Tencent WorkBuddy Guide: AI Agent That Directly Edits Your Files

Tencent's WorkBuddy launched in March 2024 and reached 6.58 million monthly active users by July, ranking first among office AI agents according to QuestMobile. Recent updates include an independent file browser (October 8) allowing right-click editing of Word, Excel, or PDF files, and Enterprise WeChat integration (October 14) for single sign-on.

How WorkBuddy Differs from Chat AI

Unlike chatbots that only give advice, WorkBuddy executes tasks directly on your computer: it breaks a request into steps, plans, executes, and delivers finished files (Word, Excel, PPT, web pages) in a result pane while keeping drafts in a workspace folder. This means it can handle multi-step workflows like organizing folders, merging spreadsheets, and building presentations in one go, but mistakes have higher consequences because it actually modifies files.

Installation and Initial Setup

Download and login: Official site workbuddy.tencent.com (redirects to CodeBuddy). Windows 10+, macOS 12+ (separate Intel/Apple silicon builds), 统信UOS and 银河麒麟 via system app stores. Login via WeChat QR code.

Create a dedicated workspace folder: Use "Select Workspace" at bottom-left of input box. Example: D:\WorkBuddy工作区. Copy files to process into this folder. Do not grant access to entire drives or directories containing passwords or original contracts.

Keep default permissions: Two tiers: "Default" (asks before modifying files or operating outside workspace) and "Full Access". Beginners should stay on Default; extra confirmations are safer than recovering files later.

Three Modes: Choose by "Regret Cost"

Click the "+" left of the input box → Mode. Three options:

Default (Craft/Agent): Executes immediately, directly edits files.

Plan: Shows a plan first; you click "Start Execution" after review, or "Adjust Plan" if unsatisfied.

Ask: Chat only, no file operations, consumes fewest credits.

Selection guideline: Ask for concepts/brainstorming; Default for generating new files (easy to delete and retry); Plan for irreversible actions — batch moves, renames, overwrites, sending emails. Common pitfall: in Default mode, even a casual "how do I do this" triggers execution and spends credits; switch to Ask for pure questions.

Five Elements of a Clear Instruction

Official docs recommend specifying goal, input, output format, and constraints. Add a fifth: verification criteria .

Read "9月报名表.xlsx" in workspace, group by grade to count registrations and paid count, calculate payment rate per grade, generate a bar chart. Output a new Excel; do not modify original. Highlight rows with unclear payment status in yellow, and list them separately.

This prompt contains: goal (payment rate), input (specific file), output (new Excel + chart), constraint (don't touch original), verification (flag unclear rows yellow). The last item forces the AI to surface uncertainty instead of hallucinating.

Official example shows a single sentence chaining download, extraction, modeling, PPT creation, and report writing. For long tasks, split: first extract data, verify, then proceed to charts and reports — one early error cascades.

Four Hands-On Case Studies

Case 1: Organize a Messy Folder

Use Plan mode. Sort workspace files into five subfolders: Documents, Spreadsheets, Images, Archives, Others. Prefix duplicate filenames with modification date. List the move plan for my confirmation; do not delete any files.

Review the plan before execution. Explicit "do not delete" is more reliable than restoring from recycle bin.

Case 2: Merge Multiple Spreadsheets and Chart

Merge "一班.xlsx", "二班.xlsx", "三班.xlsx" into a master sheet, deduplicate by student ID, compute per-class average, max, and pass rate, generate a comparison bar chart, and write a ≤300-word summary into a Word doc. Leave originals untouched.

Table processing is a strong suit; official docs suggest using the MiniMax model for such tasks.

Case 3: Research Compilation into PPT

Research 2026 math modeling competitions for middle schoolers; compile each competition's registration date, format, and official link into an ~8-slide PPT. Attach source link for every item; write "Not found" for missing data — do not guess.

Research tasks often produce plausible but fabricated output. Requiring sources and allowing "Not found" makes verification faster. Always spot-check dates and numbers by opening links before delivery.

Case 4: Scheduled Weekly Report

Every Monday 8:00 AM, scan workspace for files added or modified last week; produce a list (filename, modification time, one-sentence summary); push to my WeChat.

Create a scheduled task with daily/weekly/monthly/one-time options. Note: the client must be running; enable "Allow running when locked" in settings if the machine sleeps.

Extending Capabilities: Skills, Experts, Connectors

Skills: Packaged fixed workflows (e.g., weekly report, standardized data cleaning). Invoke with one phrase. Caution: third-party skills may send data elsewhere; review source and requested permissions.

Experts: Domain-specific personas (100+ available). Complex tasks can use an "Expert Team" where a lead splits work among specialists. Cost: typically 3–5× a single expert's credits; check balance first.

Connectors: Channels to external services — Tencent Docs, QQ Mail, Tencent Meeting, Enterprise WeChat. After authorization, commands like "Save this report to Tencent Docs" work.

Credit Management

WorkBuddy uses credits shared with CodeBuddy. Personal pricing as of October 15, 2024:

Free tier: 500 credits/month

Standard: ¥99/month, 2,000 base credits

Pro: ¥199/month, 4,000 credits

Flagship: ¥999/month, 20,000 credits

Monthly/annual subscriptions have discounts; limited-time bonus credits may apply. Credit-saving tips: use Ask mode for questions, lighter models for simple tasks, reserve Expert Teams for genuinely complex work. Biggest saver: get the instruction right the first time — rework is the costliest.

Final Reminders

It makes mistakes. Verify numbers, dates, and cited sources before handing off.

Back up important files even when using Plan mode.

For students and parents: competitions like HiMCM have specific rules on generative AI use — disclose if used. Using WorkBuddy to organize materials, learn software, or check formatting is fine; the core thinking and writing must remain your own.

Ultimately, people who excel with WorkBuddy aren't necessarily the most AI-savvy; they are the ones who articulate what they want most clearly. That clarity is also the first step in modeling.