Getting Started with Cowork — Delegate Tasks to Claude

Claude Cowork is an agent feature built into the Claude Desktop app, designed for knowledge work. Unlike ordinary chat, Cowork lets you hand off real "work" to Claude — reading and writing files, connecting to external services, and automating repetitive tasks.

This article walks you through everything from setting up Cowork to running your first task, step by step.

What is Cowork — "Task Execution", Not "Conversation"

In regular Chat mode, Claude focuses on responding: answering questions, drafting text, and so on. Cowork is different — it's a mode where Claude actively takes initiative and carries out work on its own.

Here are some examples of what's possible:

• File operations: Tell Claude "Read all the PDFs in this folder and create a summary list," and it will open each file one by one and compile the information for you
• Scheduled execution: Automate recurring tasks like "Every morning at 9 AM, summarize today's tasks and send them to me by email"
• External service integrations: Connect with Slack, Notion, Gmail, and more — Claude can handle multi-tool workflows like "Summarize the messages in this Slack channel and write them to a Notion page"

Chat Mode vs. Cowork Mode

Who is Cowork for?: It's especially useful for people who repeat the same tasks every day, those who want to process large numbers of files at once, or anyone who needs to consolidate information across multiple tools. No programming knowledge required.

Cowork technology is also available in Microsoft 365: In March 2026, Microsoft announced Copilot Cowork, which is built on Anthropic's Claude Cowork technology. It can autonomously execute tasks within the Microsoft 365 environment — from scheduling meetings and researching emails to creating PowerPoint presentations, all in one automated flow. It is currently available to participants in the early access program called "Frontier."

Available Plans

Cowork is available on the Pro plan and above. The Free plan only includes Chat and Code modes. We recommend trying the free plan first to get a feel for Claude, then upgrading when you need Cowork.

System Requirements — The Desktop App is Required

Cowork is a feature of the Claude Desktop app (the application installed on your computer). It is not available on the browser-based claude.ai.

Supported Operating Systems

• macOS: macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
• Windows: Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)

Why a Desktop App?

For Cowork to access files on your computer and connect to external services, it needs system-level access that a browser cannot provide. Installing the Claude Desktop app allows Claude to perform these operations through a secure workspace — an isolated, dedicated environment on your computer.

Privacy and safety: Claude can only access the folders and services you have explicitly authorized. A confirmation dialog will appear the first time a folder is accessed.

Setup — Ready in 3 Steps

Step 1: Install the Claude Desktop App

Step 2: Log In and Switch to Cowork Mode

1. When you launch Claude Desktop, you will see a login screen
2. Log in with your claude.ai account (email address)
3. Once the app opens, click the "Cowork" tab in the left sidebar (or the menu at the top of the screen)

Common issue: If you cannot find the Cowork tab after logging in, check that you are logged in with a Pro plan or higher account. The Cowork tab does not appear on the Free plan.

Step 3: Grant Folder Access

The first time you open Cowork, a setup screen will appear asking "Which folders would you like to grant access to?"

1. Click "Add Folder"
2. Select the folder you want to allow Claude to access (for example, your "Documents" folder or a work folder)
3. Click "Allow" to confirm

Claude will only be able to access files within the folders you have permitted. Files in folders you have not authorized cannot be read. This is an important part of the security design.

Recommended initial setup: Start by granting access only to your "Desktop" or "Documents" folder. You can add or remove folders at any time, so it is best to start narrow and expand gradually as you get comfortable.

Running Your First Task

Once setup is complete, let's try running an actual task.

Try It: Create a File List from a Folder

As the simplest introductory task, have Claude list the names of all files in a folder.

Example input:

Check all the files inside the "Project Materials" folder on my Desktop
and create a table listing each file name and its last modified date.

What Claude does:

1. Opens the "Project Materials" folder
2. Checks each file one by one
3. Creates a table and displays it in the chat window

When the task runs, an "operation log" (a record of what Claude has done) appears on the right side of the screen. You can watch in real time to see exactly what Claude is doing.

Try It: Process Multiple Files at Once

Now let's try something a bit more advanced — have Claude read and summarize multiple documents at once.

Example input:

Read all the Word files in the "Meeting Notes" folder
and create a summary table with the date, attendees, and decisions from each meeting.
Save the summary as a file named "Meeting Notes Summary.docx" on my Desktop.

In this example, Claude automatically carries out the following steps:

1. Opens all Word files in the "Meeting Notes" folder
2. Extracts the date, attendees, and decisions from each file
3. Compiles everything into a table
4. Saves it to the Desktop as Meeting Notes Summary.docx

Common issue: If Claude responds with "File not found," check whether that folder has been granted access permission. You can verify and add folders under Settings > Folder Access.

Writing Good Task Instructions

The results you get from Cowork depend greatly on how you write your task instructions. The more specific you are, the more likely you will get exactly what you expected.

