Cowork FAQ

20+ frequently asked questions about Claude Cowork

Getting Started

Q: What is Cowork?

A: Cowork is Claude’s agentic desktop feature that lets you manipulate local files, create documents, and organize your workspace, without writing code. It runs in the Claude Desktop app and can autonomously execute multi-step file operations.

Q: How do I get access to Cowork?

A: You need:

A paid Claude plan: Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise (not Free, see Is Cowork free?). Eligibility varies by plan and surface.
Claude Desktop on macOS 13 or newer, on Windows, or on Linux (beta). Web and mobile are beta on eligible plans.
The current Claude app or web/mobile surface for your plan.

Since September 16, 2026, Anthropic is rolling out “Unified Claude” gradually to Pro and Max accounts: there is no Chat or Cowork mode to pick, Claude decides whether your request is a quick answer or a task.

Check Anthropic’s current Cowork availability guidance and surface guidance before changing a subscription.

Q: What are the usage limits?

A: Paid plans have a rolling 5-hour limit plus weekly limits. Usage depends on the plan, surface and task, and Anthropic can change limits, so consult the current plan information in Claude rather than relying on a fixed message count. Auto approval mode uses more of your limit than Manual. On Pro and Max, usage credits let you continue at API rates once a limit is reached. Source: claude.com/pricing, read on October 11, 2026.

Q: Is Claude Cowork available on Windows?

A: Yes. Claude Desktop supports macOS (13 Ventura or newer since September 8, 2026), Windows, and Linux (beta: Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+, installed with apt, no automatic update, no computer use and no dictation). Cowork is also beta on the web and mobile for eligible plans. ChromeOS is not supported. See Anthropic’s desktop installation and surface availability guidance.

Q: Is Cowork the same as Claude Code?

A: They share architecture but differ in interface and capabilities:

Claude Code: Terminal interface, full shell access, for developers
Cowork: task workspace for knowledge work, with local, browser and connector capabilities that depend on surface and permission

See full comparison.

Capabilities

Q: What can Cowork do?

A: Core capabilities:

Read and write local files
Create Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF documents
Organize and rename folders/files
Extract data from images (OCR)
Process PDFs
Web research via Chrome

Q: What can’t Cowork do?

A: Cowork cannot:

Grant itself unrestricted host-shell access
Bypass the permissions, plan eligibility or surface availability of a capability
Treat a configured connector as universal access to every cloud service

Cowork can run code in an isolated task environment. Supported browser and connector capabilities are available only when the relevant surface and permissions allow them.

Q: Can Cowork browse the web?

A: Yes, in two ways. The built-in browser of Claude Desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux beta) is separate from your personal browser: Claude does not see your saved passwords unless you import them, and Claude Desktop must be open and online, even for a cloud session started from the web or your phone. Claude in Chrome works in your own Chrome: opening its side panel starts a Cowork session (Max, Team, Pro in rollout, Enterprise if an admin turned it on). Claude prefers a connector first, then a browser (built-in or Chrome), then control of the screen as a last resort. Form filling is limited and requires explicit user approval for each action. Purchases and logins are prohibited for security reasons. Source: support.claude.com/en/articles/16607400, 13345190 and 15520349.

Q: Can Cowork access Google Drive or Dropbox?

A: Connector availability depends on the surface, the connector and the permissions you grant. Confirm the connection in Claude before a critical workflow. Downloading a copy into a dedicated local workspace remains a useful fallback when a connector is unavailable.

Q: Can Cowork run Python or shell scripts?

A: Cowork can execute code in an isolated task environment. It is not arbitrary shell access to your computer. Use Claude Code when your task needs a developer-controlled terminal or repository workflow.

Q: What file formats can Cowork create?

Office: .docx, .xlsx, .pptx
Document: .pdf, .txt, .md
Data: .csv, .json
Web: .html

Q: Can Cowork create Excel formulas?

A: Yes! Cowork can create Excel files with working formulas, multiple sheets, and formatting. Specify your regional setting (US comma vs EU semicolon syntax) in your prompt.

Q: Is Claude in Excel the same as Cowork?

