claude-code-ultimate-guide/cowork/CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to Cowork Documentation

Thank you for your interest in improving the Cowork documentation! This guide will help you contribute effectively.

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📍 Current Status

Location: This documentation currently lives in the claude-code-ultimate-guide repository under the cowork/ directory.

Future: Migration to dedicated claude-cowork-guide repository planned when Cowork exits research preview.

For now: All contributions should be made to the main repository with [cowork] prefix in issues/PRs.

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🎯 Ways to Contribute

1. Report Issues

Found a problem? Open an issue in the main repository.

Use [cowork] prefix in the title:

• ✅ [cowork] VPN workaround instructions unclear
• ✅ [cowork] OCR accuracy claim needs source
• ❌ File organization doesn't work (too vague)

Include:

• Platform (macOS version)
• Subscription tier (Pro or Max)
• Cowork version (from Claude Desktop → Settings → About)
• Exact error message (if applicable)
• Steps to reproduce

2. Suggest Improvements

Have an idea? Open an issue with:

• Problem: What's missing or could be better
• Proposed solution: Specific improvement
• Use case: Why this helps users

3. Submit Workflows

Share your real-world Cowork workflows:

Requirements:

• Tested: You've used this workflow successfully
• Practical: Solves a real problem
• Documented: Clear steps with example prompts
• Reproducible: Others can follow and achieve similar results

Template:

# [Workflow Name]

## Use Case
[What problem this solves]

## Prerequisites
- [File types needed]
- [Workspace setup]
- [Estimated time]

## Steps

### 1. [Step Name]
**Prompt**:

CONTEXT: [situation] TASK: [what to do] OUTPUT: [format and location] CONSTRAINTS: [rules]

**Expected result**: [what happens]

[Continue for all steps...]

## Common Issues
- [Issue 1]: [Solution]
- [Issue 2]: [Solution]

## Success Criteria
[How to know it worked]

4. Contribute Prompts

Add prompts to the library:

Requirements:

• Tested: Works reliably in Cowork
• Categorized: Fits in file-ops/document-creation/data-extraction/research
• CTOC Format: Uses Context→Task→Output→Constraints structure
• Documented: Includes expected result and common variations

Template:

### [Prompt Name]

**Use case**: [When to use this]

**Prompt**:

CONTEXT: [situation] TASK: [what to do] OUTPUT: [format and location] CONSTRAINTS: [rules]

**Expected result**: [what Cowork will produce]

**Variations**:
- [Variation 1]: [How to adapt]
- [Variation 2]: [How to adapt]

**Common issues**:
- [Issue]: [Solution]

5. Fix Documentation Errors

Found a typo, broken link, or outdated information? Submit a PR.

Small fixes (typos, links): Direct PR welcome Large changes (restructure, new sections): Open an issue first to discuss

6. Share Research

Found useful data about Cowork? Share it!

Valuable contributions:

• Official Anthropic announcements
• Community pain points (Reddit, forums)
• OCR accuracy tests on specific document types
• Token consumption measurements
• Performance benchmarks
• Platform compatibility updates

Format: Open an issue with [cowork][research] prefix and include sources.

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📝 Style Guide

Writing Principles

1. Practical over theoretical - Focus on actionable knowledge
2. Accuracy over marketing - No invented stats, cite sources
3. Specific over vague - "OCR accuracy ~97% for vendor names" not "OCR is good"
4. Examples included - Every concept has a real example
5. Beginner-friendly - Knowledge workers, not developers

Prompts

• Always use CTOC format (Context→Task→Output→Constraints)
• Include file paths in prompts (~/Cowork-Workspace/input/)
• Specify output format (Excel with formulas, Word with headers, etc.)
• Add constraints (currency, separators, regional settings)

Example:

CONTEXT: I have 15 PDF invoices from different vendors in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/invoices/
TASK: Extract invoice data into a structured format
OUTPUT: Save as ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/invoices.xlsx with columns: Date, Vendor, Invoice#, Amount, Status
CONSTRAINTS: Use EUR currency, European Excel formula syntax (semicolons), flag amounts >1000 in red

Documentation Structure

• Headers: Sentence case, not Title Case
• Lists: Parallel structure, consistent punctuation
• Code blocks: Specify language for syntax highlighting
• Tables: Use for comparisons, structured data
• Collapsibles: For long content that breaks flow

Tone

• Professional but approachable - Not academic, not casual
• Confident but honest - Admit limitations, cite uncertainties
• Helpful not patronizing - Respect reader's intelligence

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🔍 Review Process

For Issues

• Response time: ~48 hours for acknowledgment
• Triage: bug, enhancement, documentation, question
• Priority: Based on impact and community feedback

For Pull Requests

Checklist (add this to your PR):

- [ ] Tested on Cowork (macOS, Pro/Max tier)
- [ ] Follows CTOC format (for prompts)
- [ ] Includes examples
- [ ] Updated relevant cross-references
- [ ] No broken links
- [ ] Follows style guide

Review timeline:

• Small fixes: ~24 hours
• New prompts: ~48 hours
• New workflows: ~1 week (requires testing)
• Major changes: ~2 weeks (requires discussion)

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❓ Questions?

• Documentation questions: Open an issue with [cowork][question]
• Technical support: Use Claude Desktop support
• General discussion: Use repository Discussions

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📄 License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This means:

• ✅ Free to share and adapt
• ✅ Must give attribution
• ✅ Share-alike (derivatives under same license)
• ❌ No additional restrictions

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🙏 Recognition

Contributors are recognized in:

• Repository contributors graph
• CHANGELOG.md (for significant contributions)
• Documentation credits (for major additions)

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Thank you for helping make Cowork documentation better for everyone!