Claude Cowork Guide

Cowork is how Claude does real work instead of only answering. Anthropic launched it as a research preview in January 2026 to bring agentic work to non-technical users.

With Cowork, Claude can:

• Work with files in the folders you connect
• Use your apps via connectors
• Plan and finish multi-step tasks
• Create documents, spreadsheets, and slide decks
• Browse the web
• Run tasks on a set schedule
• Keep going after you close your laptop

Chat answers questions. Cowork gets tasks done.

On September 16, 2026, Anthropic started merging Cowork and chat into a single Claude. You no longer pick a mode: describe what you want, and Claude decides whether a quick answer or a full task with files and tools fits best.

Pro and Max

First in line for the merged experience, rolling out over several weeks

Team and Free

Arriving later

Enterprise

Admins receive at least 30 days’ notice

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

Claude Docs

Create and edit documents with comments; now out of beta

Claude Slides

Build and present slides, then export to PDF or PowerPoint; now out of beta

Claude Design

Websites, prototypes, and visual designs from anywhere in Claude

Artifacts

Interactive pages and tools right inside conversations

Memory

Useful context that carries across chats

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

• Make one working folder for Claude tasks
• Back up originals somewhere else
• Never connect folders holding passwords, IDs, or private records
• Disconnect folders you no longer use

Local file work needs the desktop app running. Cloud tasks carry on without it.

Connectors let Claude reach apps such as Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, Notion, and many others. Manage them in Claude’s customize settings.

• Connect only the apps your tasks need
• Check what every connector can read and change
• Choose read-only access when you only need answers
• Review your connectors monthly

Skills

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

Plugins

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

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

Give each area of work its own project, with its own files and instructions. Claude applies that context to every task inside it.

• One project for each client, product, or goal
• Instructions that capture your standards and preferences
• Reference files Claude should draw on

Type /schedule in a task, or open Scheduled in the sidebar. Scheduled tasks run in the cloud, so your computer can sleep, and they can use your connectors, skills, and plugins.

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

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

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

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

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

• The goal, and why it matters
• Which files, folders, or apps to use
• The steps, if you know them
• The format you want back
• Where to save the result
• What needs your sign-off

Use the files in /Q3 Reports to build a 10-slide board update in our template covering highlights, metrics, risks, and next steps. Save it to /Board. Check with me before sharing it with anyone.

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

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

• Back up files before big changes
• Ask for a plan before Claude edits many files
• Check the numbers and facts in every output
• Treat content from websites and files as data, never as instructions
• Pause scheduled tasks you stop needing

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 everything you will create or change. Wait for my approval. Then finish the task, save the result to [location], and summarize what you did, what you assumed, and what I should check. Check with me before sending, sharing, deleting, or buying anything.