A: No. These are two separate products:

Claude in Excel (add-in launched Jan 24, 2026):

Microsoft Excel add-in
Works inside Excel application
Helps write formulas, analyze data in existing sheets
Windows + macOS (Excel 2016+)

Cowork’s Excel capabilities:

Part of Claude Desktop app (macOS, Windows and Linux beta)
Creates Excel files from scratch
Generates spreadsheets from unstructured data (receipts, images, text)

Rule of thumb: If you’re already in Excel and need formula help → use Claude in Excel add-in. If you need to generate a new spreadsheet from raw data → use Cowork.

See detailed comparison.

Q: What is Claude Legal?

A: Claude Legal is the first official Cowork extension (announced Feb 3, 2026) for automated legal document review. It helps identify key contract terms, detect compliance risks, and triage legal documents. Use it for contract verification, NDA review, and compliance tracking. Important: Claude Legal does NOT provide legal advice. All findings should be reviewed by a qualified legal professional. See Capabilities: Extensions & Plugins for details.

Q: What is the Customize tab?

A: The Customize tab in Claude Desktop is where you manage Skills, Connectors, and personalizations. Access it from the main app navigation. From there, install skills (like /pdf or /xlsx), configure external tool connectors with per-tool permissions, and adjust default behaviors.

Q: What are Skills?

A: Skills are add-on capabilities installed via the Customize tab. Each skill adds a specific power invoked via slash commands: /pdf for advanced PDF processing, /xlsx for Excel work, /docx for Word documents, /canvas-design for visual layouts. Skills can also be chained, for example using /pdf to extract content then /xlsx to format it as a spreadsheet. Official skills are at github.com/anthropics/skills. Community skills at claudemarketplaces.com, skills.sh, and skillhub.club.

Q: What is Desktop Commander?

A: Desktop Commander is an official Cowork extension (installed from the Customize tab) that expands file access beyond the workspace folder, enables cross-session memory via a memory.md file, and provides one-click MCP server installation. Installing it is the recommended next step after basic Cowork setup. See Getting Started Step 8.

Q: What are MCP Connectors?

A: MCP (Model Context Protocol) connectors let Cowork interact with external tools and services. Three types: web search connectors, desktop/local file connectors (via Desktop Commander), and custom JSON connectors for advanced integrations. You can set permissions per tool: Allow (automatic), Ask (confirm each time), or Block (never use). No coding required, just a few clicks in the Customize tab.

Q: Where can I find community skills?

A: Beyond Anthropic’s official skills at github.com/anthropics/skills, community-built skills are available at claudemarketplaces.com, skills.sh, and skillhub.club. Install any skill from the Customize tab by searching by name or pasting the skill URL.

Q: What are Cowork Plugins?

A: Cowork Plugins are official third-party integrations announced January 30, 2026. There are currently 11 plugins: Asana, Canva, Cloudflare, Figma, GitHub, Google Drive, Jira, Linear, Notion, Sentry, and Slack. They allow Cowork to interact directly with these services without browser automation.

Q: What is the difference between Dispatch and Channels?

A: These are two different features that are often confused in tech press:

Feature	Product	What it does	Channels
Dispatch	Cowork (desktop app)	Send tasks from your phone to your desktop Cowork session via QR code pairing	iOS/Android app only
Channels	Claude Code (CLI)	Connect a running Claude Code terminal session to Telegram or Discord	Telegram, Discord

Practical rule: If you’re using Claude Desktop (Cowork), you use Dispatch : pair your phone via QR code in Settings, then send tasks from the mobile app while your Mac runs them. Telegram and Discord integration belongs to Claude Code Channels, a separate developer tool.

If you’re seeing articles about “Claude on Telegram” or “Claude on Discord”, that’s Claude Code Channels, not Cowork.

Q: Which Claude models can Cowork use?

A: The Claude 5.5 family, released in autumn 2026:

Claude Opus 5.5 (September 22, 2026): reaches the level of Claude Fable 5.1 on most tasks and costs 40% less to run than Opus 5.
Claude Sonnet 5.5 (September 28, 2026): more than 30% faster than Sonnet 5 and up to 30% cheaper on most tasks, according to claude.com.
Claude Haiku 5.5 (October 7, 2026): the smallest, cheapest and fastest model, built for high-volume tasks.

