Projects Feature
Cowork Projects group your files, instructions, and task history in one workspace. Everything points at folders on your computer — not a separate cloud upload.
What Cowork Projects do
A Project is a named workspace inside Claude Desktop. Each project holds the files Cowork can use, the instructions that apply to every task, and the list of Cowork runs tied to that work — so context does not scatter across unrelated chats.
| Component | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Files | Reference docs, templates, and folders Cowork reads and writes |
| Instructions | Standing rules — tone, format, naming, output type |
| Task context | Past and active Cowork tasks for the same workstream |
receipts/ → building rows in Q3-expenses.xlsxFiles and instructions stay on your computer
Unlike web Chat Projects where you upload files to Anthropic's servers, Cowork Projects point at local folders. Claude reads and saves on your disk — the same files you see in Finder or File Explorer.
~/Documents/ClientWork/Acme. Cowork edits spreadsheets there directly. If you move the folder, update the project path.Import existing vs. start fresh
When you create a Cowork Project, you can either attach an existing folder on your machine or start empty and add files as tasks run.
Point Cowork at a folder you already use — client files, a report directory, or a repo checkout.
Good when: you have an established folder structure, ongoing client work, or files from a previous Cowork session.
Create a new empty project, name it, add instructions, and grant a new folder when your first task runs.
Good when: starting a new workstream, testing Cowork, or keeping tasks isolated from other folders.
- Import existing — In Claude Desktop → Cowork → Projects → Import. Select a folder that already has your files. Add instructions describing how Cowork should handle that work.
- Start fresh — Click “New project”, name it, and write instructions. When you run the first task, grant access to a new or empty folder.
- Run tasks inside the project — Open the project before starting Cowork. Every task in that project shares the same files, instructions, and history.
| Import existing | Start fresh | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Folder with files already in place | Empty project + new folder grant |
| Setup time | Fast — point at existing work | A few minutes to name and instruct |
| Best for | Ongoing client folders, migrations | New initiatives, isolated experiments |
| File location | Stays where it already lives | You choose folder on first task |
Worked example
Import: “Annual Audit” project
- Import folder
Documents/Audit-2026(already has PDFs and last year's spreadsheet). - Set instructions: “Match last year's column layout. Flag amounts over $5,000.”
- Run Cowork: “Process all PDFs in this folder and update the master spreadsheet.”
- Outputs save to the same local folder — open them in Excel without downloading anything.
Before you continue
- Projects bundle files, instructions, and task context in one Cowork workspace.
- Files and instructions reference local folders on your computer.
- Import an existing folder for ongoing work; start fresh for new tasks.
- Next: MCP Connectors & Integrations — Gmail, Drive, Notion, Slack, and connector scope.
What's Next
MCP Connectors & Integrations — Gmail, Drive, Notion, Slack, and project-scoped vs. personal connectors.