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Hands-On Automation Project

Automated 3-Tab Browser Launcher (.bat Script)

Build a real-world Windows batch file that automatically opens Google Search, YouTube, and Gmail in your default web browser with a single double-click.

Command: start <URL>
Delay: timeout /t 2
🪟 Windows 11 Native

Interactive Batch Script Simulator & Live Tab Preview

Test the batch script directly in the simulated Windows terminal and watch the browser tabs activate.

workspace.batBatch File
Double-click ready for 🪟 Windows 11
Command Prompt (cmd.exe) Output

Click "Run in Simulator" to watch the batch script execute.

https://about:blank

No active browser tabs open yet.

Run the batch script above to open Google, YouTube, and Gmail tabs.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Create and Run on 🪟 Windows 11

Follow these simple steps on your PC to create your own double-clickable automation script.

1Notepad

Open Notepad

Press ⊞ Win + R, type notepad, and press Enter.

2Paste Code

Paste the Script

Copy the batch code above and paste it into your blank Notepad window.

3Save As

Save with .bat Extension

Click File > Save As..., choose All Files (*.*), and name it workspace.bat.

4Launch

Double-Click to Run!

Double-click workspace.bat on your Desktop. All 3 tabs will open in your default browser!

Anatomy of Batch Commands Used in this Project

Understanding why each line is needed in production-grade batch scripts.

@echo off

By default, the Windows Command Prompt prints every line of code to the screen before running it. Adding @echo off hides the code execution and only displays clean output messages.

start https://www.google.com

The start command tells Windows to open the target URL using the system’s default web browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, or Brave).

timeout /t 2 >nul

Pauses script execution for 2 seconds. The >nul redirection silences the default countdown message (Waiting for 2 seconds...), giving your browser time to open each tab cleanly without congestion.

pause & exit

pause keeps the terminal window open until you press any key so you can read the status logs. exit cleanly terminates the Command Prompt process.

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Bonus Automation: Launch Every Morning at 9:00 AM!

Use 🪟 Windows 11 Task Scheduler to automate this script daily.

  1. Press ⊞ Win + S and search for Task Scheduler.
  2. Click Create Basic Task... on the right action panel.
  3. Name it Open Morning Workspace Tabs and click Next.
  4. Trigger: Choose When I log on or Daily at 9:00 AM.
  5. Action: Choose Start a program and browse to your saved workspace.bat file.
  6. Click Finish! Your tabs will open automatically every day when you turn on your PC.

Knowledge Check: Batch Scripting

1 Question Check

❓ Which command in a Windows Batch file is used to open a website URL in the user's default browser?

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