Earlier models remain available: Claude Fable 5.1 and Mythos 5.1 (September 1, 2026) and Claude Opus 5 (July 24, 2026). Effort levels are Low, Medium, High, Extra high and Max. Which model is the default on each plan is not published: not verified. Source: support.claude.com release notes + claude.com/docs/cowork/changelog.

Q: What is the context window of the models in Cowork?

A: UNKNOWN for Cowork as a fixed value. Context capacity depends on the model, plan and surface available to you. Check the current Claude interface or Anthropic documentation before planning a large task.

Q: What are scheduled tasks?

A: Scheduled tasks automate recurring Cowork operations. Two types: recurring (run automatically on a set cadence) and on-demand (triggered manually, run once).

Set them up in Claude Desktop → left sidebar → Scheduled section → New Task. Available cadences: hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays-only, or custom. After the first run, Cowork automatically rewrites your prompt to optimize it.

Important: since October 6, 2026, new scheduled tasks on Pro and Max run in the cloud, with no device switched on. Scheduled tasks that Claude creates itself use “Automatically approve” by default when your organization allows it (since October 1, 2026): their runs use tools without asking and stop only if something looks dangerous. For a task that still runs locally (started before October 6, 2026), Claude Desktop must be open and your device awake when it fires; if the device is asleep, the task is skipped and runs when the device wakes. Whether scheduled tasks created before October 6 moved to the cloud: not verified.

See Scheduled Automation workflow for copy-paste prompts and patterns.

Q: Can I build custom plugins for Cowork?

A: Yes, with no coding required. Open the Plugins panel in Cowork, click Create Plugin, define your skills (reusable AI tasks), assign slash commands (e.g., /invoice, /followup), and bundle with connectors. Anthropic’s 11 official plugins are open-sourced and serve as templates to adapt. Custom plugins can be shared across your team. Admin users can also create private plugin marketplaces with organization-specific catalogs.

Q: What new connectors were added in February 2026?

A: On February 24, 2026, Anthropic added 12+ new MCP connectors. Key ones for SMBs: Google Calendar (scheduling), Gmail (email without Chrome), DocuSign (contract signing), WordPress (content management), and sales tools (Apollo, Clay, Outreach). Finance connectors (FactSet, MSCI, LSEG) target institutional workflows. All connectors are managed from the Customize tab with per-tool Allow/Ask/Block permissions.

Q: What is context compaction?

A: Context compaction (beta) automatically compresses conversation history during long sessions. This allows much longer effective sessions by keeping relevant context while removing redundant information. It partially addresses the previous limitation of no session persistence.

Q: What are Agent Teams?

A: Agent Teams (research preview) enable multi-agent coordination where multiple Claude agents work together on complex tasks. One agent can orchestrate others, each handling a specialized sub-task. This extends the existing sub-agent architecture with more sophisticated coordination.

Security

Q: Is Cowork secure?

A: Security and administration controls depend on your plan and current Anthropic product documentation. This guide does not treat a historical GA claim as evidence that a particular control is available. See the Security Guide and verify current official documentation before a regulated deployment.

Q: Can Cowork access all my files?

A: Only folders you explicitly grant access to. Best practice: create a dedicated ~/Cowork-Workspace/ folder and only grant access there.

Q: What is prompt injection and should I worry?

A: Prompt injection is when malicious content in files tries to manipulate AI behavior. Mitigation:

Only process files from trusted sources
Avoid files with instruction-like content
Review Cowork’s plan before approval

Q: Do my files go to the cloud?

A: Your folders stay on your computer, but what Claude reads is processed on Anthropic’s servers, like pasting text in a chat. Since October 6, 2026, new Cowork tasks on Pro and Max run in the cloud, in a temporary isolated environment. A cloud session reaches only the folders you connected, and only while Claude Desktop is open. The “Only on your computer” option was removed from Settings > General on that date, with no way back. Tasks started on your computer before October 6 stay local. No official data retention policy specific to Cowork was found. For sensitive data, decide whether cloud processing is appropriate.

Q: What are the approval modes?

