Claude Cowork explained: what it does and where it stops
Claude Cowork turns a goal into finished files on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. What it does, where it runs, and the risks to know.
Claude Cowork is the part of Claude where you describe an outcome and Claude works through the steps, including on your files. Anthropic's help center says it "uses the same agentic architecture that powers Claude Code, with no terminal required." It is listed on paid plans: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Pro costs $20/month billed monthly.
This site is independent and not affiliated with Anthropic. We read Anthropic's help pages and product page on October 19, 2026. We did not run Cowork ourselves, so nothing below is a hands-on result.
What Cowork does that a chat does not
A normal chat answers and waits. Cowork takes a task and keeps going. The help center lists three abilities:
- "Generate polished deliverables like Excel spreadsheets with working formulas, PowerPoint presentations, and formatted documents"
- "Work on complex tasks for extended periods without conversation timeouts or context limits interrupting your progress"
- "Create and save tasks that you can have Claude run on-demand or automatically on a cadence of your choosing"
Anthropic's Cowork product page gives examples such as "Reconcile data in spreadsheets" and "Get a first-pass review of every contract at once".
One cost to expect: the help center says "Multi-step tasks, like ones that run code, create files, or use your connected apps and browser, use more of your usage than a quick question." Our Claude pricing guide covers the plans.
Start your first session
Anthropic's Get started with Claude Cowork page gives the path. The first three steps below follow it. The fourth is our advice.
Open Claude
On the web at claude.ai, in the Claude Desktop app, or in the Claude mobile app.
Select Cowork
It sits in the message box.
Describe the task
Name the result you want, not the steps.
Start small
Try a copy of a folder you can afford to lose, and read Claude's plan before it runs.
A good first task is tidying a copy of a downloads folder, or turning a month of expense exports into one summary sheet. We have not run either one, so treat them as suggestions.
The product page says "Enable permissions settings, so Claude shows its plan and waits for your approval before anything significant."
Where it runs: web, desktop and mobile
Cowork lives on all three surfaces, but your computer's files are a special case. The help center page Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile says: "Your sessions and files live with your Claude account and go where you go, on any device."
It adds that "Your folders stay on your computer. Claude reaches only the folders you've connected, through the desktop app, and only while it's open."
In practice, local file access, local connectors, browser use and computer use from web and mobile all go through the Claude Desktop app. The page spells out the catch: "A cloud session can read and write files in folders you've connected on your computer only while the desktop app is open on that computer and the session was started on desktop or is a scheduled task."
If you want to start a task from your phone and have it touch a local folder, leave the desktop app open at home.
| Your task | Desktop app open? | Source rule |
|---|---|---|
| Read or write a folder on your computer | Yes | Local file access goes through the desktop app |
| Start a task from web or mobile that uses local files | Yes | A cloud session reaches your folders only while the app is open |
| Use your browser or your computer | Yes | Browser use and computer use go through the desktop app |
| Run a scheduled task with no local files or apps | No | Scheduled tasks run remotely |
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Projects and scheduled tasks
Two features turn a one-off task into a routine.
Projects. The help center says "Projects in Claude Cowork let you group related tasks into dedicated workspaces with their own files, context, instructions, and memory." They exist in Cowork only, "not in Claude Code." If you already use chat projects, our Claude Projects guide explains that side, and Cowork can import from a Claude project.
Scheduled tasks. The page Schedule recurring tasks in Claude Cowork lists the cadences: "hourly, daily, weekly, on weekdays, or manually". Scheduled tasks "run remotely, so they run on their cadence even when your computer is asleep or the Claude Desktop app is closed."
The limit: "If a scheduled task requires local files or apps, it will only run locally."
Safety and honest limits
Anthropic is direct about the risk. Its page Use Claude Cowork safely says Cowork "has unique risks due to its agentic nature and internet access."
Three points from that page matter most to a beginner:
- Files. The page says "Claude can read, write, and permanently delete these files". Anthropic adds that Cowork "requires your explicit permission before permanently deleting any files".
- Scope. The page advises: "Consider creating a dedicated working folder for Claude rather than granting broad access".
- Computer use. The page warns that "computer use has no sandbox between Claude and what's on your screen".
The same page explains prompt injection: malicious instructions hidden in content Claude reads, such as a website. That is why Claude for Chrome and connectors deserve the same caution.
Cowork or Claude Code?
They share an architecture, so the choice is about comfort. Cowork needs no terminal. Claude Code is the terminal tool, and Anthropic says projects are not available there yet.
For a spreadsheet, a deck or a folder of documents, start with Cowork. For code in a repository, use Claude Code.
FAQ
Is Claude Cowork free?
No. Anthropic's help center lists Cowork on paid subscriptions: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Pro costs $20/month billed monthly. Availability varies by surface, for example the Chrome side panel is listed for Max and Team, with Pro rolling out.
Do I need the desktop app for Cowork?
Only for tasks that touch your computer. Local files, browser use and computer use go through the Claude Desktop app, which must be open for a cloud session to reach your folders. Anthropic lists the desktop app for macOS and Windows.
Is Cowork the same as Claude Code?
No, but they are related. Anthropic says Cowork "uses the same agentic architecture that powers Claude Code, with no terminal required." Cowork is the no-terminal route, and projects work in Cowork only.
Does Cowork keep working when my laptop is asleep?
Sessions keep running when the desktop app is closed or your computer is asleep, per the help center. If a task uses local files, your browser or your computer, keep the desktop app open. Scheduled tasks run in the cloud.