Cowork is a research preview feature from Claude that extends the agentic capabilities of Claude Code to general work tasks. It allows users to give Claude access to specific folders on their computer, enabling the AI to read, edit, create, and organize files autonomously. Built on the same foundations as Claude Code, Cowork provides a more approachable interface for non-coding tasks while maintaining powerful automation capabilities.
Key Features:
- Folder Access Control: Users can specify which folders Claude can access, maintaining security and privacy.
- Autonomous Task Execution: Claude can create plans and execute multi-step tasks like organizing downloads, creating spreadsheets from screenshots, or drafting reports from notes.
- Parallel Task Queuing: Users can queue multiple tasks and let Claude work through them simultaneously.
- Connector Integration: Works with existing Claude connectors for external information access.
- Skills Enhancement: Includes specialized skills for creating documents, presentations, and other file types.
- Browser Integration: When paired with Claude in Chrome, can complete tasks requiring web access.
Use Cases:
- File Organization: Automatically sort and rename files in cluttered folders.
- Document Creation: Generate first drafts from scattered notes or create structured reports.
- Data Processing: Transform screenshots or raw data into organized spreadsheets.
- Content Management: Edit and reorganize documents based on specific requirements.
Target Users: Claude Max subscribers on macOS (with plans for Windows expansion), particularly those looking to automate routine file management and document creation tasks without coding expertise.