A: Cowork asks for your approval in one of three modes (renamed in 2026):

Manual (formerly “Ask before acting”): Claude waits for Allow or Deny at each request.
Auto: Claude moves on without asking at each step. Every action is filtered, a dangerous action is blocked, and Claude looks for another way or asks you. It falls back to asking if it is blocked repeatedly. It uses more of your usage limit.
Skip all approvals (formerly “Act without asking”): no pause and no automatic filtering of actions.

On Team and Enterprise, an owner can turn Auto off in Organization settings > Cowork (it is offered by default). “Always allow” for connector tools is off by default. A connector tool set to “Restrict to Ask” by the organization still asks for approval, even in Skip all approvals. Source: support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190 and 13455879.

Q: Can I use Cowork for confidential business documents?

A: Use with caution for sensitive data. Enterprise controls are live (role-based access, spend limits, usage analytics, OpenTelemetry). However, two blockers remain for compliance-heavy workflows: (1) Audit Logs don’t capture Cowork activity (confirmed Anthropic limitation); (2) No compliance certifications yet. For regulated industries (finance, health, legal, public sector), review the Enterprise Considerations section before using Cowork with confidential data.

Troubleshooting

Q: Cowork stopped mid-task. What do I do?

Check output folder for partial results
Break the task into smaller pieces
Resume with explicit state: “Continue from X, remaining items are Y”

Common causes: context limit, timeout, network issues.

Q: Can I use Cowork with a VPN?

A: UNKNOWN as a universal limitation. A connection failure may have several causes, and this guide does not instruct users to disable a VPN by default. Check current Anthropic guidance and your organization’s network policy, then collect the exact error before changing connectivity settings. See VM and connection troubleshooting.

Q: My Excel formulas show as text or errors.

A: Regional syntax issue. Specify in your prompt:

US/UK: “Use comma separators in formulas”
EU: “Use semicolon separators in formulas”

Q: Cowork can’t access my folder.

System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Files and Folders
Find Claude Desktop
Enable your workspace folder
Restart the app if needed

Q: Chrome integration isn’t working.

A: Grant additional permissions:

System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Accessibility → Add Claude
Ensure Chrome is installed (not Chromium)

Q: How do I stop a running task?

A: Type “Stop” in the chat or close the conversation window.

Q: My task failed when my computer went to sleep.

A: This applies to local sessions: the app must stay open and active, and local sessions do not use memory. Since October 6, 2026, new tasks on Pro and Max run in the cloud, so they do not depend on your computer staying awake (a cloud session only reaches your connected folders while Claude Desktop is open). Tasks started on your computer before that date stay local. On Team and Enterprise, Cowork in the cloud is a beta.

Prevention: Disable sleep during long tasks. For critical work, break into smaller checkpointed batches that can be resumed.

Q: What happens during an Anthropic outage?

A: Cowork sessions may:

Show elevated error rates
Fail tasks that previously worked
Become unresponsive

Action: Check status.claude.com, wait for resolution, don’t retry repeatedly (wastes quota).

Pricing & Access

Q: Is Cowork free?

A: No. Cowork is available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, not on the Free plan. Note that Anthropic contradicts itself: the installation page on support.claude.com ticks Cowork under Free, while the pricing and availability pages list paid plans. Do not count on Cowork with a Free account. Free accounts can still ask for Claude Design, Slides and Docs in any conversation (since September 16, 2026).

Q: How much does Cowork cost?

A: Prices on claude.com/pricing on October 11, 2026, in US dollars, excluding tax. Anthropic publishes no euro price list: the amount you pay in euros and the VAT depend on your invoice.

Plan	Price
Free	$0 (no Cowork)
Pro	$20 per month, or $200 per year ($17 per month)
Max	from $100 per month (5x or 20x the Pro usage)
Team Standard	$20 per seat per month billed annually, or $25 billed monthly (2 to 150 people)
Team Premium	$100 per seat per month billed annually, or $125 billed monthly (2 to 150 people)
Enterprise	$20 per seat per month billed annually, plus usage at API rates

Prices change: check claude.com/pricing before you subscribe.

Q: Do paid plans include API credits?

A: Since October 7, 2026, Max and Team subscribers receive monthly API credits to run their own apps and agents. You claim them by linking a Claude Console organization in the billing settings. Amounts shown on claude.com/pricing on October 11, 2026: $100 per month for Max 5x, $200 for Max 20x, up to $500 per month pooled for a Team organization. No credits on Free, Pro or Enterprise. Rollout takes a few days. Source: support.claude.com release notes + claude.com/pricing.

