1 · Setup
Get signed in and set up
Most of this is just picking the right app for the work you're doing — signing in itself only takes a minute.
- 1Sign in at
claude.ai(or open the Claude desktop app) using your work email. If your employer has a paid plan you're probably already provisioned — either way, keep company data out of a personal account. - 2Install the Claude desktop app (Mac or Windows). This is what unlocks Cowork's full local file and browser access on your machine — the web version alone won't give you that.
- 3Optional: install the Claude mobile app so you can check in on a running Cowork task, or review something it finished, from your phone.
- 4No license yet, or something looks locked or missing? Check with whoever administers Claude at your organization — most gaps are a provisioning fix, not a dead end.
2 · Three ways to work with Claude
Chat, Cowork, or Code — how to pick
One assistant, three modes. Pick based on what you want back, not which one sounds most advanced.
Chat
Ask a question, get an answer — one message at a time. Best for a fast draft, an explanation, or thinking something through together.
"Summarize this contract." "Draft a reply to this email." "Explain what's driving this number."
Cowork
Describe an outcome and Claude goes and does it — planning the steps, working across real files and apps, and checking in as it goes.
"Reconcile these three trackers into one." "Pull last week's messages into a status summary." "Reorganize this shared folder."
Code
Lives right in the Claude desktop app too — its own tab next to Chat and Cowork — as well as the terminal and any IDE. Built for engineers working inside a codebase; most non-engineering roles won't touch this day to day.
"Fix this failing test." "Add an endpoint." "Review this pull request."
Rule of thumb: a quick question is Chat. A job you'd otherwise hand to an assistant is Cowork. Working inside a codebase is Code.
3 · Cowork vs. Code
Same engine, two very different jobs
Cowork and Code can look similar from a distance — both act autonomously, both take real actions. Here's where they actually diverge.
| Cowork | Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Business & knowledge workers — anyone managing files, folders, and everyday apps | Software engineers — anyone working inside a codebase |
| Where it lives | Claude desktop app, plus web and mobile | Its own tab in the Claude desktop app, plus the terminal and any IDE |
| Setup | None — sign in and start a task | Install the CLI, configure it, run it from your project |
| What it touches | Your local files/folders, connected apps, and a sandboxed browser | Your source code, git history, and dev tools |
| What it produces | Documents, spreadsheets, decks, research write-ups, reorganized folders | Code changes, tests, pull requests |
| Where it runs | An isolated, sandboxed cloud environment, kept separate from the open internet | Directly against your local project, or a connected repo |
| Keeps going if you close your laptop | Yes — cloud tasks keep running; check in later from any device | Interactive sessions are tied to where you started them; scheduled/cloud tasks can run unattended |
| Extends with | Business-oriented connectors, skills, and plugins | Dev-oriented plugins, MCP servers, and skills |
Rule of thumb: if the task produces a document, spreadsheet, or plan — Cowork. If it produces code — Code.
4 · Four things you'll use constantly
Projects, Artifacts, Scheduling, and Customize
Quick definitions — enough to recognize them and know when to reach for each.
Projects
A dedicated space for a recurring topic or workstream — with its own instructions, its own uploaded reference files, and its own shared chat history. Set one up instead of starting from zero every time.
Artifacts
Whenever Claude produces something substantial — a document, spreadsheet, slide, diagram, or small web app — it opens in its own panel next to the conversation, so you can review, keep iterating, and publish a shareable link when it's ready.
Scheduling
Turn a task you do the same way every week into something Claude just does. Describe it once — "pull last week's numbers into this format every Monday at 8am" — and it runs on that cadence and delivers the output.
Customize
Your personal settings for extending what Claude can do. This is where Skills, Connectors, and Plugins live — covered in detail next.
5 · Inside Customize
Skills, Connectors, and Plugins
These three build on each other. Worth knowing the difference so you're not assembling by hand something that already exists as a one-click install.
Skills
A packaged capability Claude uses automatically when it's relevant — building a properly formatted Excel model, a polished Word doc, or a PowerPoint deck. Toggle individual ones on or off, or add your own, under Customize › Skills.
Connectors
A live link between Claude and one of your everyday apps or data sources — Outlook, SharePoint, Jira, Google Drive, Slack, and more. Once connected, Claude can search, read, and, where allowed, take action, using your own access and nothing more. Set these up under Customize › Connectors.
Plugins
A ready-made bundle of the skills, connectors, and helper agents for a specific job. Install one and everything it needs comes with it, instead of wiring up each piece by hand. Find these under Customize › Plugins.
Simplest way to hold this: Connectors give Claude access. Skills give Claude expertise. Plugins package both together so you don't have to assemble them yourself.
6 · Do this first
Two connectors worth installing
Out of everything under Customize, these are the two I'd install in the first week.
Microsoft 365
Reads and summarizes your Outlook email, and reads your calendar — always limited to what you can already see yourself.
"Catch me up on what came in overnight." "Am I free Thursday afternoon?"
Sign in with your work account — personal Microsoft accounts won't work.
Worth it for most peopleAtlassian (Jira & Confluence)
Searches and reads your Jira issues and Confluence pages and spaces — always limited to what you can already see yourself.
Ask it to summarize a sprint, check a ticket's status, or pull context from a spec before you start work.
Worth it if you use Jira- 1Open
Customize › Connectors. - 2Search for "Microsoft 365" — and "Atlassian" if you use Jira.
- 3Click Connect, then sign in when prompted.
- 4Don't see it listed? It may not be enabled by your organization yet — check with whoever administers Claude there rather than assuming it isn't available.