claude-code-ultimate-guide/cowork/guide/01-getting-started.md

Getting Started with Cowork

Reading time: ~10 minutes

Goal: Go from zero to your first successful Cowork workflow

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Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

Requirement	How to Check
Pro or Max subscription	claude.ai → Settings → Subscription shows "Pro" or "Max"
macOS	Apple menu → About This Mac
Claude Desktop app	Applications folder or Spotlight search
Latest app version	Claude Desktop → Check for Updates

Subscription Tiers

Tier	Cost	Cowork Usage
Pro	$20/mo	Light use (~1-1.5h intensive before reset)
Max	$100-200/mo	Heavy use (5x-20x Pro's limit)

Don't Have Access?

Situation	Action
Free tier	Upgrade to Pro ($20) or Max ($100+)
Windows/Linux	Wait for platform expansion (Windows planned, Linux not announced)

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Step 1: Enable Cowork

1.1 Open Settings

1. Launch Claude Desktop app
2. Click your profile icon (top right)
3. Select Settings

1.2 Enable the Feature

1. Navigate to Features or Beta Features section
2. Find Cowork toggle
3. Enable it

Note

: The exact location may vary as the app is updated during research preview.

1.3 Verify Activation

After enabling, you should see:

• New "Cowork" option in conversation mode selector
• Or a dedicated Cowork section/tab

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Step 2: Create Your Workspace

Critical: Never grant Cowork access to Documents, Desktop, or home folder directly.

2.1 Create Dedicated Folder

Open Terminal and run:

mkdir -p ~/Cowork-Workspace/{input,output}

This creates:

~/Cowork-Workspace/
├── input/    # Files you want processed
└── output/   # Where Cowork puts results

2.2 Grant Folder Access

1. Start a new Cowork conversation
2. When prompted for folder access, navigate to ~/Cowork-Workspace/
3. Grant access only to this folder

2.3 Verify Access

Ask Cowork:

List the contents of my workspace folder

Expected response: Shows input/ and output/ directories.

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Step 3: Your First Workflow

Let's do a simple but complete workflow to verify everything works.

3.1 Prepare Test Files

Create some test files in your input folder:

cd ~/Cowork-Workspace/input

# Create sample files
echo "Meeting notes from Monday" > meeting-monday.txt
echo "Meeting notes from Wednesday" > meeting-wednesday.txt
echo "Project status update" > project-status.txt
echo "Random thoughts" > misc-notes.txt

3.2 Run Your First Task

In Cowork, enter:

Organize the files in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/ into subfolders
by category. Create a summary of what you organized in the output folder.

3.3 What Should Happen

1. Plan display: Cowork shows its intended actions
2. Your approval: You review and approve the plan
3. Execution: Cowork reorganizes files
4. Report: Creates summary in output folder

3.4 Verify Results

Check the result:

ls -la ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/
ls -la ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/

You should see:

• Organized subfolders in input/
• A summary file in output/

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Step 4: Understanding the Workflow

The Cowork Cycle

Every Cowork task follows this pattern:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   YOUR REQUEST                       │
│     "Organize my files by category"                 │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   ANALYSIS                           │
│     Cowork examines your files                      │
│     Identifies patterns and categories              │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   PLAN PROPOSAL                      │
│     "I will create 3 folders and move X files..."   │
│     ⚠️ YOU REVIEW THIS BEFORE EXECUTION              │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               YOUR APPROVAL                          │
│     "Yes, proceed" or "No, modify the plan"         │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   EXECUTION                          │
│     Cowork performs the approved actions            │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   REPORT                             │
│     Summary of what was done                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Points

1. Always review the plan — This is your safety checkpoint
2. Be specific — Vague requests lead to unexpected results
3. Start small — Test with few files before large batches
4. Check results — Verify output before proceeding

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Step 5: The CTOC Framework

Power users structure every Cowork prompt with four components:

CONTEXT → TASK → OUTPUT → CONSTRAINTS

The Framework

Component	What it is	Example
Context	Background, files, situation	"I have 50 receipts from a business trip to Paris..."
Task	Clear single objective	"Extract all expenses into a spreadsheet"
Output	Exact format and location	"Save as ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/paris-expenses.xlsx"
Constraints	Rules, limits, preferences	"Use EUR currency, semicolon formulas, categorize by type"

CTOC Example

CONTEXT: I have meeting notes from the past month in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/notes/.
They're from different team members with inconsistent formatting.

TASK: Create a consolidated status report from these notes.

OUTPUT: Save as ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/team-status-january.docx
with sections: Executive Summary, Progress by Project, Blockers, Next Steps.

CONSTRAINTS: Keep under 3 pages. Focus on actionable items.
Highlight any risks mentioned.

Quick Patterns

Pattern	Example
Be explicit	✅ "files in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/" not ❌ "my files"
Specify output	✅ "save to ~/output/report.docx" not ❌ "create a report"
Describe format	✅ "columns: Date, Amount, Category" not ❌ "make a spreadsheet"
Add constraints	✅ "use European formula syntax"

Break Down Complex Tasks

Instead of:

❌ "Process all my receipts, create expense reports, and organize by month"

Do this:

✅ Step 1: "List all receipt files in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/"
✅ Step 2: "Extract expense data from these receipts into a single Excel file"
✅ Step 3: "Add monthly summary sheets to the Excel file"

This batching approach also optimizes token usage (see Cheatsheet for token budgets).

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Step 6: Chrome Integration (Optional)

Cowork can use Chrome for web research tasks.

Enable Chrome Access

1. When Cowork requests Chrome permission, review carefully
2. Grant only for specific research tasks
3. Revoke after task completion

Example Web Research Task

Research the top 5 project management tools for small teams.
Save your findings to ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/pm-tools-research.md
with a comparison table.

Security Note

• Review each web action Cowork proposes
• Don't let Cowork fill forms or make purchases
• Revoke Chrome access when not needed

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Troubleshooting First Run

"Cannot access folder"

1. Go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Files and Folders
2. Find Claude Desktop
3. Ensure your workspace folder is listed and enabled

"Cowork option not visible"

1. Update Claude Desktop to latest version
2. Check Settings → Features → ensure Cowork is enabled
3. Restart the app

"Plan seems wrong"

1. Don't approve the plan
2. Say "Stop. Let me clarify: [your clarification]"
3. Cowork will revise its plan

"Incomplete results"

1. Check if Cowork showed any errors
2. Try breaking the task into smaller steps
3. Verify folder permissions

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Next Steps

You're now ready to:

1. Explore Capabilities — Learn what Cowork can do
2. Review Security — Safe usage practices
3. Try Workflows — Step-by-step tutorials
4. Use Ready Prompts — Copy-paste templates

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Quick Reference Card

Action	How
Start Cowork	New conversation → Select Cowork mode
Grant access	Browse to ~/Cowork-Workspace/ when prompted
Review plan	Read each step before saying "proceed"
Stop execution	Type "Stop" or close the conversation
Check results	Always verify output folder after tasks

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← Overview | Cowork Documentation | Capabilities →