Q: Pro or Max: which should I choose?

A: Pro suits occasional use. Max gives 5x or 20x the Pro usage and includes monthly API credits. Both have a rolling 5-hour limit plus weekly limits, and usage credits let you continue at API rates. Choose from the current prices above and your real usage: this guide publishes no measured quota ratio.

Q: Is there a usage limit with Cowork?

A: Yes, but the limit is plan- and task-dependent. Confirm the current limit in Claude or Anthropic’s plan documentation before scheduling a large batch.

Technical

Q: How does Cowork handle multiple files?

A: Cowork can spawn sub-agents that work in parallel. Each sub-agent has fresh context and works on part of the task. The main orchestrator assembles results.

Q: What’s the context limit?

A: It varies by model, plan and surface. Start with a representative batch, verify the output, and split subsequent work into reviewable groups rather than relying on a fixed document or token count.

Q: Does Cowork remember across sessions?

A: Not by default, each session starts fresh. Since August 25, 2026, memory works across chat and Cowork in the cloud (Settings > Memory > Topics, editable and deletable one item at a time). Local Cowork sessions do not use memory. With Desktop Commander installed, you can create a memory.md file that persists context across sessions. Start each session with “Read ~/Cowork-Workspace/memory.md first.” Without Desktop Commander, the workaround remains saving context to a file and loading it next session. See Memory Setup workflow for details.

Q: Can I automate Cowork with scripts?

A: Not currently. Cowork has no API or automation interface (January 2026). For automation, use Claude Code.

Comparison

Q: When should I use Cowork vs Claude Code?

Cowork: File organization, document creation, data extraction, no coding required
Claude Code: Software development, shell access, code execution

Q: When should I use Cowork vs Projects?

Cowork: Need to create files, organize folders, batch process
Projects: Just want to chat about documents, brainstorm, write

Q: When should I just use Chat instead of Cowork?

A: Chat (Projects/web) is better for:

Reasoning & strategy: Iterative dialogue, hypothesis testing, nuanced thinking
Code development: Claude Code integration, rapid test cycles
Writing & drafting: Live artifacts, inline iteration
Exploratory tasks: When requirements aren’t clear yet
Collaboration: Shareable links, team visibility
Mobile/any device: Zero-install access

Note: on accounts that already have “Unified Claude” (gradual rollout to Pro and Max since September 16, 2026), there is no mode to choose: Claude decides whether a request is a quick answer or a task.

Rule of thumb: Is the challenge intellectual (reason/write/code) or operational (organize/automate/batch)? Chat for the first, Cowork for the second. Most users: ~80% Chat, ~20% Cowork.

Q: Can developers benefit from Cowork?

A: Yes, for non-code tasks:

Organizing documentation
Creating reports from logs
Research compilation
File management

Future

Q: Is Cowork still in beta?

A: Do not apply one global beta or GA label to every Cowork capability. Availability varies by surface and plan: computer use is a beta for Pro and Max (macOS and Windows, not Team, Enterprise or Linux), and Cowork in the cloud is a beta on Team and Enterprise. Check the current Cowork availability and computer-use guidance.

Q: What features are coming?

A: Product availability changes. Linux is currently beta for Claude Desktop. Use Anthropic’s release and support documentation rather than this FAQ for future-feature announcements.

Q: Will there be an API for Cowork?

A: UNKNOWN. This guide does not make a roadmap commitment for a Cowork API. Cowork is not desktop-only: web and mobile access are beta on eligible plans.

Q: Should I expect breaking changes?

A: Yes. Anthropic’s research previews have low stability patterns:

Models deprecated ~6-12 months post-release (60+ day notice)
UI features get backend changes that may affect workflows
Behavior may change between updates

Mitigation: Don’t build critical workflows that depend on Cowork’s exact behavior. Have fallback plans. Check r/ClaudeAI and status.claude.com for change announcements.

Still Have Questions?

Support: support.anthropic.com
Community: Reddit r/ClaudeAI
Feedback: Claude Desktop app → Feedback option

Back to Cowork Documentation