Step-by-Step Tutorial

Claude Cowork Setup Guide:
Get Started in Minutes

Six steps. That's all it takes to go from a fresh Claude Desktop install to a working Cowork setup with connected tools, installed plugins, and scheduled tasks.

Start the Tutorial Or Let Us Set It Up

What You Need Before Starting

Claude Desktop

Available on macOS and Windows. Cowork doesn't run on the web version at claude.ai, and Linux isn't supported yet. Download it from claude.ai/download if you haven't already.

Note: Windows arm64 is not supported.

A Paid Claude Plan

Cowork is included on every paid tier. Pro ($20/month) works for light use, but Cowork consumes usage faster than regular Chat. Max 5x ($100/month) is better for daily use. See our pricing guide for help picking a plan.

Mobile (Optional)

The Claude app on iOS and Android lets you assign tasks from your phone. The work runs on your desktop. It's not required for setup, but it's worth installing if you want to hand off tasks while you're away from your computer.

1

Enable Cowork Mode

Time: about 30 seconds

Claude Desktop has two modes: Chat and Cowork. Chat is the standard back-and-forth conversation. Cowork is the agentic mode where Claude can read files, edit documents, browse the web, and execute multi-step tasks on your behalf.

Here's how to switch:

  1. 1. Open Claude Desktop.
  2. 2. Look at the top of the conversation window. You'll see a toggle or dropdown that says "Chat." Click it.
  3. 3. Select "Cowork" from the options.
  4. 4. You'll notice the interface changes. There's now a sidebar for scheduled tasks, and Claude's input area indicates it's ready for multi-step work.

That's it. You're in Cowork mode. The difference from Chat is immediate: Claude can now take actions instead of only describing them. It runs in an isolated virtual machine on your computer, so your files and data stay local.

2

Set Up Your Workspace

Time: 5 to 10 minutes

Cowork needs two things to work well: folder access and instructions. Think of folder access as telling Claude where your files live, and instructions as telling Claude how you work.

Grant Folder Access

Claude can only see files in folders you explicitly allow. Click the folder icon in your Cowork session to add a local folder. A good starting point: create a dedicated working folder (something like ~/Claude-Work) and point Claude there. You can always add more folders later.

Avoid granting access to your entire home directory or sensitive folders like ~/.ssh or ~/Documents/Financial. Be specific. More on security best practices below.

Write Global Instructions

Global instructions apply to every Cowork session. Open them via Settings, then "Cowork instructions" (or the pencil icon in your Cowork window). This is where you put standing context about yourself and your preferences:

  • • Your role and industry (e.g., "I'm a real estate agent in Brooklyn" or "I run a small accounting firm")
  • • Preferred output formats (bullet points vs. paragraphs, formal vs. casual tone)
  • • Tools you use daily (Google Workspace, HubSpot, Slack, etc.)
  • • Any recurring context Claude should always know

Add Folder Instructions (Optional)

Folder instructions are project-specific context that activates when Claude is working in a particular folder. If you have a folder for client proposals, you might add instructions like "Use our standard proposal template. Client names go in the header. Always include a pricing table." Claude can also update these on its own as it learns your patterns.

The better your instructions, the better your results. This is one of the areas where professional setup makes the biggest difference. Well-crafted instructions can save hours of back-and-forth.

3

Connect Your Tools

Time: 2 to 5 minutes per tool

Cowork connects to external tools through connectors built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard by Anthropic. There are 38+ connectors available, and they're all free. You just need an active account on the tool you're connecting.

How to Connect a Tool

  1. 1. Start a Cowork session and ask Claude to do something that requires the tool (e.g., "Check my latest Slack messages").
  2. 2. Claude will prompt you to connect the tool. You can also set up connectors proactively in Settings.
  3. 3. An OAuth authorization flow opens in your browser. Sign in to the tool and grant Claude the requested permissions.
  4. 4. Done. The connection persists across sessions. You won't need to re-authorize unless you revoke access.

Popular Connectors by Category

Communication

Slack, Gmail, Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams)

Project Management

Jira, Asana, Linear, Monday.com, ClickUp

CRM & Sales

HubSpot, Salesforce, Close, Clay, LinkedIn

Content & Knowledge

Notion, Google Drive, WordPress, Guru

Claude respects the permissions of your underlying accounts. It can only see what you can see. There's no limit on how many tools you can connect. You don't need to connect everything at once. Start with the one or two tools you use most.

4

Install Plugins

Time: 2 to 3 minutes

Plugins customize how Claude works for specific roles and workflows. Each plugin bundles skills, connectors, slash commands, and sub-agents into a single installable package. Think of them as role kits: one for sales, one for marketing, one for legal, and so on.

How to Browse and Install

  1. 1. Type /plugin in your Cowork session.
  2. 2. Go to the Discover tab to browse available plugins in the official marketplace.
  3. 3. Pick a plugin and install it. For example: /plugin install sales@claude-plugins-official

The 11 Official Plugins

Anthropic ships 11 official plugins. Each one is designed for a specific role:

Productivity – Tasks, calendars, daily workflows
Sales – Prospect research, call prep, pipeline
Customer Support – Ticket triage, responses, KB articles
Product Management – Specs, roadmaps, user research
Marketing – Content, campaigns, brand voice
Legal – Contract review, NDA triage, compliance
Finance – Journal entries, reconciliation, statements
Data – SQL queries, dashboards, validation
Enterprise Search – Cross-platform search
Bio Research – Literature search, genomics
Plugin Create – Build new plugins from scratch

For a deeper look at what each plugin includes and how to customize them, see our complete plugins guide. You can also build entirely custom plugins. That's a core part of what NYC Claw builds for clients.

