marketing-shibata50/claude-code-ultimate-guide

Florian BRUNIAUX c2de35caba docs: complete Cowork documentation v1.0 (Phase 2)

- 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>

2026-01-20 11:23:43 +01:00

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Cowork Cheatsheet

One-page quick reference — Print-friendly

Requires: Pro ($20/mo) or Max ($100-200/mo) subscription, macOS

Quick Start

# 1. Create workspace
mkdir -p ~/Cowork-Workspace/{input,output}

# 2. Enable Cowork in Claude Desktop → Settings → Features

# 3. Grant folder access when prompted

Essential Prompt Pattern

Task: [clear single objective]
Input: ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/
Output: ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/[filename.ext]
Format: [specific format requirements]

Can Do / Cannot Do

✅ CAN DO	❌ CANNOT DO
Read/write files	Execute code
Create Office docs	Run scripts
Extract data from images	Access cloud storage
Organize folders	Make API calls
Web research (Chrome)	Process audio/video
Generate PDFs	Decrypt files

Output Formats

Format	Extension	Notes
Word	.docx	Headers, tables, formatting
Excel	.xlsx	Formulas, multiple sheets
PowerPoint	.pptx	Slides, basic formatting
PDF	.pdf	Generated from content
Text	.txt, .md	Any text format
Data	.csv, .json	Structured data

Prompt Examples

File Organization

Organize files in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/ by type.
Create folders: Documents, Images, Spreadsheets, Other.
Save summary to ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/organization-report.txt

Data Extraction

Extract expenses from receipt images in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/receipts/
Create Excel file with: Date, Vendor, Amount, Category
Add totals row. Save to ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/expenses.xlsx

⚠️ OCR: 97% field accuracy, 63% line-items. Always verify totals.

Document Synthesis

Combine notes in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/notes/ into a status report.
Structure: Executive Summary, Progress, Risks, Next Steps.
Save as ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/status-report.docx

Web Research

Research top 5 project management tools.
Create comparison table with: Name, Price, Key Features, Pros, Cons.
Save to ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/pm-tools.md

Security Quick Rules

🔴 CRITICAL	🟠 HIGH
Dedicated workspace only	Review every plan
No credentials in workspace	Backup before destructive ops
Verify file sources	Manage Chrome permissions

Common Issues → Quick Fixes

Issue	Fix
Can't see Cowork	Update app + restart
Permission denied	System Preferences → Privacy → re-grant
Task stops	Break into smaller batches
Excel formulas broken	Specify regional syntax
Chrome not working	Grant Accessibility permission

Dangerous Patterns to Avoid

❌ "Process all files in ~/"
❌ "You have access to Documents"
❌ "Here's my password file"
❌ "Delete all duplicates" (without backup)
❌ Skip plan review

Decision Flow

Need code execution? → Use Claude Code
Need file manipulation? → Use Cowork
Just conversation? → Use Projects

Regional Excel Settings

Region	Formula Syntax
US/UK	`=SUM(A1,A2)` (comma)
EU	`=SUM(A1;A2)` (semicolon)

Specify in prompt: "Use European/US formula syntax"

Workflow Cycle

Request → Analysis → Plan → ⚠️ Review → Approve → Execute → Verify
                            ↑
                     READ THIS CAREFULLY

Context Limits

Content	Approximate Capacity
Text pages	150-500 pages
Documents	50-100 docs
Images (OCR)	50-100 images

Hit limit? → Break into smaller batches

Usage Limits

Tier	Intensive Use	Reset
Pro	~1-1.5 hours	Every 5 hours
Max	5x-20x Pro	Every 5 hours

⚠️ File/document tasks consume quota rapidly. Plan large batches accordingly.

Token Budget by Task

Task Type	Typical Tokens	Pro Sessions
Simple Q&A	5K-10K	Many
File inventory	20K-30K	6-8
Small file org (10-20 files)	30K-50K	3-5
Large file org (50+ files)	80K-150K	1-2
Multi-doc synthesis	50K-100K	2-3
OCR batch (10+ receipts)	60K-100K	2-3

Agentic overhead: Plan→Execute→Check cycles add 15-30% tokens.

Optimization Tips

Strategy	Savings
Batch 10-20 files per request	Optimal efficiency
Checkpoint after each batch	Enables recovery
Clear context for new tasks	Fresh 200K window
Reuse previous outputs	Avoids re-processing

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Method
Stop execution	Type "Stop"
New conversation	Cmd+N
Clear context	Start new conversation

Links

Resource	URL
Full Docs	`cowork/README.md`
Security Guide	`cowork/guide/03-security.md`
Prompt Library	`cowork/prompts/`
Troubleshooting	`cowork/guide/04-troubleshooting.md`

Cowork v1.0 (Research Preview) | Part of Claude Code Ultimate Guide

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