Cowork Cheatsheet
One-page quick reference — Print-friendly
Requires: Pro ($20/mo) or Max ($100-200/mo) subscription, macOS or Windows
Quick Start
# 1. Create workspace
mkdir -p ~/Cowork-Workspace/{input,output}
# 2. Enable Cowork in Claude Desktop → Settings → Features
# 3. Grant folder access when prompted
Essential Prompt Pattern
Task: [clear single objective]
Input: ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/
Output: ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/[filename.ext]
Format: [specific format requirements]
Model Selection
| Model |
Use For |
Speed |
Context |
| Haiku |
Very simple tasks, quick queries |
Very Fast |
Standard |
| Sonnet 4.6 ⭐ |
All Cowork workflows, agentic tasks |
Fast |
1M tokens (beta) |
| Opus 4.6 |
Deep reasoning, legal/scientific analysis |
Slower |
1M tokens (beta) |
Default: Sonnet 4.6 for everything. Sonnet 4.6 = #1 for agentic/computer use tasks at 5x lower cost than Opus.
Switch to Opus only for: expert legal reasoning, scientific analysis, complex multi-agent coordination.
Both models: 1M token context window (beta), 128K output, adaptive thinking.
Personalize Your Profile
Create my-profile.md in your workspace:
## Tone & Style
- Formal / Casual
- Concise bullet points
## Things I NEVER Do
- Use exclamation marks
- Promise specific deadlines
Usage: “Read my-profile.md first. Then [your request]”
Can Do / Cannot Do
| ✅ CAN DO |
❌ CANNOT DO |
| Read/write files |
Execute code |
| Create Office docs |
Run scripts |
| Extract data from images |
Process audio/video |
| Organize folders |
Decrypt files |
| Web research (Chrome) |
Access network resources (except Chrome) |
| Generate PDFs |
Run on Linux |
| 11 plugins (Asana, GitHub, Notion, Slack…) |
|
| Scheduled tasks |
|
| Direct Excel/PowerPoint integrations |
|
Customize Tab & Skills
| Feature |
How to Access |
Example Usage |
| Skills |
Customize tab → Skills |
/pdf, /docx, /xlsx |
| Skill chaining |
Chain two skills in a prompt |
/pdf then /xlsx in sequence |
| Connectors |
Customize tab → Connectors |
Web search, local files, custom JSON |
| Permissions |
Per-tool: Allow / Ask / Block |
Set web search to “Ask” |
| Memory |
Desktop Commander + memory.md |
“Read memory.md first, then…” |
| Scheduled tasks |
Settings → Scheduled Tasks |
Daily brief, weekly report |
Skills Ecosystem
- Official skills:
github.com/anthropics/skills
-
Community: claudemarketplaces.com |
skills.sh |
skillhub.club |
- Install via: Customize tab → search by name or paste URL
| Format |
Extension |
Notes |
| Word |
.docx |
Headers, tables, formatting |
| Excel |
.xlsx |
Formulas, multiple sheets |
| PowerPoint |
.pptx |
Slides, basic formatting |
| PDF |
.pdf |
Generated from content |
| Text |
.txt, .md |
Any text format |
| Data |
.csv, .json |
Structured data |
Prompt Examples
File Organization
Organize files in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/ by type.
Create folders: Documents, Images, Spreadsheets, Other.
Save summary to ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/organization-report.txt
Extract expenses from receipt images in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/receipts/
Create Excel file with: Date, Vendor, Amount, Category
Add totals row. Save to ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/expenses.xlsx
⚠️ OCR: 97% field accuracy, 63% line-items. Always verify totals.
Document Synthesis
Combine notes in ~/Cowork-Workspace/input/notes/ into a status report.
Structure: Executive Summary, Progress, Risks, Next Steps.
Save as ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/status-report.docx
Web Research
Research top 5 project management tools.
Create comparison table with: Name, Price, Key Features, Pros, Cons.
Save to ~/Cowork-Workspace/output/pm-tools.md
Security Quick Rules
| 🔴 CRITICAL |
🟠 HIGH |
| Dedicated workspace only |
Review every plan |
| No credentials in workspace |
Backup before destructive ops |
| Verify file sources |
Manage Chrome permissions |
Common Issues → Quick Fixes
| Issue |
Fix |
| Can’t see Cowork |
Update app + restart |
| Permission denied |
System Preferences → Privacy → re-grant |
| Task stops |
Break into smaller batches |
| Excel formulas broken |
Specify regional syntax |
| Chrome not working |
Grant Accessibility permission |
Dangerous Patterns to Avoid
❌ "Process all files in ~/"
❌ "You have access to Documents"
❌ "Here's my password file"
❌ "Delete all duplicates" (without backup)
❌ Skip plan review
Decision Flow
Need code execution? → Use Claude Code
Need file manipulation? → Use Cowork
Just conversation? → Use Projects
Regional Excel Settings
| Region |
Formula Syntax |
| US/UK |
=SUM(A1,A2) (comma) |
| EU |
=SUM(A1;A2) (semicolon) |
Specify in prompt: “Use European/US formula syntax”
Workflow Cycle
Request → Analysis → Plan → ⚠️ Review → Approve → Execute → Verify
↑
READ THIS CAREFULLY
Context Limits
| Content |
Approximate Capacity (Opus 4.6, 1M beta) |
| Text pages |
600-2000+ pages |
| Documents |
200-400+ docs |
| Images (OCR) |
200-400+ images |
Context compaction (beta) extends effective session length. Hit limit? → Break into smaller batches
Usage Limits
| Tier |
Intensive Use |
Reset |
| Pro |
~1-1.5 hours |
Every 5 hours |
| Max |
5x-20x Pro |
Every 5 hours |
⚠️ File/document tasks consume quota rapidly. Plan large batches accordingly.
Token Budget by Task
| Task Type |
Typical Tokens |
Pro Sessions |
| Simple Q&A |
5K-10K |
Many |
| File inventory |
20K-30K |
6-8 |
| Small file org (10-20 files) |
30K-50K |
3-5 |
| Large file org (50+ files) |
80K-150K |
1-2 |
| Multi-doc synthesis |
50K-100K |
2-3 |
| OCR batch (10+ receipts) |
60K-100K |
2-3 |
Agentic overhead: Plan→Execute→Check cycles add 15-30% tokens.
Optimization Tips
| Strategy |
Savings |
| Batch 10-20 files per request |
Optimal efficiency |
| Checkpoint after each batch |
Enables recovery |
| Clear context for new tasks |
Fresh 200K window |
| Reuse previous outputs |
Avoids re-processing |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action |
Method |
| Stop execution |
Type “Stop” |
| New conversation |
Cmd+N |
| Clear context |
Start new conversation |
Links
| *Cowork v1.5.0 (Research Preview) |
Part of Claude Cowork Guide* |