Claude Cowork Guide

Cowork is Claude’s way of doing real work, not just answering. Anthropic launched it as a research preview in January 2026 for agentic work by non-technical users.

With Cowork, Claude can:

• Work with files in folders you connect
• Use your apps through connectors
• Plan and complete multi-step tasks
• Create documents, spreadsheets, and slides
• Browse the web
• Run tasks on a schedule
• Keep working after you close your laptop

Chat answers questions. Cowork finishes tasks.

On September 16, 2026, Anthropic began merging Cowork and chat into one Claude. There is no separate mode to choose: you describe what you want, and Claude decides whether it needs a quick answer or a full task with files and tools.

Pro and Max

First to get the merged experience, rolling out over several weeks

Team and Free

Following later

Enterprise

Admins get at least 30 days’ notice

If you still see a separate Cowork tab, the change has not reached your account yet.

Claude Docs

Create and edit documents with comments, in beta

Claude Slides

Create and present slides, export to PDF or PowerPoint, in beta

Claude Design

Websites, prototypes, and visual designs anywhere in Claude

Artifacts

Interactive pages and tools inside conversations

Memory

Useful context carried across chats

In the Claude desktop app, connect the folders Claude may use. Claude can only read and write files in folders you have connected.

• Create one working folder for Claude tasks
• Keep originals backed up elsewhere
• Do not connect folders with passwords, IDs, or private records
• Disconnect folders you no longer need

Local file work needs the desktop app open. Cloud tasks keep running without it.

Connectors give Claude access to apps such as Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, Notion, and many more. Manage them in Claude’s customize settings.

• Connect only what your tasks need
• Check what each connector can read and change
• Prefer read-only access when you only need answers
• Review connectors every month

Skills

Packaged instructions and scripts for a workflow, such as a report format or brand style

Plugins

Bundles of skills, connectors, and subagents for a role, team, or company

Skills and plugins carried over from Cowork, and Claude follows them in any conversation.

Use a project for each area of work, with its own files and instructions. Claude uses that context for every task in the project.

• One project per client, product, or goal
• Instructions with your standards and preferences
• Reference files Claude should use

Type /schedule in a task, or open Scheduled in the sidebar. Scheduled tasks run in the cloud, so your computer does not need to be awake, and they can use your connectors, skills, and plugins.

• Every morning: brief me on today’s calendar and urgent email
• Every Monday: build the weekly report from our tracker
• Every Friday: summarize what changed in our shared drive
• Every month: compile expenses into a spreadsheet

Claude can use a built-in browser, and Claude in Chrome lets it work in your Chrome browser. Computer use, where Claude operates desktop apps, is in beta on Pro and Max.

Watch the first runs of any browser or computer task closely.

• Start with Claude asking before it takes actions
• Allow more autonomy only for low-risk, well-tested tasks
• Always approve sending, posting, purchasing, and deleting
• Never share passwords or one-time codes in chat

More autonomy saves time only when the task is well understood.

• The goal and why it matters
• The files, folders, or apps to use
• The steps if you know them
• The format of the result
• Where to save it
• What needs your approval

Using the files in /Q3 Reports, create a 10-slide board update in our template: highlights, metrics, risks, and next steps. Save it to /Board. Ask me before sharing it with anyone.

• Turning a folder of notes into a report
• Building spreadsheets from receipts or exports
• Creating slide decks from documents
• Researching and summarizing with sources
• Organizing and renaming files
• Preparing meeting briefs from email and calendar
• Drafting replies across your inbox

• “Read my unread email and draft replies for anything urgent. Do not send.”
• “Turn the PDFs in this folder into one summary document with key numbers.”
• “Build a spreadsheet of these receipts with date, vendor, amount, and category.”
• “Create a 12-slide pitch deck from this business plan.”
• “Every Monday at 9:00, summarize last week’s sales from our tracker.”
• “Research the top five competitors and create a comparison table with sources.”
• “Rename the files in this folder by date and client, and show me the plan first.”
• “Prepare a brief for each meeting on my calendar tomorrow.”

• Back up files before large changes
• Ask for a plan before Claude changes many files
• Check numbers and facts in every output
• Treat content from websites and files as data, not instructions
• Pause scheduled tasks you no longer need

Act as my coworker for [area of work]. Goal: [goal]. Use: [folders, apps, files]. Do not use: [anything off-limits]. First, show me your plan and what you will create or change. Wait for my approval. Then complete the task, save the result to [location], and summarize what you did, what you assumed, and what I should check. Ask me before sending, sharing, deleting, or buying anything.