Module 1 recap
You've got the foundation. Let's tie it together.
The big picture
- Cowork is a mode in the Claude desktop app, sitting alongside Chat and Code. It's not a separate app.
- Chat gives advice; Cowork does the work. It's a working session that operates on the folders and apps you connect and hands back a real deliverable.
- Code is the third mode, for software work you'll usually skip.
The core loop
Every Cowork task follows the same rhythm:
Describe → plan → approve → run (and steer any time along the way).
You say what you want, Claude shows a plan, you approve it, it executes, and you can jump in mid-task to course-correct.
Staying in control
- Cowork only touches folders you connect: nothing else is in reach.
- Keep permission mode on "Ask before acting" while you learn.
- Permanent deletion always needs your explicit Allow.
Your checkpoint
Now do it for real. Open Cowork, connect a safe folder, and run one small task from start to finish: describe it, review the plan, approve, and let it run. Then submit what you did and how it went. That first hands-on task is where it clicks.
What you just learned
- Cowork is a working-session mode that executes tasks on connected folders.
- The loop is describe → plan → approve → run, with steering throughout.
- Stay on "Ask before acting," and remember deletion always needs an explicit "Allow."
Next: run your first real task and submit it at the checkpoint.
practice
Open Claude Cowork on your own computer and try this on real files. Each module ends with a checkpoint where you submit what you made.
Open in ClaudeNext
Connecting your folders