What is Cowork, exactly?
You probably know Claude as a chatbot on claude.ai — you ask a question, you get an answer. Cowork takes it a step further. It’s a mode in the Claude Desktop app that allows Claude not only to talk, but also to do:
- Create files — Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs
- Read and edit files — you upload something, Claude works with it
- Run code — data analyses, charts, automations
- Search the web — find and process up-to-date information
- Use apps — through connectors, Claude can work with Asana, Slack, Google Drive, and more
Think of it as a smart assistant sitting at your desk, with access to your files, capable of actually executing tasks. You say “make a presentation about X” and you get a real .pptx file back that you can open in PowerPoint or Keynote.
How does it work technically? Cowork runs a small virtual computer (a “sandbox”) on your Mac. Claude can safely execute code and create files inside it. Your actual files are only accessed if you explicitly grant permission by selecting a folder.
Installation & first steps
1. Download Claude Desktop
Go to claude.ai/download and download the Mac version. Drag the app to your Applications folder, just like any other app.
2. Sign in or create an account
Open Claude and sign in. You need a Pro subscription ($20/month) or a Max subscription to use Cowork.
3. Activate Cowork
In the Claude Desktop app, click on your profile icon in the bottom left and look for the option to enable Cowork. You may need to activate it via Settings → Features. When starting a new conversation, a “Cowork” option will appear next to the regular chat window.
4. Your first Cowork session
Start a new conversation and choose Cowork mode. Try something right away — for example:
Create a neat Excel spreadsheet with my weekly schedule.
Monday: meeting at 10am, lunch with John at noon.
Tuesday: dentist at 9am, project work in the afternoon.
Claude will create an actual .xlsx file that you can download and open.
Tip: Selecting a folder. When starting a Cowork session, you can select a folder on your computer. Claude can then read files in that folder and save new files there. Ideal when you want Claude to work with existing files.
The Terminal — your new friend
The Terminal is a program on your Mac that lets you type commands instead of clicking. It sounds scary, but it’s really just a different way to talk to your computer. And good news: for day-to-day Cowork usage, you almost never need the Terminal. But for installing Python, it’s briefly necessary.
Opening Terminal
Two ways:
- Via Spotlight: press
⌘ + Space, typeTerminal, press Enter - Via Finder: go to Applications → Utilities → Terminal
Useful basic commands
You don’t need to memorise these, but it’s handy to know they exist:
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
pwd | Shows which folder you’re in | /Users/john |
ls | Lists files in the current folder | Documents/ Desktop/ |
cd foldername | Go to a folder | cd Documents |
cd .. | Go up one folder | |
open . | Open the current folder in Finder |
In 95% of cases, you don’t need to open the Terminal — Cowork handles everything through the chat. But for the one-time Python installation, it’s necessary.
Installing Python
Python is a programming language that Claude uses behind the scenes for all sorts of things: analysing data, creating charts, converting files, and so on. You don’t need to learn Python yourself — Claude writes and runs the code for you. But Python needs to be installed on your Mac.
Check if you already have Python
Open Terminal and type:
python3 --version
If you see something like Python 3.11.5 or higher — congratulations, you’re all set.
Installing Python from the official website
- Go to python.org/downloads and click the big yellow “Download Python 3.x” button
- Open the downloaded
.pkgfile and follow the steps — the default settings are fine - Close Terminal and reopen it (this is important!), then type
python3 --version
Note: On macOS, the command is
python3, notpython. This is normal.
Why is this useful?
With Python installed, Claude can within Cowork:
- Analyse and summarise Excel and CSV files
- Create charts and visualisations
- Edit, merge PDFs, or extract text from them
- Generate Word documents and PowerPoint presentations
- Run calculations on large datasets
Organising your workspace
A good folder structure makes the difference. Our advice: create one main folder for all your Cowork projects, with a subfolder per project.
