IntroductionClaude Cowork

Introduction to Claude Cowork

Claude Cowork brings Claude Code's agentic power to Claude Desktop — no terminal needed. Describe a complex task, step away, and come back to finished work: organised files, real Excel spreadsheets, synthesised research, and more.

Claude Desktopagentic taskslocal file accesssub-agentsscheduled tasks

What is Claude Cowork?

Claude Cowork is the agentic task mode inside Claude Desktop. Unlike regular chat — where Claude responds one message at a time — Cowork lets Claude take on complex, multi-step work and execute it entirely on your behalf, directly on your local machine.

Local file access
Claude reads and writes your real files — no manual uploads or downloads required.
Sub-agent coordination
Claude breaks complex work into subtasks and runs them in parallel using multiple sub-agents.
Professional outputs
Produces real Excel files with formulas, PowerPoint slides, and formatted documents — not just CSVs.
Long-running tasks
Works on complex tasks for extended periods without context limits or conversation timeouts.
Scheduled tasks
Set tasks to run automatically on a schedule — even when you are not at your desk.
Projects
Group related tasks into separate workspaces with their own files, instructions, and memory.
Availability: Claude Cowork requires the Claude Desktop app (macOS or Windows) and a paid plan — Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise. It is not available in the browser or on mobile alone.

Chat vs Cowork — what is the difference?

FeatureClaude ChatClaude Cowork
Execution styleOne response at a timeMulti-step task execution
File accessManual upload/download onlyDirect read & write to your local files
Code executionNoYes — isolated VM on your computer
Task durationSingle conversationLong-running, no timeout
SchedulingNoYes — run tasks on a schedule or on-demand
Best forQuestions, drafts, brainstormingComplex work: file tasks, research, reports, spreadsheets

How Cowork runs your tasks

Cowork runs entirely on your computer. Shell commands and scripts execute inside an isolated virtual machine (VM) — separate from your main OS — so your system stays protected while Claude works.

1
You describe the task
Type your request in the Cowork tab of Claude Desktop in plain language.
2
Claude creates a plan
Claude analyses the request and breaks it into smaller, ordered subtasks.
3
Code runs in an isolated VM
Shell commands and scripts execute inside a virtual machine on your computer — separate from your main OS.
4
Sub-agents work in parallel
For complex tasks, Claude coordinates multiple sub-agents running simultaneously to finish faster.
5
Outputs land in your files
Finished results — spreadsheets, renamed folders, reports — are written directly to your file system.

Example — organising a Downloads folder

Switch to the Cowork tab in Claude Desktop and describe your task. Claude analyses the folder, sorts files into subfolders by type, renames them with date prefixes, and writes a summary report — all in one unattended run.

Claude Desktop
Tasks
Downloads cleanup
Expense report
Research synthesis
Chat
Cowork
Organise my Downloads folder by file type and rename each file with a date prefix.
C
✓Analysed Downloads folder — 147 files found
✓Sorted into: Images/, Documents/, Videos/, Archives/
✓Renamed files with 2025-05-07_ prefix
…Writing summary report…

Claude Desktop — Cowork tab showing a file-organisation task in progress with step-by-step progress

How to get started

1

Download Claude Desktop from claude.com/download (available for macOS and Windows).

2

Sign in with a paid Claude account (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise).

3

Look for the mode selector at the top of the app. Click the "Cowork" tab to enter Tasks mode.

4

Describe your task in plain language — for example, "Sort my invoices folder and create an expense summary spreadsheet."

5

Choose "Ask before acting" for your permission mode (recommended). Review Claude's plan and click to let it run.

6

Monitor progress in the steps panel, or step away and return when Claude finishes. Keep the desktop app open throughout the task.

Important: The Claude Desktop app must remain open and your computer must stay awake for the entire duration of a task. If you close the app or it goes to sleep, the active task will stop.

Permission modes

Cowork has two approval modes. You can switch between them at any point during a session.

Cowork — Permission Mode
Ask before acting — Recommended

Claude pauses before each action so you can approve it. Best for new tools, unfamiliar files, or anything sensitive.

Claude: Delete 12 duplicate files? Allow / Deny
Act without asking

Claude works without pausing. Faster, but riskier. Only use when you are actively supervising and trust the files and tools involved.

Claude acts immediately on every step — no confirmation prompts.

In both modes, Claude will always ask for explicit permission before permanently deleting any files.

What can you do with Cowork?

File management
  • Organise a Downloads folder by type and date
  • Process receipts into a formatted expense report
  • Batch rename files with consistent date patterns
Research & analysis
  • Combine notes, articles, and papers into a coherent summary
  • Extract key points and actions from meeting transcripts
  • Statistical analysis and charts from your CSV files
Document creation
  • Generate Excel files with working formulas and multiple tabs
  • Create slide decks from rough notes or recordings
  • Turn voice memos and scattered notes into polished reports

Tips for getting the most out of Cowork

Start with "Ask before acting"
Until you are familiar with Cowork, approve each step so you understand what Claude is doing to your files.
Be specific about the output
Say "create an Excel file with a summary tab and one tab per category" rather than just "summarise the data".
Use Projects for recurring work
Create a Cowork Project for tasks you repeat — it keeps related files, instructions, and memory together across sessions.
Reserve Cowork for complex tasks
Simple questions are faster in Chat mode. Cowork tasks are compute-intensive and consume more of your usage quota.
Summary: Claude Cowork is an agentic task execution mode in Claude Desktop. It gives Claude direct access to your local files, runs code safely in an isolated VM, coordinates parallel sub-agents, and delivers finished outputs — spreadsheets, organised folders, polished reports — without you staying at your computer.

What's Next

Cowork is ready to run autonomous tasks for you. The final lesson introduces Claude Chat — the conversational interface at claude.ai.