5

Set Up Scheduled Tasks

Time: 5 minutes per task

Scheduled tasks are where Cowork goes from helpful to indispensable. Instead of asking Claude to do something every day, you set it up once and it runs automatically at the cadence you choose: daily, weekly, or monthly.

How to Create a Scheduled Task

  1. 1. Type /schedule in your Cowork session, or open the "Scheduled" tab in the sidebar.
  2. 2. Describe what you want Claude to do. Be specific: "Every Monday at 9am, pull my latest Stripe transactions and create a revenue summary in ~/Reports/weekly."
  3. 3. Set the cadence (daily, weekly, monthly) and time.
  4. 4. Confirm. Each scheduled task runs as its own Cowork session with access to all your connectors, plugins, and folders.

Requirements: Scheduled tasks only run while your computer is awake and Claude Desktop is open. If your machine is asleep or the app is closed, the task won't fire. Plan accordingly. If you need tasks to run overnight, keep your machine awake.

Good Tasks to Start With

  • • Morning email briefing (daily): Summarize unread emails and flag anything urgent
  • • File inbox sorting (daily): Categorize files dropped into a designated folder
  • • Weekly market report (weekly): Pull data from connected sources and generate a client-ready summary
  • • Revenue reporting (weekly): Automated summaries from Stripe, invoicing tools, or spreadsheets
  • • Competitive monitoring (weekly): Track competitor websites, pricing, or content changes
6

Try Mobile Task Assignment

Time: 2 minutes

This is one of Cowork's most useful features. You send a task from your phone. Claude runs it on your desktop. You come back to finished work.

  1. 1. Install the Claude app on your iPhone or Android device.
  2. 2. Sign in with the same account you use on desktop.
  3. 3. Open your Cowork conversation (it syncs across devices) and type a task. Something like: "Draft a follow-up email to the Johnson showing notes and save it to ~/Client-Work/Johnson."
  4. 4. Claude executes the task on your desktop using your local files, connectors, and plugins. You can check back later to review the result.

Your phone becomes a remote control for your desktop setup. The same conversation context carries across both devices. Your computer needs to be awake and Claude Desktop needs to be open for tasks to run.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Cowork

Write Clear Global Instructions

Vague instructions produce vague results. Instead of "I work in finance," try "I'm a CFO at a 50-person SaaS company. We use NetSuite for accounting and Slack for internal communication. I prefer bullet-point summaries over long paragraphs." Specific context produces better output from the first task.

Use a Dedicated Working Folder

Create a folder specifically for Cowork (e.g., ~/Claude-Work) and organize subfolders by project or client. This keeps Claude's file access contained, makes outputs easy to find, and prevents accidental changes to files you didn't intend to edit.

Start With One Workflow

Pick the task that eats the most time in your week. Get that working well before adding more. A real estate agent might start with listing descriptions. A law firm might start with contract review. An accounting firm might start with invoice processing. Nail one workflow, then expand.

Follow Security Best Practices

Cowork is powerful, so be deliberate about what you grant access to. Limit browser access to trusted sites only. Don't give Claude access to folders with credentials or API keys. Review connector permissions before authorizing. Scheduled tasks run without you watching, so test them manually first.

Want Us to Handle the Setup?

This guide covers the basics. But getting Cowork to produce great results for your specific business takes more than toggling settings. It takes well-crafted instructions, custom plugins, industry-specific skills, and properly configured connectors.

Custom Setup

We configure your workspace, connect your tools, install and customize plugins, build custom skills for your workflows, and set up scheduled tasks. Everything tuned for how you actually work.

Training

Remote or in-person sessions covering effective prompting, task delegation, plugin customization, and best practices. We train your team on the specific workflows we built for you, not generic tutorials.

Ongoing Support

Plugin updates as Anthropic evolves the platform. New connector setup as tools are added. Workflow optimization based on your usage. One-time setup, ongoing value.

Skip the Learning Curve

Book a free 15-minute call. We'll assess your current workflow and tell you exactly how Cowork can help your business. No commitment required.

Book a Free 15-Minute Call

15 minutes · No commitment · See exactly what's possible

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need coding skills to set up Claude Cowork?
No. Cowork is designed for non-technical knowledge workers. The entire setup happens through the Claude Desktop app interface. You pick folders, toggle settings, and connect tools through OAuth prompts in your browser. No terminal, no code, no configuration files to edit manually.
Which Claude plan do I need for Cowork?
Cowork is included on every paid plan starting at Pro ($20/month). Pro works for quick tasks, but Cowork consumes usage faster than regular Chat because it runs multi-step tasks. For regular use, Max 5x ($100/month) gives you more room. Power users who delegate work throughout the day should consider Max 20x ($200/month). Teams of 5 or more can use the Team plan at $20/seat/month. See our pricing guide for a full breakdown.
Can I use Cowork on the web version of Claude?
No. Cowork requires Claude Desktop for macOS or Windows. It runs in an isolated virtual machine on your local computer, which is why it needs the desktop app. The web version at claude.ai does not support Cowork. You can assign tasks from the Claude mobile app on iOS or Android, but the work still runs on your desktop.
Is my data safe when using Cowork?
Cowork runs in an isolated virtual machine on your local computer. Conversation history is stored locally, not on Anthropic's servers. Claude can only access folders you explicitly grant permission to, and connectors respect your existing account permissions. Claude also shows you its plan before taking significant actions, so you stay in control.
What if I get stuck during setup?
NYC Claw offers done-for-you Cowork setup. We handle everything: workspace configuration, connector integration, plugin installation, custom skill development, scheduled task setup, and team training. Book a free 15-minute call and we'll map out exactly what your business needs.