Claude Cowork Setup Guide

Cowork handles tasks, files, email and scheduled work. It is available on paid Claude plans across desktop, web and mobile. Since September 16, Claude has been rolling out one combined conversation ("Cowork is now just Claude"), starting with Pro and Max. If your message box still shows separate Chat and Cowork options, your account hasn't moved yet: pick Cowork and everything here works the same way. This walkthrough sets up the desktop route for working with your local files.

The entire system runs on two simple text files. No code. No technical setup. If you can type a sentence, you can build this.

Chat vs. Cowork

Regular chat mode is for quick questions. Cowork is for goals. You tell it what you want done and it delivers a result without you watching every step.

• Memory: Chat uses Claude's built-in memory. Cowork adds your own claude.md and memory.md files, which you can open and edit.
• Files: Chat cannot touch your computer. Cowork reads and writes files in your folder.
• Tools: Chat has no access to email or calendar. Cowork connects to Gmail, Notion, Calendar, and more.
• Automation: Chat requires you for every message. Cowork runs tasks on a schedule while you sleep.

Cowork works in a loop: observe (read your files and tools), think (decide what to do), act (make the change). It keeps looping until the task is done.

Install Claude and Open Cowork

Download the Claude desktop app from claude.com/download, install it and sign in to your paid account. Select Cowork beside the message box if the option is present. In the unified experience, just start a new conversation and describe the task. The permission setting next to the message box starts on Manual, so Claude asks before each action. Keep it there while you set up.

Create a folder called Cowork OS in your Documents. Back in Claude, click Work in a folder in the message box (older versions say Select a folder) and choose your Cowork OS folder. Click the star next to it so Cowork always opens there by default. Claude only reaches this folder while the desktop app is open, so keep the app open when you want it working there.

Pick Sonnet 5.5 as your default model in the menu next to the send button. It handles most tasks well and uses less of your usage limit than Opus. Switch to Opus 5.5 only when Sonnet's result is not good enough. For tasks that need deep reasoning, turn up Effort.

The Two Files That Run Everything

Your entire system lives in two text files inside your Cowork OS folder:

• claude.md: Your instruction manual. Who you are, how you work, what rules to follow.
• memory.md: Claude's notepad. Preferences, active projects, things to remember.

Without these files, Claude only has its built-in memory to go on. It doesn't know your rules, your workflow or where things live. With them, it knows your voice, projects, and rules.

Your root folder has one claude.md and one memory.md. Later, you can create subfolders (workspaces) for specific areas, each with its own guide.md and memory.md with rules that stack on top of the global ones. Only the root claude.md loads on its own, so the root file has to tell Claude to read a workspace's guide.md first. The full current version of this system, including the one prompt that interviews you and builds every file, is in my AI File System Setup guide, with a free plugin that builds every file for you.

Rules you want everywhere, even outside this folder, go in Settings > General > Instructions for Claude (older layouts: Settings > Cowork > Global instructions).

Create Your claude.md

Start a new conversation with your Cowork OS folder selected and paste this prompt:

I'd like to create a claude.md file that you'll read at the start of every session. Ask me questions to build it out. Include:

1. Who I am and what I do
2. How I want you to talk to me
3. Tools I use (email, calendar, Notion, etc.)
4. Safety rules (never send, delete, or publish without checking first)
5. A memory system (read memory.md at session start, update it when I correct you)

Keep the file under 300 lines.

Claude will interview you and generate the file. Review it, edit anything that feels off, and save it in your Cowork OS folder.

Key sections to include: - Identity: Your name, role, business - Communication: Direct, plain English, no jargon - Memory System: Read memory.md at session start - Routing Map: Task types mapped to workstation folders - Safety Rules: Never send emails without approval, never delete files without asking

Keep it under 300 lines. Claude loads this every session, and longer files burn tokens before you even start working.

Create Your memory.md

Paste this prompt:

Create a memory.md file in my root folder with two sections:

1. What you know about me (facts, preferences, how I work)
2. Active projects and deadlines

Then read it at the start of every session and update it whenever I correct you or tell you something new.

Test it by asking a preference question in a new session. If it answers correctly, your memory system is working.

Tell Claude your active projects right after setup. This gives it immediate context for everything you will ask it to do.

Create Your Voice Profile

This makes Claude write like you instead of like a generic AI. Create a voice-principles.md file in a 00-resources folder inside your Cowork OS. Paste examples of your writing and ask Claude to extract the patterns.

