read 2026-11-02 from a search result excerpt of the page)
- Read Anthropic’s write-up (support.claude.com)
Anthropic: Use Google Workspace connectors: approval before send, reply or forward by default (read 2026-10-31 through a page fetch tool, not a direct browser open)
Related setups
- Write a short note to the hiring manager
Draft a short note to a hiring manager with a real reason to write now, one relevant result and one clear ask, ready for you to check and send.
- Get a daily job shortlist with AI
Set up a daily scheduled AI task that finds new job posts for your target roles, scores them against your criteria and sends a shortlist of 5.
- Mock behavioral interview with AI
Run a realistic behavioral interview practice where AI asks one question at a time and scores your answers against the job description.