Cowork

0:01 Cowork is the agent side of Claude for knowledge work: you describe a goal, and Claude works across your files, connected apps and a browser until it hands back a finished report, spreadsheet or deck (Claude Cowork, read Nov 6, 2026). It began as a separate research preview on Jan 12, 2026, became generally available on Apr 9, 2026, and on Sep 16, 2026 merged into ordinary conversations, so Anthropic's page now says "Claude Cowork is now just Claude". It needs a paid plan (Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise), uses limits faster than chat, and asks before deleting anything. Its sibling for software work is Claude Code. Microsoft sells an unrelated agent also called Cowork inside Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro (Copilot for Individuals, Microsoft, read Nov 6, 2026); the two are compared on Claude vs Microsoft Copilot.

Learn more: Microsoft 365 Copilot on ai.vi.ki and Agent Mode on chatgpt.vi.ki

Quick facts

History of Cowork

Cowork grew from a desktop-only preview into the default way Claude works. The dated steps, all from Anthropic's release notes unless noted:

1. Jan 12, 2026: research preview for Max subscribers in Claude Desktop for macOS, running in an isolated virtual machine with access to local files and MCP servers.
2. Jan 16, 2026: expanded to Pro, still macOS only.
3. Feb 24 and 25, 2026: plugins with admin-run marketplaces for Team and Enterprise, then scheduled tasks.
4. Mar 17 and 23, 2026: a persistent thread to manage Cowork from a phone, then computer use and Dispatch improvements, so Claude could operate the computer while you were away.
5. Apr 9, 2026: generally available on macOS and Windows, with usage analytics and OpenTelemetry for admins.
6. Jul 7, 2026: Cowork on the web and mobile, Max first; scheduled tasks no longer need a device online.
7. Aug 25, 2026: Memory works in Cowork.
8. Sep 16, 2026: Cowork merged into all conversations for Pro and Max: no mode to pick, with chats, Cowork tasks, Projects, Connectors and Skills carried over.
9. Oct 23, 2026: the same merge for Enterprise (Claude Cowork and chat come together for Enterprise, Oct 23, 2026).

Since the merge, a conversation starts as a chat, and a task that needs code or files moves into agentic work in a cloud sandbox and keeps running after you close your laptop (Claude Cowork and chat come together for Enterprise). Once an account has moved to the merged experience it cannot switch back (Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude, read Nov 6, 2026). Accounts still waiting for the rollout see Cowork as a separate tab next to Chat.

What Cowork does with files and apps

0:50 You hand Cowork an outcome rather than step-by-step instructions. It shows each step as it goes (files opened, tools used, choices made), lets you redirect or stop it, and splits large projects into parallel pieces (Claude Cowork, read Nov 6, 2026). Anthropic's examples are a weekly marketing readout, reconciling spreadsheets, a first-pass contract review against a playbook and analysis of call notes.

0:50 It reads and writes documents (.docx, .pdf, .md), spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls, .xlsm), presentations (.pptx, .ppt), images, data and config files, notebooks and most code files, and reaches more through Connectors. The desktop app is the only way into folders and apps on your own computer; on the web and phone, tasks run in the cloud. See File Creation for the file formats Claude produces.

Scheduled tasks and Dispatch

2:21 A Cowork task can run on any schedule, daily, weekly or monthly, unattended (Claude Cowork, read Nov 6, 2026); since Jul 7, 2026 a scheduled task runs with no device online (release notes). Pricing lists "Hand off and schedule tasks" on Pro, Max and Ultra (Plans and pricing, read Nov 6, 2026).

0:05 Dispatch started and managed Cowork tasks from a phone (Mar 2026). In the merged experience Anthropic says Dispatch "isn't available to new users" (Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude, read Nov 6, 2026); starting a task from the phone is now built in on Pro, Max, Ultra and Team, and Enterprise can opt in (Claude overview, read Nov 6, 2026).

Plugins, computer use and the built-in browser

Plugins bundle skills, connectors and subagents for a role, such as Legal or Finance, into one install; Team and Enterprise admins can run private plugin marketplaces (Claude Cowork, read Nov 6, 2026). See Claude Code Plugins for the same idea in Claude Code.