Then add this rule to your root claude.md: Before writing any content, read 00-resources/voice-principles.md to match my writing style.

This way Claude only loads your voice profile when it is actually writing something, not on every session. Saves tokens and keeps things fast.

Connect Your Tools

Click Customize in the left sidebar, then Connectors, and open Discover. Click Connect on the tools you already use:

• Gmail: Read, draft, send and reply (Claude asks before it sends)
• Google Calendar: Check schedule, create events, find conflicts
• Notion: Read pages, update databases, create notes
• Slack: Read channels, draft replies, summarize threads

For Notion, create a context-map.md file in your 00-resources folder listing key databases and pages with their URLs. This stops Claude from wasting tokens searching for the right database.

Build Workstations

Workstations are subfolders for specific areas of your life. Each gets its own claude.md, memory.md, and resources folder. Root-level files apply everywhere. Workstation files add specifics for that area.

Start with two or three. Common ones: - Email HQ: Triage, draft replies, follow-ups - Newsletter: Research, outline, draft, schedule - Finances: Track expenses, invoice, forecast - Content: Ideation, scripting, editing, publishing - Brand Deals: Sponsor outreach, rate cards, contract review

Only add a new workstation when you actually need one. Want Email HQ to brief you every morning and draft your replies? My Claude Inbox Assistant guide builds the whole thing.

Create Skills

Skills are SOPs for AI. You explain a process once, turn it into a skill, and Claude runs it the same way every time without you re-explaining.

To create one, do the task with Claude until you are happy. Then say: Create a skill called [name] that captures everything we just did. Include the steps, the prompt template, and any files you reference.

Good starter skills: - Morning Briefing: Daily calendar + email + todo review - Social Caption Writer: Writes captions for multiple platforms - Inbox Triage: Categorizes emails, drafts replies for urgent ones

Scheduled Tasks

This is where Cowork starts working without you. Create tasks that run on a timer using everything you have set up.

New scheduled tasks run in the cloud, so they keep going even when your laptop is closed. The exception: a task that needs files on your computer only runs while your computer is on and the desktop app is open. To set one up, describe the task and how often it should run in any conversation, or click Scheduled in the left sidebar, then New task. Start with two or three tasks and watch your usage before adding more.

Common scheduled tasks: - Morning Briefing: Every weekday at 7 AM. Read calendar, check email, scan todos, give a prioritized plan. - Social Posting: Mon, Wed, Fri at 9 AM. Check content calendar, draft next post, save to queue. - Newsletter Prep: Tues & Sat 8 AM. Search trending AI news, check content calendar, outline next newsletter.

More tasks you can stack for the whole week are in my Claude Routines guide.

Control It From Your Phone

In the Claude mobile app you can start a task, steer it, and check the result. Claude sends a notification when a task finishes or needs your input.

Install the Claude app on your phone and sign in to the same account. Then message it like you would on desktop: Run my morning briefing and give me the summary, or Draft an email to [person] about [topic] and put it in my Gmail drafts. Tasks that need your Cowork OS folder still run on your computer, so the desktop app has to be open for those. If you set up Dispatch before (the old phone-to-desktop feature), it keeps working for now, but new users can't turn it on.

Cloud tasks don't need your computer at all. If your tasks use files on your computer, consider a Mac Mini that stays on at your desk with the Claude app open. Your tasks run while you are out, and you check results from your phone.

The Session Audit Habit

At the end of every session, run this prompt:

Audit this session. Look for:

1. Preferences I stated that aren't saved in memory.md yet
2. Corrections I made that should become rules in claude.md
3. Tasks that repeat often and should become skills
4. Any mistakes I should prevent next time

This one habit saves hours over time.

Common Mistakes

• No claude.md file: Create it before doing anything else. Without it, Claude doesn't know your rules.
• No memory.md file: Without it, your corrections get lost between sessions.
• Repeating rules across workstations: Root rules apply everywhere. Workstations only add new ones.
• Not running session audits: Audit at the end of every session so preferences stick.
• Too many permissions at once: Start read-only. Expand as you build trust.

Your First Week

Turn three to five manual processes into skills each week. Within a month, you will have 15-20 skills handling your routine work. Within three months, most repetitive tasks are on autopilot. The system gets better every single session.

Start Now

Open the Claude desktop app. Create your Cowork OS folder. Run the claude.md interview prompt. You will have a working assistant before lunch.

Download the full PDF below for the complete 20-page walkthrough with every prompt, folder structure diagram, and pro tips.

Published June 24, 2026 · Checked October 2026