From the video

Claude Cowork Setup

Every Setting Explained

Seven decisions. Most guides show you where to click. This one explains why each one matters.

Claude Cowork Setup — Done Right

The seven settings

  1. 1.
    Capabilities

    Turn on cloud execution and file creation. Claude builds real files, not descriptions of them.

  2. 2.
    Network egress

    Leave at package managers only. Claude installs what it needs without unrestricted web access.

  3. 3.
    Permission mode

    Start on Ask. Cowork proposes a plan and waits for your approval before executing anything.

  4. 4.
    File system access

    Add only the folders you want cowork to see. Nothing outside those directories is accessible.

  5. 5.
    Global InstructionsKey

    The standing briefing Claude reads before every session. Most people leave it blank.

  6. 6.
    Folder connection

    Connect a working directory so cowork can read and write real files on your machine.

  7. 7.
    Connectors

    Link Gmail, Calendar, or OneDrive. One prompt pulls from three live sources simultaneously.

Global Instructions

The template

Paste this into Desktop app → Settings → Cowork → Global Instructions. Replace the bracketed sections with your own role and context. This is the standing briefing Claude reads before every session.

Global Instructions template
My name is [Your Name]. I am a [Your Title]
at [organisation name and type — e.g. "a mid-sized professional services firm"
or "a regional body corporate management company"].

My work spans [2–3 sentences on what you actually do — e.g. "operational
strategy, process improvement, and team performance across multiple business
units. I manage a team of [X] and am accountable for [key metrics or outcomes]."]

---

PRIMARY AUDIENCE FOR MY OUTPUTS

My outputs are typically prepared for one of three audiences:
- Senior leadership / executive team: strategic recommendations, performance
  reporting, business cases
- External clients: formal advisory deliverables, proposals, briefing documents
- Internal operations: SOPs, project plans, process documentation

If the task doesn't specify an audience, assume senior leadership.

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COMMUNICATION STANDARDS

I operate at VP / GM level. All outputs should reflect that seniority:
- Lead with the conclusion, then the evidence — never bury the recommendation
- Assume the reader is intelligent and time-poor — no over-explanation
- Use plain language; avoid jargon unless it is standard in the context
- Be direct — if a situation is problematic, name it clearly

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DEFAULT OUTPUT FORMAT

- Word document structure, not markdown
- Formal headings, not bullet-point summaries
- Evidence and data before conclusion within each section
- Executive summary at the top for anything over two pages
- No filler phrases ("it is important to note that", "in conclusion")

---

WORKING CONTEXT

When I start a session with a task description, assume I want a complete
first draft unless I say otherwise — not a list of questions or an outline.
If critical information is missing, flag one key gap and make a reasonable
assumption to proceed.

Tone: professional, direct. Not formal to the point of being stiff. I am
a senior operator, not a bureaucrat.

Watch the full walkthrough

See every setting in the app

The video shows each setting in context — what it looks like, what to choose, and why the Global Instructions field is the one decision that changes every session that follows.

Watch on YouTube →