How to Automate Your Daily Tasks with Python Scripts

Are repetitive digital tasks consuming your time? Whether it’s sending emails, managing files, collecting data, or generating reports, Python can automate most of your routine work with minimal effort.

In this guide, we’ll cover real-world automation examples, essential libraries, and best practices for using Python scripts to streamline your day-to-day tasks.

Why Use Python for Automation?

Python is ideal for automation because it offers:

• Simple, readable syntax suitable for beginners
• A vast collection of libraries for file I/O, web scraping, API access, and more
• Compatibility across Windows, macOS, and Linux
• A strong, supportive developer community

What You Can Automate with Python

Python can automate a wide range of everyday tasks:

• Sending emails or scheduled reports
• Organizing or renaming downloaded files
• Scraping websites for real-time information
• Logging into websites and filling out forms
• Pulling and processing data from APIs
• Creating Excel or PDF reports
• Running scripts at specific times automatically

Getting Started: Tools and Setup

Basic Requirements

• Python 3.x installed
• Code editor (VS Code, PyCharm, or similar)

Recommended Libraries

pip install requests beautifulsoup4 pandas openpyxl schedule selenium python-dotenv

Use Virtual Environments

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # macOS/Linux
venv\Scripts\activate     # Windows

Example 1: Organize Files by Type

Automatically move files into folders based on their extensions.

import os
import shutil

source_dir = os.path.expanduser("~/Downloads")
destination_map = {
    "Images": [".jpg", ".png", ".gif"],
    "Documents": [".pdf", ".docx", ".txt"],
    "Videos": [".mp4", ".mov"]
}

for file in os.listdir(source_dir):
    filepath = os.path.join(source_dir, file)
    if os.path.isfile(filepath):
        ext = os.path.splitext(file)[1].lower()
        for folder, extensions in destination_map.items():
            if ext in extensions:
                dest_folder = os.path.join(source_dir, folder)
                os.makedirs(dest_folder, exist_ok=True)
                shutil.move(filepath, dest_folder)

Example 2: Send Automated Emails

import smtplib
from email.message import EmailMessage

msg = EmailMessage()
msg["Subject"] = "Daily Report"
msg["From"] = "you@example.com"
msg["To"] = "manager@example.com"
msg.set_content("Hello, this is your daily update.")

with smtplib.SMTP_SSL("smtp.gmail.com", 465) as smtp:
    smtp.login("you@example.com", "your_app_password")
    smtp.send_message(msg)

Note: Use Gmail App Passwords for authentication.

Example 3: Scrape Website Headlines

import requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup

url = "https://news.ycombinator.com"
response = requests.get(url)
soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, "html.parser")

headlines = soup.select(".titleline > a")

for i, headline in enumerate(headlines[:5], start=1):
    print(f"{i}. {headline.text}")

Example 4: Automate Website Login (Selenium)

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get("https://example.com/login")

driver.find_element(By.NAME, "username").send_keys("your_username")
driver.find_element(By.NAME, "password").send_keys("your_password" + Keys.RETURN)

Caution: Only automate interactions with websites you are authorized to access.

Example 5: Schedule Scripts Automatically

import schedule
import time

def task():
    print("Running scheduled task...")

schedule.every().day.at("09:00").do(task)

while True:
    schedule.run_pending()
    time.sleep(1)

Use cron (Linux/macOS) or Task Scheduler (Windows) to run scripts at boot or on a fixed schedule.

Example 6: Automate Excel Report Generation

import pandas as pd

df = pd.read_excel("sales_data.xlsx")
df["Total"] = df["Quantity"] * df["Unit Price"]
df.to_excel("sales_updated.xlsx", index=False)

Example 7: Fetch Data from an API

import requests

API_KEY = "your_api_key"
city = "Mumbai"
url = f"http://api.weatherapi.com/v1/current.json?key={API_KEY}&q={city}"

response = requests.get(url)
data = response.json()

print(f"Weather in {city}: {data['current']['temp_c']}°C, {data['current']['condition']['text']}")

Best Practices for Python Automation

Practice	Purpose
Use virtual environments	Isolate dependencies per project
Store secrets securely	Use .env files or tools like keyring
Handle exceptions	Prevent scripts from crashing unexpectedly
Add logging	Track script behavior and errors
Keep scripts modular	Make them easier to reuse and maintain
Use config files	Store settings in .json, .yaml, or .ini

Example: Load Environment Variables

Store credentials in a .env file:

EMAIL_USER=you@example.com
EMAIL_PASS=app_password

Load them in Python:

from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()
EMAIL = os.getenv("EMAIL_USER")

Final Thoughts

Python makes task automation accessible, efficient, and powerful. From managing files and sending emails to collecting data and building reports, Python helps you automate repetitive tasks so you can focus on more important work.

Start by automating one small task from your daily routine. As your confidence grows, you can build a collection of scripts that transform how you work—saving time, reducing errors, and boosting productivity.