0:46 Computer use lets Claude click through your screen. Claude tries connectors first, then the browser, and the screen last; it asks permission for each application (Claude Cowork). The help center calls it a beta on Pro, Max and Ultra and notes that local files, the built-in browser and computer use work only while Claude Desktop is open (Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude).

The built-in browser (since Aug 26, 2026) opens in a side panel, apart from your own browser and logins. You sign in once per session or import cookies from Chrome, Edge or Firefox on macOS, or Firefox on Windows and Linux; it is on Pro, Max, Ultra and Team in the desktop app (Claude Cowork). For working inside your own Chrome instead, see Claude in Chrome.

Plans and limits

Cowork comes with every paid plan: Pro at $20 a month, or $17 a month billed annually, Max at $100, Ultra at $200, Team (2 to 150 seats) and Enterprise (as of Nov 6, 2026). It is not on the Free plan.

Agentic work costs more of your allowance than chat, because Claude coordinates subagents and tool calls (Claude Cowork). Everything counts toward the same plan limits (Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude); how those limits work is on Claude Usage Limits, and ways to stretch them on How to Make Claude Usage Limits Last. In Cowork the larger models have a 1M-token context window that compacts at 500K.

Safety and admin controls

3:35 You choose which folders and tools Claude may touch, and deleting anything needs your approval (Claude Cowork). The default permission setting is Auto on Pro, Max, Ultra and Team and Manual on Enterprise (Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude). On Enterprise each cloud session runs in its own isolated virtual machine with network access off by default and connector credentials kept outside the sandbox (Claude Cowork and chat come together for Enterprise). Admins can set access by team, cap spending, stream activity to a security system through OpenTelemetry, or turn Cowork off; see Claude Team and Enterprise. An agent that reads web pages and email can meet prompt injection, which Is Claude Safe covers.

Cowork compared with Claude Code

Both use the same agent approach. Anthropic aims Claude Code at software engineering in a terminal, editor or repository, and Cowork at non-coding knowledge work in documents and business apps (Claude Cowork, FAQ). A developer who wants changes to a codebase, tests run and a pull request opened should use Claude Code; someone who wants a spreadsheet reconciled or a deck drafted from files should use Cowork.

Frequently asked questions

What is Claude Cowork? Cowork is Claude's agent for multi-step knowledge work: you give it a goal and it works through your files, apps and browser to deliver finished work. Since Sep 16, 2026 it is part of ordinary Claude conversations rather than a separate mode.

Is Claude Cowork free? No. Cowork is on Claude Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise, not on the Free plan.

Do I need the desktop app for Cowork? No. Cowork runs on the web and mobile in the cloud, but only the Claude desktop app can reach folders and apps on your own computer.

Why does Cowork use up my Claude limit so fast? Cowork tasks coordinate subagents and many tool calls, so Anthropic says they consume limits faster than chat; scheduled tasks count too.

Is Claude Cowork the same as Microsoft Copilot Cowork? No. Microsoft's Cowork is a different product inside Microsoft 365 Copilot; Claude Cowork is Anthropic's, part of the Claude apps.

Can Cowork delete my files? Claude Cowork asks for your approval before deleting anything, and you choose which folders and tools it may use.

Sources

• Claude Cowork, claude.com, read Nov 6, 2026
• Release notes, Claude Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude, Claude Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Claude Cowork and chat come together for Enterprise, claude.com, Oct 23, 2026
• Claude overview, claude.com, read Nov 6, 2026
• Plans and pricing, claude.com, read Nov 6, 2026
• How large is the context window on paid Claude plans?, Claude Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Getting started with Claude Cowork, Claude, May 8, 2026 (video)
• Delegate and schedule tasks in Claude Cowork, Claude, Jun 21, 2026 (video)
• Dispatch tasks to Claude Cowork from anywhere, Claude, Mar 17, 2026 (video)
• Put Claude to work on your computer, from anywhere, Claude, Mar 23, 2026 (video)
• Copilot for Individuals, Microsoft, read Nov 6, 2026