What is Claude Cowork?
"Claude Code's power without the terminal"
Cowork brings Claude Code's agentic capabilities to non-developers. Instead of using command-line tools, you work through Claude Desktop's familiar chat interface. Give Claude access to a folder, describe what you want, and let it work autonomously while you step away.
Local File Access
Claude reads, edits, creates, and organizes files directly in your folders.
Sub-Agent Parallelism
Complex tasks spin up independent sub-agents that work simultaneously.
Async Execution
Start a task, step away, come back to finished work. No babysitting required.
Real Deliverables
Creates actual Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, formatted documents.
How is it different from chat?
Back-and-forth conversation. You provide context, Claude responds, you copy outputs manually.
Delegate and step away. Claude accesses your files directly, creates deliverables, works in parallel with sub-agents.
Quick Start
Download Claude Desktop
Get the latest macOS Claude Desktop app from Anthropic.
Click Cowork in Sidebar
Open Claude Desktop and click the Cowork tab in the left sidebar.
Grant Folder Access
Use 'Work in a folder' to point Claude at the directory you want it to access.
Requirements
What Cowork Can Do
File Organization
Point Claude at messy folders and let it sort, rename, and structure files.
"Organize my Downloads folder. Group by type and project.""Find identical photos and screenshots I can delete.""Rename all files in /invoices to YYYY-MM-vendor format."Data Extraction & Spreadsheets
Create structured data from unstructured inputs like screenshots and receipts.
"I have 50 receipt screenshots. Create an expense spreadsheet with totals.""Extract all dates and amounts from the contracts in /legal.""Analyze these CSVs and create a summary report."Document Creation
Synthesize information from multiple sources into polished deliverables.
"Draft a report from my scattered notes in /research.""Create a slide deck summarizing Q4 from these meeting notes.""I have a week in Lisbon. Create an itinerary from my email and web research."Long-Running Analysis
Handle tasks too big for single chat sessions without hitting context limits.
"Go through my entire notes vault. Surface connections I've missed.""Read all documents in /contracts. Summarize key terms and renewal dates.""Search my Slack, Drive, and Asana for my Q4 accomplishments."Integrations
Connectors
Link Claude to external services for richer context and actions.
Skills
Built-in abilities for creating professional documents.
Claude in Chrome
Browser access for tasks requiring web navigation.
When to Use Cowork
Use Cowork When
- Work that lives in your files—organizing, analyzing, or creating outputs
- Tasks involving large amounts of material or many sources
- Work that benefits from parallel exploration
- Tasks you want to delegate and come back to later
- Long-running tasks that would exceed normal chat context limits
Stay in Regular Chat When
- Real-time back-and-forth collaboration
- Quick, conversational tasks
- Staying hands-on throughout the process
- Exploratory thinking alongside Claude
- One-off questions or simple requests
Real-World Examples
Podcast Transcripts Analyzed
Lenny Rachitsky used Cowork to analyze 320 podcast episode transcripts, extracting key themes and counterintuitive insights.
Built by Claude Code
Cowork itself was built in approximately 10 days, with all code written by Claude Code—dogfooding at its finest.
Financial Report Organization
Tasks like organizing financial reports that took 3 hours manually now complete in 20 minutes with Cowork.
Tips for Success
Start with Prompt Builders
Use the built-in suggestions like 'Create a file' or 'Organize files' to learn what works well.
Think in Complete Tasks
Describe tasks with specific end states. 'Create a slide deck with 3 themes' beats 'help me understand this.'
Build Your Intuition
Start with clear, bounded tasks. 'Organize this folder' before tackling complex multi-step projects.
Use Clear Safety Instructions
When dealing with important files, explicitly tell Claude what NOT to delete or modify.
Queue Multiple Tasks
Don't wait for one task to finish. Queue up work and let Claude process in parallel.
Check the Sidebar
Monitor progress via the sidebar: see steps unfolding, tools in use, and outputs as they're created.
Current Limitations
Research Preview: Cowork is in early access. Anthropic is actively collecting feedback to improve features and safety. Expect rapid iteration.
Platform Limitations
- macOS only — no Windows support yet
- Desktop app only — no web or mobile
- Sessions don't sync across devices
- Desktop app must stay open while running
Feature Limitations
- No Projects feature integration
- No Memory feature support
- No chat sharing or artifact sharing
- Can't switch between Cowork and regular chat mid-conversation
- No memory between sessions (doesn't learn preferences)
Coming Soon
Safety Considerations
Built-in Protections
- Sandboxed access — only accesses explicitly granted folders
- Asks permission before taking significant actions
- You can course-correct at any time via the chat
- Sophisticated prompt injection defenses built-in
Be Aware Of
- Can take destructive actions (deleting files) if instructions are unclear
- May misinterpret ambiguous requests
- Prompt injection risks from malicious content in files or web pages
- Agent safety is still an active area of development industry-wide
Cowork vs Claude Code
| Aspect | Cowork | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Target User | Non-developers, knowledge workers | Developers, engineers |
| Interface | Claude Desktop chat UI | Terminal / CLI |
| Primary Use | File organization, reports, data extraction | Code generation, debugging, automation |
| Learning Curve | Low — familiar chat interface | Higher — requires terminal comfort |
| File Access | Specific granted folder | Full repository access |
| Sub-agents | Yes, for parallel tasks | Yes, for complex coding |
| Availability | Max plan, macOS only | Max plan, cross-platform |
Resources
Official Announcement
Anthropic's blog post introducing Cowork
Cowork Tutorial
Anthropic's official getting started guide
Download Claude Desktop
Get the macOS app to start using Cowork
Join Waitlist
Sign up for access if not on Max plan
Safety Guide
Anthropic's guide to using Cowork safely
Simon Willison's Review
In-depth first impressions from a respected voice