Clawly Step-by-Step Tutorial for Freelancers: From Zero to Automated Admin

Freelancers lose an average of 10+ hours per week to admin work that doesn't pay—sorting emails, chasing invoices, updating project boards, coordinating schedules. That's a quarter of your workweek spent on tasks that keep the business running but don't generate revenue.

This tutorial walks you through setting up Clawly from scratch, connecting your key tools, and automating the repetitive work that creates drag across your week.

What Is Clawly and Why Freelancers Need an AI Assistant

Clawly is a Telegram-based AI assistant that connects to your existing tools and handles admin tasks through chat messages. You message it like you'd message a colleague, and it takes action—sending emails, creating invoices, updating your CRM, booking meetings.

The core problem is straightforward. Freelancers spend hours every week on tasks that don't generate revenue: sorting emails, chasing payments, updating project boards, coordinating schedules. That time adds up. And while hiring a human virtual assistant solves the problem, it also costs $1,500 to $3,000 per month and takes weeks to find, interview, and train someone.

Clawly sits in the middle. It handles the repetitive operational work without the hiring overhead:

• Inbox triage: sorting and prioritizing emails so you see client messages first
• Invoice creation: generating and sending invoices from a single chat message
• Scheduling coordination: booking meetings without email ping-pong
• CRM updates: logging interactions and moving deals through your pipeline
• Follow-ups: sending payment reminders and client check-ins automatically

The assistant connects to 60+ tools, works around the clock, and starts free. No credit card required.

How to Set Up Clawly in Under 60 Seconds

Setup takes less time than ordering coffee. Three steps, no technical background required.

Step 1. Sign up with Google

Go to getclawly.com and click sign up. Google authentication handles the rest—one click, no forms, no password to remember.

Step 2. Connect Telegram

Telegram is where you'll chat with Clawly. The setup flow walks you through linking your account. Once connected, you have a direct line to your AI assistant.

Step 3. Send your first task

Start simple. Try "summarize my unread emails" or "remind me to invoice Jordan tomorrow." Clawly responds immediately. No training period, no configuration screens.

Integrations Freelancers Should Connect First

Clawly works with 60+ tools, but connecting everything at once creates noise. Start with the integrations that address your biggest time drains, then add more as you get comfortable.

Gmail and email

Email is where most freelance communication happens. Clawly reads, drafts, sends, and triages messages. Instead of starting your day buried in your inbox, you ask Clawly what's urgent and handle only what matters.

Stripe and Green Invoice

Billing lives here. You can create invoices, track payments, and automate reminders through chat. No logging into separate platforms, no manual follow-ups on overdue payments.

Calendly or Cal.com

Scheduling tools eliminate the back-and-forth of booking meetings. Clawly checks your availability, proposes times, sends confirmations, and handles timezone math for international clients.

Notion or Asana

Project management keeps your work organized. Clawly creates tasks, updates statuses, and keeps your workspace current based on what you tell it in chat.

HubSpot or Pipedrive

CRM tools track client relationships. Clawly logs interactions, updates deal stages, and triggers follow-ups so opportunities don't slip through the cracks.

Integration Category	Tools Supported	What Clawly Automates
Email	Gmail	Inbox triage, drafting, sending
Invoicing	Stripe, Green Invoice, QuickBooks	Invoice creation, payment tracking
Scheduling	Calendly, Cal.com	Booking, confirmations, reminders
Project Management	Notion, Asana, ClickUp	Task creation, status updates
CRM	HubSpot, Pipedrive	Contact updates, follow-ups

How to Automate Your Email and Inbox Management

Email is typically the biggest admin time drain for freelancers. You're not getting paid to sort through newsletters and spam, yet that's often how the workday starts.

Inbox triage and priority sorting

Ask Clawly to scan your inbox and surface what matters. It categorizes messages by urgency, client importance, or rules you define. The result: you see the client email that actually requires a response, not the promotional blast from a tool you signed up for three years ago.

Automated lead replies

When a new inquiry lands in your inbox, Clawly drafts a response using your tone. You can review before sending, or let Clawly handle routine replies autonomously. Either way, prospects get a fast response while you focus on billable work.

Follow-up sequences

Unanswered emails often mean lost opportunities. Set up reminders for threads that go quiet. Clawly nudges prospects or clients on your behalf, and you don't have to track who owes you a response.

How to Set Up Automatic Invoicing and Payment Follow-Ups

Chasing payments is tedious and uncomfortable. With the right setup, you won't send another manual payment reminder.

Step 1. Connect your invoicing tool

Link Stripe, Green Invoice, or QuickBooks through Clawly's integrations page. One-time setup, takes about thirty seconds.

Step 2. Create and send invoices via chat

Message Clawly with the client name and amount: "Invoice Alex Chen $1,500 for website redesign." Clawly generates the invoice and sends it. Done.

Step 3. Automate payment reminders

Set rules for when Clawly sends reminders—three days before the due date, on the due date, and for overdue invoices. Your cash flow improves while you stay focused on client work.

