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Claude Cowork Guide

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Introduction to Claude Cowork

Claude Cowork is Anthropic's first agentic AI product designed for non-technical office tasks. It transforms Claude from a conversational assistant into an action-first office agent that can plan, execute, and deliver work inside a secure local environment.

Key benefits

  • No coding required: Describe outcomes in plain language.
  • Local file access: Works directly with your authorized folders.
  • Professional output: Generates Excel, PowerPoint, and Word documents.
  • Long-running tasks: Handles extended workflows without timeouts.

Who can use it?

  • macOS users with Claude Desktop.
  • Claude Max subscribers.

Installation Guide

Prerequisites

  1. macOS (Research Preview requirement).
  2. Claude Desktop installed.
  3. Active Claude Max subscription.

Step-by-step installation

  1. Install Claude Desktop from claude.ai/download.
  2. Upgrade to Claude Max in Settings → Subscription.
  3. Enable Cowork in Settings → Features → Cowork.
  4. Grant folder access when prompted.

Verify installation

Start a new conversation in Claude Desktop and look for the Cowork icon.

Authentication & Security

Cowork uses your Claude Desktop authentication tied to your Anthropic account and Claude Max subscription.

Security model

  • VM isolation: Work runs inside a dedicated virtual machine.
  • User control: You review and approve every step.
  • Scoped access: Grant only the folders needed for a task.

Best practices

  • Start with a single folder and expand access only as needed.
  • Review permissions periodically.
  • Revoke access for folders you no longer use.

Basic Usage

Workflow

  1. Describe your goal in plain language.
  2. Review the plan and adjust if needed.
  3. Approve execution inside the secure VM.
  4. Receive results in your authorized folders.

Example commands

"Create a summary document of all PDF files in my Research folder"
"Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing my Q4 sales data"
"Analyze all CSV files in my Data folder and create a summary report"

Advanced Features

Sub-agent collaboration

Cowork can split complex goals into parallel sub-tasks, with multiple agents working simultaneously. 

"Research the top 5 competitors in the AI space and create a comparison report"

Professional format support

  • Excel spreadsheets with formulas and charts.
  • PowerPoint presentations with templates and layouts.
  • Word documents with consistent formatting.

Long-running tasks

  • No session timeouts for extended workflows.
  • Progress tracking and resume support.
  • Background execution while you keep working.

Custom workflows

  1. Define a workflow template.
  2. Save it for reuse.
  3. Apply it with new inputs.

Troubleshooting

Cowork feature not appearing

  • Verify your Claude Max subscription.
  • Update Claude Desktop to the latest version.
  • Restart Claude Desktop and confirm Cowork is enabled.

Permission denied errors

  • Check macOS System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Files and Folders.
  • Re-authorize folder access in Claude Desktop settings.

Performance issues

  • Large file operations take time.
  • Break complex tasks into smaller steps.
  • Ensure stable internet connectivity.

Getting help

  1. Read official documentation.
  2. Visit the community forum.
  3. Contact Anthropic support if issues persist.

Video Resources