c2de35caba
- Create comprehensive Cowork docs (23 files in cowork/) - 6 guides: overview, getting started, capabilities, security, troubleshooting - 60+ ready-to-use prompts across 4 categories - 5 step-by-step workflows - Reference materials: cheatsheet, FAQ, comparison, glossary - Integrate Perplexity research (P0/P1/P2) - Exact error messages with solutions (VPN, Chrome host, context limits) - Competitive analysis (vs Copilot/Gemini/ChatGPT/Apple Intelligence) - Enterprise validation (TELUS, Rakuten, Zapier stats) - OCR accuracy benchmarks (97% field, 63% line-item) - Token budget planning per task type - Document critical limitations - VPN incompatibility (#1 community issue) - Context limit reality (165K vs 200K theoretical) - Platform constraints (macOS only) - Usage limits and pricing (Pro $20, Max $100-200) - Update central files - README.md: detailed Cowork section with tables - VERSION: 3.9.6 → 3.9.7 - machine-readable/reference.yaml: add cowork_reference entry - machine-readable/cowork-reference.yaml: new LLM-optimized index (~1.5K tokens) Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
193 lines
9.7 KiB
Markdown
193 lines
9.7 KiB
Markdown
# Claude Cowork: Overview
|
|
|
|
> **Reading time**: ~5 minutes
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## What is Cowork?
|
|
|
|
**Cowork** is Claude's agentic desktop feature that extends autonomous AI capabilities to non-technical users through the Claude Desktop app. Instead of terminal commands, Cowork accesses local folders and files directly.
|
|
|
|
### Key Facts
|
|
|
|
| Aspect | Details |
|
|
|--------|---------|
|
|
| **Release** | Research preview, January 2026 |
|
|
| **Availability** | Pro ($20/mo) or Max ($100-200/mo) subscribers |
|
|
| **Platform** | macOS only (Windows planned, Linux not announced) |
|
|
| **Built by** | ~90% written by Claude itself ([Anthropic blog]) |
|
|
| **Focus** | File manipulation, organization, document generation |
|
|
| **Usage limits** | Resets every 5 hours; heavy tasks consume quota rapidly |
|
|
|
|
### Relationship to Claude Code
|
|
|
|
Cowork shares the same backend architecture as Claude Code:
|
|
|
|
| Shared | Different |
|
|
|--------|-----------|
|
|
| Same model capabilities | Desktop app vs Terminal |
|
|
| Extended thinking | Files only vs full shell |
|
|
| Agentic loops | Knowledge workers vs developers |
|
|
| Sub-agent architecture | No code execution |
|
|
|
|
**Key difference**: Cowork cannot execute arbitrary code—it manipulates files only.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Who Should Use Cowork?
|
|
|
|
### Good Fit
|
|
|
|
| Persona | Use Case | Why Cowork |
|
|
|---------|----------|------------|
|
|
| **Project Manager** | File organization + status reports | Multi-step automation without coding |
|
|
| **Data Analyst** | Local CSV/Excel → formatted reports | Native Excel formulas output |
|
|
| **Writer/Editor** | Research notes → structured documents | Synthesis across many sources |
|
|
| **Operations** | Receipt screenshots → expense reports | Multi-format input processing |
|
|
| **Consultant** | Client docs → deliverables | Cross-reference and synthesis |
|
|
| **Researcher** | Papers + notes → literature review | Source organization and citation |
|
|
|
|
### Poor Fit (For Now)
|
|
|
|
| Persona | Limitation | Alternative |
|
|
|---------|------------|-------------|
|
|
| **Security-conscious enterprises** | No audit trail, no access controls | Wait for enterprise features |
|
|
| **Heavy cloud users** | No Google Drive/Dropbox confirmed | Use native cloud apps |
|
|
| **Anyone needing reliability** | Preview = bugs, unexpected behavior | Wait for stable release |
|
|
| **Code execution needs** | Files only, no scripts | Use Claude Code |
|
|
| **Windows/Linux users** | macOS only (Windows planned, Linux not announced) | Wait for platform expansion |
|
|
| **Heavy daily users** | Usage limits reset every 5h; Pro exhausts in ~1-1.5h intensive use | Consider Max tier or batch work |
|
|
| **VPN users** | **Cannot work with VPN active** (VM routing conflict) | Disconnect VPN or use Claude Code |
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Architecture
|
|
|
|
### Local-First Design
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
|
|
│ CLAUDE DESKTOP APP │
|
|
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
|
|
│ │ COWORK ││
|
|
│ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐││
|
|
│ │ │ ORCHESTRATOR │││
|
|
│ │ │ • Receives user request │││
|
|
│ │ │ • Creates execution plan │││
|
|
│ │ │ • Coordinates sub-agents │││
|
|
│ │ └──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘││
|
|
│ │ ↓ ││
|
|
│ │ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ││
|
|
│ │ │ Sub-Agent 1 │ │ Sub-Agent 2 │ │ Sub-Agent 3 │ ││
|
|
│ │ │ (Analysis) │ │ (Transform) │ │ (Organize) │ ││
