# How To Claude Cowork is a workspace inside the Claude Desktop app that lets Claude handle complex, multi-step tasks on your computer. Instead of going back and forth in a chat, you describe what you need and Claude executes it: reading files, writing documents, running code, connecting to external tools, and delivering finished work directly to your file system. This page walks through everything you need to know to get started. *** ## What Makes Cowork Different from Chat In a standard Claude chat, you send a message and get a response. Cowork goes further. It gives Claude the ability to take action on your behalf, including working with files on your computer, running tasks in the background, and connecting to services like Asana, Google Drive, Slack, and more. Think of chat as a conversation. Think of Cowork as delegation. *** ## Requirements To use Cowork, you need: * The **Claude Desktop app** installed on macOS or Windows * A paid Claude plan (**Pro**, **Max**, **Team**, or **Enterprise**) * An active internet connection throughout your session Cowork is not available in the web version of Claude or on mobile devices. However, Pro and Max users can message Claude from the mobile app and have it execute tasks on their desktop using local files and connectors. *** ## Accessing Cowork Open the Claude Desktop app and look for the mode selector at the top of the window. You will see tabs for **Chat** and **Cowork**. Click **Cowork** to switch into the task workspace. From here, you can start a new task, open an existing project, or browse available plugins. \[Screenshot: The mode selector at the top of the Claude Desktop app showing Chat and Cowork tabs] *** ## Starting a Task To run a one-off task, simply describe what you need in the Cowork input field. Claude will analyze your request, create a plan, and begin executing. You can review Claude's approach before it starts working. Examples of tasks Cowork can handle: * "Organize the files in my Downloads folder by type and date" * "Read this spreadsheet and create a summary report as a Word document" * "Pull the latest data from our Asana project and format it into a presentation" The Claude Desktop app must remain open while Claude is working. If you close the app, the session ends. *** ## Setting Up a Project Projects are where Cowork becomes powerful for recurring work. A project is a persistent workspace with its own files, instructions, connectors, and memory. Everything Claude learns and produces inside a project stays scoped to that project. ### Creating a Project There are three ways to create a project: 1. **Start from scratch**: Set up a new workspace with your own instructions and files 2. **Import from a Claude project**: Transfer files and instructions from an existing chat-based Claude project 3. **Use an existing folder**: Link a folder on your computer as the project's working directory To create a project, click **Customize** in the left sidebar of Cowork, then select **Projects** and follow the prompts. ### Custom Instructions Every project can have its own custom instructions. These tell Claude how to behave when working inside that project: what tone to use, what rules to follow, what formats to produce, and what tools to connect to. To set custom instructions, open the project settings and add your instructions in the designated field. These instructions apply to every task run inside that project. Custom instructions are the most important part of a project. The more specific and detailed they are, the more consistently Claude will produce the output you want. ### Connecting a Folder You can link a local folder on your computer to a project. This gives Claude direct read and write access to the files in that folder without you having to upload anything manually. When you connect a folder, Claude can also read a set of folder-level instructions that provide additional context about the contents and how to work with them. Claude can update these instructions during a session if needed. **Important**: Cowork projects and their connected folders exist on your local machine only. They do not sync to the cloud, do not transfer between computers, and are not accessible from the web version of Claude. *** ## Scheduling Tasks One of Cowork's most useful features is the ability to schedule tasks that run automatically. ### How to Create a Scheduled Task Inside any Cowork task, type `/schedule` to open the scheduling interface. From there, you can configure: * **What** the task should do (described in natural language) * **When** it should run (one-time, daily, weekly, or on a custom interval) Scheduled tasks are saved to the project they were created in. ### Requirements for Scheduled Tasks * The Claude Desktop app must be open and your computer must be awake at the scheduled time * If the app is closed or the computer is asleep when a task is scheduled to run, it will not execute until the next scheduled window * Enable the **Keep Awake** toggle in the desktop app to prevent your computer from sleeping while Claude is working \[Screenshot: The scheduling interface showing frequency options and the Keep Awake toggle] *** ## Connectors and Plugins Connectors let Claude interact with external services. Plugins bundle connectors, skills, and sub-agents into a single installable package. ### Connectors Connectors give Claude access to tools outside your local computer, such as Google Drive, Gmail, Slack, Asana, DocuSign, and more. When a connector is enabled, Claude can read from and write to that service as part of a task. Connectors in Cowork reach external services through Anthropic's cloud, which means the external service must be accessible over the public internet. Some connectors are available organization-wide (configured by an admin), while others can be added at the project level. ### Plugins Plugins are installable packages that customize how Claude works for your role, team, or company. Each plugin can include skills (specialized capabilities), connectors (external service access), and sub-agents (coordinated subtask execution). To browse and install plugins: 1. Open the Cowork tab in Claude Desktop 2. Click **Customize** in the left sidebar 3. Click **Browse plugins** to view available options 4. Install the plugins that match your workflow Plugins you install yourself are saved locally to your machine. Team and Enterprise admins can also distribute organization-managed plugins through marketplaces. ### Skills Skills are specialized capabilities that come bundled with plugins or are available at the organization level. You can activate a skill by typing `/` or clicking the **+** button during a Cowork session. Each skill gives Claude domain-specific knowledge and tools for tasks like creating presentations, processing spreadsheets, generating branded documents, and more. *** ## Memory Cowork projects have a built-in memory system. Claude remembers context from previous tasks within a project and applies that knowledge to future tasks in the same project. Memory is **scoped to the project**. What Claude learns in one project does not carry over to another. This keeps each project self-contained and prevents information from bleeding across unrelated workspaces. Memory works automatically. As you run tasks inside a project, Claude builds up an understanding of your preferences, your files, and the patterns in your work. You do not need to configure anything for memory to function, but you can reference it or ask Claude to remember specific details. Memory is not available in standalone tasks outside of a project. *** ## Global Instructions In addition to project-level instructions, you can set global instructions that apply to all Cowork sessions, regardless of which project you are working in. To set global instructions: 1. Open **Settings** in Claude Desktop 2. Navigate to the **Cowork** section 3. Click **Edit** next to **Global instructions** 4. Enter your standing instructions and click **Save** Global instructions are useful for things like preferred formatting, communication style, or default behaviors you want Claude to follow everywhere. *** ## Tips for Getting the Most Out of Cowork * **Be specific in your task descriptions.** The more detail you provide, the better Claude's first attempt will be. * **Use projects for recurring work.** If you do the same type of task regularly, set up a project with custom instructions so Claude already knows the rules. * **Connect your folders.** Giving Claude direct file access eliminates the upload/download cycle and makes multi-file tasks seamless. * **Check the Keep Awake toggle.** If you are using scheduled tasks, make sure your computer will not sleep during the scheduled window. * **Start simple.** Try a one-off task before building a full project with scheduled automations. 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