Free15 min

Set Up Your First Claude Project

Go from one-off chats to strategically using AI by creating a dedicated workspace that picks up files, past work, and knows how you want it to respond automatically.

Learn

Moving beyond chat mode

Most people I talk to work with Claude in one of two ways:

Open a chat, get help, then start over tomorrow in a new window without background.
Use one really long chat they keep going back to because it has all the info from endless back and forth.

If you find yourself repeating similar tasks or feeding Claude the same details regularly, Projects are a better option.

Not only will they save you time and start getting you better results, they will get you seeing how to use AI strategically in your work.

What's a Claude Project?

A Project holds three things:

Instructions that tell Claude how to respond every time you use the Project. (Think of this like a prompt automatically read at the start of each chat.)
Sources you attach: files, Drive documents, Slack details, and text you paste in.
Chats that pull in your instructions and sources automatically, and build up project memories across conversations as you go.

Without a Project: you rebuild what Claude knows and how Claude acts every chat.

With a Project: the files and the standing instructions live with the project. Every new chat inside it starts with all of it already loaded (no re-pasting or re-framing).

Three ways to use Projects

Projects aren't just a way to get organized. Instructions make it so you can use them for different types of work:

As a helper on a specific initiative: Like a launch, a campaign, a Q3 strategy, a presentation you are building.
To support a recurring task or workflow: Like building out a weekly status report, brainstorming for your editorial calendar, helping with your monthly board update or your client comms work.
For specific feedback or perspective: Like simulating your CMO's feedback, a business advisor for strategy questions, or a peer-reviewer voice for first drafts.

Creating Projects for the latter two will get you to think about AI strategically:

Spot where AI can help with processes
Find ways to use AI for new perspective
Learn to design and edit instructions (prompts) so the Project meets your needs each conversation

How do Projects differ from other Claude features?

If you're a dedicated Claude user, you may be thinking Projects sound like other features you're familiar with. Here's how they compare:

Profile Instructions: Managed in Settings, used to define how you want Claude to respond across every chat (your role, your tone, formats you like). This should be used broadly, where Projects should be used when instructions only apply to a portion of your conversations.
Memory: Also managed in Settings, is the running summary Claude keeps about you to make chats feel more personal. Bits like what you're working on, preferences, recurring context. Memory follows you everywhere. Projects scope context to one area of work, with their own memory space that's separate from your other Projects and your non-project chats.
Claude Skills: Portable procedures you save once and run anywhere, including inside Projects. Skills make Claude do something the same way every time (a brand-voice editor, a meeting-notes formatter). Projects hold the work itself; Skills hold the method. The two work together inside a Project.

Key takeaways

01If you're repeating tasks or feeding Claude the same details over and over, a Project is the better setup.
02A Project holds three things: Files, Instructions, and chats that inherit both automatically. Every new chat inside it starts already having background.
03Projects work for a specific initiative, a recurring task or workflow, or a perspective you want Claude to play. The last two are where AI starts working strategically with you.

Your Turn

Step 01

Pick your project

If you're unsure where to start or evaluating some options, this prompt will help.

Try this prompt

Pick the area of work for your first Claude Project

Use this prompt to find the right topic to build your first Project around, one where persistent knowledge and reference material will pay off. Paste the prompt into a new chat window to get started.

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Step 02

Create the Project and load Files

Now that you identified your topic, you're going to build your first Project in Claude and attach reference files.

Once you've logged into Claude, click Projects in the left sidebar, then New project in the top-right of the Projects page.

Name the Project after the area of work you locked in. Write a one-line description in the What are you trying to achieve? field, then click Create project.

On the project page, locate the Instructions section and click + to add your instruction prompt.

Click the + in the Files section (under Instructions), then if available load 3 to 5 files to give the project background or information to reference.

[OPTIONAL] To bring past chats into a Project, hover over a chat in the sidebar, click ⋮, and choose Add to project and select your project.

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Step 03

Draft your Project Instructions

Project Instructions tell Claude how to respond inside every chat in this Project. Run this prompt to help your Project stay on task.

Try this prompt

Draft your project's instructions

This prompt helps you draft Instructions for your project: the role Claude plays, the background of the work, and how you want responses to land. Paste this prompt into a fresh chat in your new Project to get started. Once you have the final draft, paste them into your Project's Instructions field.

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From here on out, each time you work on this topic, open a new chat INSIDE your new Project.

As the work evolves, add new files and refine your Instructions.

Get Credit

Submission

Describe the Project you built. What will it help you with?

Heads up: the person who shared this link with you will be able to see what you submit.

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