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ANTHROPIC CLAUDE COWORK

Claude Cowork is Anthropic's new AI agent tool, launched in January 2026 as a research preview within the Claude Desktop app. It simplifies Claude Code's capabilities for non-technical users by letting them designate a folder for Claude to read, edit, or create files autonomously based on chat instructions.12

Key Features​

Cowork acts like a "coworker" handling tasks such as organizing downloads, generating expense reports from receipt photos, or drafting documents from notes. Built on the Claude Agent SDK, it supports agentic workflows without needing command-line setup or virtual environments.31

Availability​

Access requires a Max subscription ($100 or $200/month plans), with a waitlist for other users. It's designed for safety but warns of risks like unintended file changes from vague prompts.21

Use Cases​

  • Automate file management and analysis, such as scanning media or social posts.
  • Non-coding tasks like spreadsheet creation from images.
  • Enterprise productivity, competing with tools like Microsoft Copilot.42 5678910
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How does Claude Cowork compare to Claude Code

What privacy risks does Cowork pose for desktop files Which subscription tiers include Cowork access Can Cowork edit files like spreadsheets and code How to set up Cowork folder permissions safely

Claude Cowork is essentially “Claude Code packaged for knowledge work” inside the Claude Desktop app: instead of running a CLI in a repo, you grant Claude access to a specific desktop folder and it operates on the files there. Cowork’s biggest difference versus Claude Code is that it’s optimized for everyday file workflows (documents, receipts, reports, organizing folders) rather than a developer-first terminal experience.1112

Cowork vs Claude Code​

  • Interface & audience: Cowork runs in Claude Desktop (macOS) and targets general “knowledge work beyond coding,” while Claude Code is positioned around agentic work in a coding/terminal workflow.12
  • How scope is set: Cowork’s scope is defined by the folder you choose in the desktop app (what it can see/work with), whereas Claude Code’s scope is typically bounded by the directory where it’s launched and then expanded by granting permissions when prompted.1312
  • Typical jobs: Cowork is framed around file management and office-style workflows; Claude Code is framed around building/working with code projects, with explicit permissions gates for actions outside the starting directory.1213

Privacy risks for desktop files​

The primary privacy risk is over-scoping access—if Cowork is pointed at a broad folder (e.g., Documents, Desktop, Downloads, or a synced drive), Claude may ingest sensitive content you did not intend to share while completing a task. A second risk is accidental propagation of sensitive data into new artifacts (summaries, extracted tables, renamed files) that then get saved back into your allowed folder and shared onward. Finally, any agentic system that can read large sets of local files increases the chance of “prompt-based exfiltration” (e.g., instructions that cause it to search for secrets) if the accessible folder contains credentials, exports, or private PDFs.111312

Subscription tiers with access​

Cowork is available as a research preview for Claude Max subscribers using the Claude Desktop app on macOS. Users on other plans can join a waitlist for future access.1112

Can it edit spreadsheets and code?​

Claude supports creating and editing Office-style files including Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), along with other formats like PowerPoint and Word, which indicates it can handle spreadsheet creation/editing workflows when enabled in Claude’s file features. Cowork is explicitly described as bringing “Claude Code’s agentic capabilities” into Claude Desktop, so code-oriented file editing within the permitted folder is a natural fit (it can read/edit text files as part of file work) even if the UI is not developer-first. For spreadsheets specifically, the safest assumption is: Cowork can modify files it has permission to access, but the quality and reliability of complex spreadsheet edits will depend on the same underlying “create and edit files” capability.1412

Safer folder-permission setup​

  • Create a dedicated folder like Cowork Workspace/ and only copy in the documents needed for the task (avoid pointing Cowork at broad personal folders).1312
  • Keep sensitive material out of that folder entirely (tax returns, IDs, HR docs, password exports, API keys), since Cowork’s value comes from being able to read and transform what’s inside.1311
  • Prefer smaller, task-specific subfolders (e.g., Receipts_Jan2026/), and rotate/empty them when the task is done to reduce lingering exposure.13

Which OS are you using for Claude Desktop (macOS only today), and what kind of folder are you considering granting Cowork access to (e.g., a project folder vs Documents/Downloads)? 151617181920

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Does Cowork require full disk permissions on macOS

How to limit which folders Cowork can access Difference between Cowork and Claude Code capabilities Which plans and regions get Cowork access and waitlist details Can Cowork create and edit Excel PowerPoint and Word files directly

Claude Cowork does not require full disk permissions on macOS; you explicitly choose and grant access to a specific folder of your choosing, and Claude can only read, edit, or create files within that folder. To limit folders, create a dedicated workspace folder (e.g., "Cowork Workspace"), populate it only with task-relevant files, and select it in the Claude Desktop app's Cowork tab—avoid broad directories like Documents or Downloads.2122

Cowork vs Claude Code Capabilities​

Cowork uses the identical agentic architecture as Claude Code but simplifies it for the Claude Desktop app (macOS only), replacing terminal/repo setup with folder selection for non-coding "knowledge work." Claude Code targets developers with CLI-driven coding tasks; Cowork handles file organization, document creation, and analysis via chat-like instructions with multi-step autonomy.2221

Access Plans and Regions​

Cowork is a research preview exclusive to Claude Max plan subscribers using the macOS Desktop app, with active internet required. Other plans (Pro, Team) join a waitlist via the app; no region restrictions noted, though Desktop app availability determines access (macOS primary, Windows planned).2122

File Editing Capabilities​

Cowork can create and edit Excel spreadsheets (with formulas, tabs, VLOOKUP, conditional formatting), PowerPoint presentations, and formatted Word documents directly in the permitted folder. It leverages Claude's file handling for polished professional outputs from inputs like notes or screenshots, without manual uploads.21

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Footnotes​

  1. https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/12/anthropics-new-cowork-tool-offers-claude-code-without-the-code/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. https://fortune.com/2026/01/13/anthropic-claude-cowork-ai-agent-file-managing-threaten-startups/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. https://claude.com/blog/cowork-research-preview ↩

  4. https://simonw.substack.com/p/first-impressions-of-claude-cowork ↩

  5. https://www.tabnews.com.br/NewsletterOficial/anthropic-lanca-cowork ↩

  6. https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1qb6gdx/claude_just_introduced_cowork_the_claude_code_for/ ↩

  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wQHu5X8oOY ↩

  8. https://www.tecmundo.com.br/software/409850-anthropic-lanca-claude-cowork-agente-de-ia-que-pode-mexer-no-seu-computador.htm ↩

  9. https://www.conversion.com.br/blog/claude-cowork/ ↩

  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUMzYUbkb8s ↩

  11. https://claude.com/blog/cowork-research-preview ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  12. https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-getting-started-with-cowork ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  13. https://www.producttalk.org/how-to-use-claude-code-safely/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  14. https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12111783-create-and-edit-files-with-claude ↩

  15. https://www.datastudios.org/post/claude-ai-file-uploading-reading-capabilities-detailed-overview ↩

  16. https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1qb6gdx/claude_just_introduced_cowork_the_claude_code_for/ ↩

  17. https://x.com/JeremyNguyenPhD/status/2010838902417072483 ↩

  18. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chelsealarsson_cowork-is-in-research-preview-its-a-brand-activity-7416598948691197952-X1hV ↩

  19. https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1qc6ha7/claude_cowork/ ↩

  20. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTdRTRglV3t/ ↩

  21. https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/12/anthropics-new-cowork-tool-offers-claude-code-without-the-code/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  22. https://fortune.com/2026/01/13/anthropic-claude-cowork-ai-agent-file-managing-threaten-startups/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3