|
|
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ││
|
|
│ │ │ • Read files│ │ • Convert │ │ • Move files │ ││
|
|
│ │ │ • Extract │ │ • Format │ │ • Create dirs │ ││
|
|
│ │ │ • Summarize │ │ • Generate │ │ • Rename │ ││
|
|
│ │ └──────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘ └───────┬─────────┘ ││
|
|
│ │ └────────────────┴─────────────────┘ ││
|
|
│ │ ↓ ││
|
|
│ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐││
|
|
│ │ │ LOCAL FOLDER SANDBOX │││
|
|
│ │ │ ~/Cowork-Workspace/ │││
|
|
│ │ │ ├── input/ (your files) │││
|
|
│ │ │ └── output/ (generated files) │││
|
|
│ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘││
|
|
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
|
|
│ │
|
|
│ ┌─────────────────┐ │
|
|
│ │ CHROME INTEGRATION │ ← Web tasks (with explicit action) │
|
|
│ └─────────────────┘ │
|
|
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Technical Specifications
|
|
|
|
| Aspect | Details |
|
|
|--------|---------|
|
|
| **Access model** | Local folder sandbox (user grants permission) |
|
|
| **Cloud connectors** | Not confirmed (no Drive, Dropbox, etc. yet) |
|
|
| **Sub-agents** | Parallel execution with fresh context per agent |
|
|
| **Code execution** | **None** — Files only (no scripts, no commands) |
|
|
| **Browser** | Chrome integration for web research tasks |
|
|
| **Context limit** | ~200K tokens (~150-500 pages per session) |
|
|
| **Output formats** | Excel (.xlsx with formulas), PowerPoint, Word, PDF, text, images |
|
|
|
|
### How Sub-Agents Work
|
|
|
|
1. **Fresh context** — Each sub-agent starts clean (no memory from other agents)
|
|
2. **Parallel execution** — Multiple agents can work simultaneously
|
|
3. **Orchestrator coordination** — Main agent assembles results
|
|
4. **Scope isolation** — Each agent sees only what it needs
|
|
|
|
This architecture enables complex multi-step workflows while maintaining security boundaries.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## What Cowork Cannot Do
|
|
|
|
Understanding limitations is crucial for effective use:
|
|
|
|
| Limitation | Implication |
|
|
|------------|-------------|
|
|
| Execute shell commands | No `mkdir`, `mv`, `cp` via terminal |
|
|
| Run scripts | No Python, JavaScript, bash execution |
|
|
| Access cloud storage | No direct Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud |
|
|
| Network requests | No API calls, no HTTP requests |
|
|
| Persist memory | No cross-session memory (only via files) |
|
|
| Access arbitrary folders | Only granted sandbox locations |
|
|
|
|
### Workarounds
|
|
|
|
| Need | Workaround |
|
|
|------|------------|
|
|
| Cloud files | Download to local workspace first |
|
|
| Code execution | Use Claude Code instead |
|
|
| Cross-session memory | Save context to a file, reload next session |
|
|
| Network data | Use Chrome integration for web research |
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Mental Model
|
|
|
|
Think of Cowork as a **highly capable assistant with physical access to one folder**:
|
|
|
|
- Can read any file you put there
|
|
- Can create new files in any format
|
|
- Can reorganize, rename, transform
|
|
- Cannot leave that folder without permission
|
|
- Cannot run programs or scripts
|
|
- Cannot make network connections directly
|
|
|
|
This constraint is a **feature, not a bug** — it creates a safe sandbox for autonomous operation.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Enterprise Validation (Claude Adoption)
|
|
|
|
While Cowork is in research preview, Claude's underlying capabilities are validated at enterprise scale:
|
|
|
|
| Company | Results | Context |
|
|
|---------|---------|---------|
|
|
| **TELUS** | $90M value, 500K hours saved | Document processing at scale |
|
|
| **Rakuten** | 87.5% reduction in processing time | Knowledge work automation |
|
|
| **Zapier** | 89% employee adoption | Workflow integration |
|
|
|
|
**Relevance to Cowork**: These stats are for Claude in general, not Cowork specifically. However, they validate the core AI capabilities that power Cowork's document processing and autonomous workflows.
|
|
|
|
**What this means for you**:
|
|
- The AI model works reliably at enterprise scale
|
|
- Document understanding and generation are production-ready
|
|
- The "research preview" label applies to the Cowork interface, not the underlying Claude capabilities
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Next Steps
|
|
|
|
- [Getting Started](01-getting-started.md) — Setup and first workflow
|
|
- [Capabilities](02-capabilities.md) — Detailed feature breakdown
|
|
- [Security](03-security.md) — Safe usage practices
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
*[← Back to Cowork Documentation](../README.md) | [Getting Started →](01-getting-started.md)*
|