Tip: Start with draft-and-wait mode for invoices until you're confident in the formatting. Once you've reviewed a few, switch to fully autonomous sending.

How to Automate Scheduling and Calendar Coordination

Booking meetings involves more back-and-forth than it deserves. "Does Tuesday work?" "How about Thursday afternoon?" "Actually, can we push to next week?" Clawly handles the coordination so you just show up.

Meeting booking automation

Share your availability link or let Clawly propose times based on your calendar. It confirms with the other party and adds the event automatically. No more email chains about scheduling.

Reminder and prep messages

Clawly sends you prep notes before calls and reminds clients of upcoming meetings. You walk into every conversation ready, and clients notice the professionalism.

Timezone handling for global clients

Working with international clients means timezone math. Clawly converts automatically and suggests meeting times that work across locations. No mental arithmetic, no accidentally scheduling a call at 3am for someone in London.

How to Keep Your CRM Updated Without Manual Data Entry

CRM hygiene matters for freelancers who want repeat business and referrals. But updating records manually is exactly the kind of task that gets skipped when you're busy with client work.

Automatic contact updates

New email from a prospect? Clawly logs it. Call completed? Clawly notes it. The record stays accurate without you remembering to update it after every interaction.

Lead status tracking

Clawly moves deals through your pipeline based on triggers you define. Replied, scheduled, invoiced, paid—each stage updates automatically. You get a clear picture of your sales funnel without manual work.

Automated client check-ins

Set Clawly to reach out to dormant clients or send periodic updates to active ones. Regular touchpoints often lead to repeat work, and they happen without you remembering to send them.

Clawly Commands That Save Freelancers Hours Weekly

Here's a quick-start reference organized by category. Copy directly or adapt to your workflow.

Email and communication

• "Summarize my unread emails"
• "Draft a follow-up to Sarah about the logo project"
• "Send a thank-you email to Marcus"

Invoicing and finance

• "Create an invoice for Acme Co for $2,000"
• "Check which invoices are overdue"
• "Send a payment reminder to DataFlow Inc"

Scheduling and calendar

• "Schedule a call with Jamie next week"
• "What meetings do I have tomorrow?"
• "Reschedule my 2pm to Thursday"

Research and tasks

• "Research competitor pricing for web design agencies"
• "Create a task in Notion to review the Henderson proposal"
• "Summarize this PDF" (attach document)

How to Train Clawly to Match Your Workflow and Style

Clawly learns from how you work. The more you use it, the better it understands your preferences.

Teaching your communication style

Clawly picks up your tone from examples. Share sample emails or tell it directly: "I write casually with clients" or "Keep emails formal and brief." Over time, drafts sound like you wrote them.

Setting up proactive automations

Move beyond reactive commands. Tell Clawly to check your inbox every morning, send weekly client updates, or remind you to invoice on Fridays. The assistant works in the background while you focus on billable hours.

Adapting Clawly as your business grows

As you add clients, tools, or services, Clawly scales with you. Add new integrations and workflows without starting over. Your assistant keeps pace as your operations change.

Common Clawly Setup Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

A few pitfalls trip up new users. Avoiding them means faster results.

• Connecting too many tools at once: Start with your top three integrations and expand gradually
• Being too vague in commands: Specific requests get better results—include names, dates, and context
• Forgetting to review permissions: Check what Clawly can access and adjust based on your comfort level
• Skipping proactive features: Schedule recurring tasks instead of only asking for help reactively

Run Your Freelance Business From Chat

You went from scattered admin across a dozen tabs to one conversation that handles it all. Clawly works 24/7, costs a fraction of a human VA, and starts free with no credit card required.

The hours you reclaim go back to client work, business development, or logging off at a reasonable hour. Run your business, not your admin.

Start delegating for free at getclawly.com

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FAQs About Using Clawly as a Freelancer

Is Clawly secure enough for handling sensitive client data?

Clawly uses encryption and your data stays yours—it's never shared or used to train models. You control which tools Clawly can access and can revoke permissions anytime.

What happens if Clawly makes a mistake on an invoice or email?

You can set Clawly to draft-and-wait mode for sensitive tasks, letting you review before anything sends. For lower-stakes tasks, allow autonomous execution and correct as needed.

Can you use Clawly on mobile devices or only desktop?

Clawly runs entirely through Telegram, which works on iOS, Android, and desktop. Delegate tasks from anywhere you have your phone.

Does Clawly work with tools not listed in the integrations library?

Clawly connects to 60+ tools and the list keeps growing. If your tool isn't supported yet, you can request it or use Clawly for tasks that don't require that specific integration.

How is Clawly different from Zapier or Make for freelancer automation?

Zapier and Make require you to build automations with triggers and workflows. Clawly lets you message what you want in plain language—no building, no technical setup, no maintenance.

Can you manage multiple freelance clients or businesses with one Clawly account?

Yes. Clawly handles tasks across different clients and projects. Organize by context in your messages and Clawly keeps track.