@Rich1234567890z@UGjafar@MSIngawa Exactly what I asked myself, they stated it in that email clearly, it has to be original. Using your own words and the video being 30-40 seconds long is better
@Jomo_Of_FUTA I keep getting the "No duplicate values allowed for this field" error under the Institution Attended.
Don't know what the problem might be
Most people open Claude Cowork and treat it like a chatbot. That’s exactly why it disappoints them and they move on.
The people getting real work done with it spent about 30 minutes setting it up properly once, and now it runs like a second brain that already knows who they are before every session.
Here is the full setup, including some things I haven’t seen anyone else mention yet:
Setup (do this once)
- Download Claude Desktop at https://t.co/dEHbpGMGxK
- Sign in and click the Cowork tab at the top
- Create a folder called Claude-Workspace on your computer
- Inside it, create three folders: /context, /projects and /outputs
Context files (this is where everything changes)
Cowork has no memory between sessions, so every conversation starts completely fresh unless you build this layer. Create three files inside your context folder:
- https://t.co/9Ciopj3IUB: your role, what you actually do day to day and what good output looks like for you
- https://t.co/MM7hTQupRa: paste two or three real examples of your own writing, then list the phrases and words you never want to see, things like “leverage,” “synergy” or “I hope this finds you well”
- https://t.co/cn0ufkla3H: write out how you want Claude to behave, things like “ask clarifying questions before starting,” “show me the plan before you execute anything” and “never delete files without asking me first”
Global instructions (most people skip this)
Inside Cowork, go to Customize and add a global instruction block that loads every session automatically. Think of it as briefing a new colleague the same way every morning without having to repeat yourself. Write something like: “Before starting any task, read all files in context/ and confirm you understand my role, preferences and working style.”
- This is separate from your context files and loads faster
- Keep it short, one paragraph maximum, so Claude actually absorbs it
Plugins
- Click Customize and browse the plugin panel
- Install Productivity first, it applies to everything you do
- Add one that matches your actual work, whether that’s Security, Research, Marketing or Finance
- Type “/” anytime to see the slash commands each plugin unlocks
Connectors
- Go to Settings and click Connectors
- Link the one tool you live in most, Slack, Google Drive or Notion
- You do not need to connect everything at once, one strong connector beats three weak ones
Scheduled tasks (the feature nobody is using yet)
Cowork lets you schedule tasks to run automatically without you being present. This is genuinely different from anything a regular chatbot can do. You can set it to pull your emails at 7am, summarise overnight updates, or organise new files in a folder while you are asleep.
- Go to the task panel and click Schedule
- Set a recurring time and describe the task clearly
- Come back to finished work instead of starting your day in chaos
Test it first
Paste this to confirm your setup is actually working:
“Read all files in context/ and tell me what you know about me and how I prefer to work.”
Then try these to feel the difference:
- “Organize this folder by type and date”
- “Create a report from these scattered notes”
- “Draft a document based on this template”
The habit that compounds everything over time
After any session where the output missed what you actually wanted, go back and update your context files with what was missing. This is how Cowork gets sharper the longer you use it, because you are essentially training it on how to serve you specifically, not just anyone.
The gap between Cowork out of the box and Cowork properly configured is not a small one. Thirty minutes of setup today will save you hours every single week going forward.