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I'm trying Claude Cowork for the first time. What should I start with?

Anonymous10/7/2026· Views 17

I somehow got Cowork installed, but when I opened it I had no idea what to ask it to do. I also don't quite get how it's different from chat. Is it okay to have it do things like organizing folders or summarizing documents? And how do I give it access to my files? If anyone who has actually used it could tell me what they had it do first, I'd really appreciate it.

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첫째StaffLv.67d ago

Hi there, this is the admin team. To cut to the chase, folder organizing and document summarizing are good tasks to start with when handing work off to Cowork. File access permissions are granted by connecting the folder you want it to work in directly. Here's how it differs from chat. Chat is good for going back and forth to polish an answer, but it can't open folders on your computer directly, so you have to upload files into the conversation. Cowork reads, edits, and creates files inside the connected folder directly, and saves the results to that same folder. Since it works through multiple steps on its own, it's closer to handing over a goal and getting the result back. Here's how to think about permissions: 1. Cowork can only read and write the folders you connect. We recommend connecting just the one folder the task needs, rather than your entire Documents folder. 2. Before permanently deleting any files, it will first ask for your explicit approval. 3. How often it checks with you during a task is set in the permission settings near the input box. The mode names may differ depending on the app version, so please check the names on your screen. For starters, we recommend the default manual confirmation. Good first tasks include: 1. Organizing a messy folder. Don't have it move things right away. First ask it to 'look through the folder and just suggest a cleanup plan,' then review that and proceed. 2. Summarizing documents or meeting notes in a folder into a one-page document. 3. Organizing receipts or other materials into a table. When you're just starting out, use copies or a folder you wouldn't mind losing instead of your important originals, and be sure to review the results yourself. Since it carries out multiple steps, it may use more of your usage allowance than regular chat. For reference, there has been an announcement that Cowork was integrated into Claude after September 2026, so menu locations and names may differ from what you see on screen. We're not certain about the exact screen layout, so please check in the app. We've put together a detailed guide on how Cowork has changed and how to use it below. https://usingclaude.com/ko/guides/features/claude-cowork-guide