Anthropic’s new Cowork tool provides Claude Code without the code

Anthropic on Monday announced a new tool called Cowork, which is designed to be an accessible version of Claude Code. The new tool built into the Claude Desktop app allows users to designate a specific folder where Claude can read or edit files, with further guidance provided through the standard chat interface. The result is similar to a sandbox instance of Claude Code, but requires much less technical expertise to set up.

Currently in search preview, Cowork is only available to Max subscribers, with a waiting list available to users on other plans.

The new tool is inspired in part by the growing number of subscribers using Claude Code to accomplish non-programming tasks, treating it as a general-purpose AI tool. Cowork is built on top of the Claude Agent SDK, which means it’s based on the same basic model as Claude Code. The folder section provides an easy way to manage the files that Cowork has access to, and because the application doesn’t require command-line tools or virtual environments, it’s less intimidating for non-technical users.

This opens up a new world of potential use cases. Anthropic gives the example of compiling an expense report from a folder of receipt images — but Claude Code users have also used the system to work on managing media files, scanning social media posts, or analyzing conversations.

Similar to Claude Code, Cowork is designed to take a series of actions without user input—an approach that can be dangerous if the tool is given ambiguous or contradictory instructions. In a blog post announcing the new tool, Anthropic explicitly warns of the risk of instant file injection or deletion, and recommends that users provide as clear and unambiguous instructions as possible.

“These risks are not new with Cowork, but this may be the first time you’ve used a more advanced tool that goes beyond a simple conversation,” the post says.

Launched as a command-line tool in November 2024, Claude Code has become one of Anthropic’s most successful products, prompting the company to release a series of new interfaces in recent months. The web interface launched in October, followed by Slack integration just two months later.