📁 Claude Projects/
📁 Accounting Q1/
📄 expenses-january.csv
📄 analysis-q1.xlsx ← created by Claude
📁 Newsletter/
📄 template.docx
📄 newsletter-march.docx ← created by Claude
📁 Client X Presentation/
📄 briefing.txt
📄 presentation.pptx ← created by Claude
📁 .claude/ ← instructions for Claude
📄 CLAUDE.md
When you select a folder in Cowork, Claude sees all files in that folder. By using a separate folder per project, Claude only sees the relevant files, new files are neatly saved in the right place, and you can give project-specific instructions.
Connectors: linking Claude to your tools
Connectors are integrations that let Claude work directly with external tools. Instead of copying information from Asana to Claude and back, Claude can check Asana itself and create tasks.
| Service | What Claude can do |
|---|---|
| Asana | View, create, update tasks; project overviews |
| Google Drive | Read and search documents |
| Slack | Read messages, search channels |
| Notion | Access pages and databases |
You don’t need to install anything. If you ask Claude something that requires a connector, Claude automatically suggests activating the integration.
Security: Claude always asks for permission before taking action on your accounts. It cannot send messages or delete files without your explicit approval.
Skills: teaching Claude new tricks
Skills are like “recipes” for Claude — a set of instructions that teach it how to best perform a specific task.
Built-in skills
Cowork comes with built-in skills that are used automatically:
| Skill | When it’s used |
|---|---|
docx | Creating or editing Word documents |
xlsx | Creating Excel spreadsheets |
pptx | Creating PowerPoint presentations |
pdf | Working with PDF files |
The CLAUDE.md file: your personal instructions
In your project folder, create a hidden .claude folder containing a CLAUDE.md file. Or even easier: just ask Claude!
Create a CLAUDE.md file for this project with these instructions:
- Always write in English
- Use a professional but approachable tone
- The target audience is small business owners
Example for a newsletter project:
# Newsletter Instructions
## Language & Style
- Write in English
- Tone: warm, personal, not too corporate
- Use informal register
## Format
- Each newsletter has 3-5 short articles
- Start with the most important news
- Maximum 800 words total
Skills vs. CLAUDE.md:
CLAUDE.mdis ideal for general project instructions that always apply. Skills are better suited for specific, repeatable tasks you want to trigger on demand. You can combine both.
Practical examples
Creating a presentation
Create an 8-slide presentation about the benefits
of remote working. Target audience: HR managers.
Professional style, with concrete figures.
Claude creates a complete .pptx with title, content, statistics, and a conclusion slide.
Analysing a CSV file
Analyse the file sales-data.csv in my folder.
I want to know:
- Total revenue per month
- Best-selling product
- A chart showing the trend over the year
Rewriting a document
Rewrite the document "proposal.docx" in my folder.
Make it more concise (max 2 pages) and ensure the
tone is more persuasive. Keep all key arguments.
An interactive dashboard
Create an interactive dashboard from my customer-data.csv.
I want to filter by region and product category.
Show: revenue per month, top 10 customers, and a summary table.
Claude creates an .html file you can open in your browser — with dropdown filters and interactive charts.
Tips & frequently asked questions
How do I get the best results?
- Provide context — Tell Claude what you need it for, who the audience is, and what tone you want
- Iterate — Ask for adjustments: “Make the introduction shorter”, “Add an extra column”
- Upload examples — Claude learns quickly from examples
- Use the CLAUDE.md file — For recurring projects, this saves enormous amounts of time
Can Claude see my files?
Only if you select a folder. Claude can never access your files without your permission. And even then, Claude can only read and write in that one folder.
What if Claude makes a mistake?
Don’t panic. Claude never overwrites existing files without asking. If something isn’t right, just say so.
What’s the difference between chatting on claude.ai and Cowork?
| claude.ai (chat) | Cowork | |
|---|---|---|
| Create files | Limited | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, HTML, … |
| Read files | Upload in chat | Reads directly from your folder |
| Run code | No | Yes (Python, data analysis, etc.) |
| Connect apps | No | Yes (Asana, Slack, etc.) |
Next step
Ready for more? In the intermediate guide, you’ll learn to leverage skills, combine connectors smartly, automate your browser, and make Claude truly work the way you want.
This guide was written with the help of Claude in Cowork — naturally.