Bad Examples vs. Good Examples

Example 1: Organizing files

Example 2: Creating a report

Example 3: Scheduled task

Tips for Writing Task Instructions

• Be specific about file and folder paths: Instead of "this file," say "the 〇〇.xlsx file in the 〇〇 folder on the Desktop"
• Describe the end result: Instead of "organize it," say "save it in the 〇〇 folder sorted by date"
• Specify where to save: Instead of just "save it," say "save it to the Desktop as 〇〇.docx"
• Make conditions explicit: Instead of "old files," say "files dated before 2024"

Monitoring Progress and Changing Direction

While Cowork is running a task, you can see exactly what is happening.

Viewing the Execution Log

During task execution, an "operation log" is displayed on the right side of the screen (or at the bottom).

It records in order:

• Which files were opened
• What was read
• What operations were performed

Seeing "how far along we are" lets you wait with confidence.

Stopping Mid-Task

If you feel the task is heading in the wrong direction, you can stop it at any time.

• Click the "Stop" button, and Claude will immediately halt its work
• You can then enter additional instructions to redirect the task

Example correction:

Hold on. Moving files to the Archive folder is fine,
but leave 2024 files where they are. Only move files from 2023 and earlier.

Being able to add or adjust instructions partway through is one of the great conveniences of Cowork.

Common issue: If Claude does not stop, closing the app window will also stop the task. Make it a habit to back up important files before running tasks on them.

Scheduled Tasks — Automate Repetitive Work

If you repeat the same tasks every day or every week, the scheduling feature lets you hand off that automation to Claude.

How to Set Up a Schedule

1. In the Cowork task input field, type something like "Every day at 〇 o'clock, please do 〜"
2. Claude will suggest a schedule configuration
3. Review it and click "Set up"
4. You can view, change, or delete any schedule at any time under Cowork > Schedules

Scheduled Task Examples

Automatic daily report creation:

Every morning at 8 AM, read the latest file in the "Reports" folder,
create a summary of the previous day's content (5 bullet points),
and save it to the Desktop as "Daily Summary.txt".

Weekly summary email:

Every Friday at 5 PM, compile a list of files added or updated this week
and send it to team@example.com as a weekly summary.
Use the subject line "Weekly File Update Summary (week of [Month] [Date])".

Recurring data archiving:

On the 1st of each month at 9 AM, check the "Incoming Files" folder
and move last month's files to the "Archive/[Year]-[Month]" folder.

Common issue: Scheduled tasks only run when your computer is on and Claude Desktop is open. If the computer is off or asleep, the task for that time will be skipped. For important automations, make it a habit to check the next day that the task actually ran.

External Service Integrations — Connect Slack, Notion, and Gmail

Cowork can connect to external services using plugins. With integrations in place, Claude can handle workflows that span multiple tools, all in one place.

Key Services You Can Integrate

• Slack: Read channel messages and create summaries, copy important information to Notion or elsewhere
• Notion: Create and update pages, write to databases
• Gmail / Google Workspace: Send and receive email, check and create calendar events, read and write spreadsheets
• GitHub: Code reviews, issue management (for engineers)
• Others: Jira, Asana, Dropbox, and more

How to Add a Plugin

1. Click "Plugins" in the left sidebar of the Cowork screen (or in the settings menu)
2. Select the plugin for the service you want to connect
3. Click "Install" and authenticate (log in) to that service
4. A permissions screen will appear — grant only the permissions you need and click "Connect"

Example: Using Slack + Notion together:

Read all of today's messages from the #general Slack channel,
summarize the important information, decisions, and action items,
and add them to the "Meeting Notes" database in Notion with today's date.

Common issue: If you added a plugin but Claude says "I cannot access that service," your authentication may have expired. Go to plugin settings and click "Reconnect" to log in again.

For detailed instructions on using plugins, see "Cowork Plugins — Extend What Claude Can Do".

Security and Safety

You might feel uneasy about Claude operating freely inside your computer. Cowork has several safety mechanisms built in.

Access is Limited to Authorized Folders

Claude cannot access any folder that you did not explicitly permit during setup. You can add or remove folders at any time under Settings > Folder Access.

Deletions Require Confirmation

If Claude is about to perform an irreversible action such as deleting a file, it will always ask for confirmation first. Files will never be deleted without a "Are you sure you want to delete this?" prompt.

All Operations Are Logged

Every operation Claude performs is recorded in a log. Because you can review "what Claude did" after the fact, it is much easier to identify what went wrong if a problem arises.

Network Communication is Controlled

When Cowork needs to connect to the internet (for example, for external service integrations), it will first ask for your permission. No external communication takes place beyond what you have authorized.

Recommended security habits: Back up important files before running tasks on them. Only install plugins from sources you trust, and make a habit of removing plugins you no longer need.

Next Steps

Once you have mastered the basics of Cowork, expand what you can do with it.

• Cowork Plugins — Extend What Claude Can Do — Deepen integrations with external services like Slack, Notion, and Gmail
• How to Use the Claude Desktop App — Tips for switching between Chat mode and Cowork mode effectively
• How to Use Claude Web (claude.ai) — Differences from the browser version and how to choose between them
• Prompt Fundamentals — Learn techniques for giving Claude effective instructions