Claude Duet is a new AI agent from Anthropic that watches your work apps, sends you a morning brief and does tasks for you in the background. It’s a research preview, included in Claude Pro and Max for US subscribers, and you get in through a waitlist.
Anthropic launched it on October 21 and says it’s built for professionals and small business owners. Here’s what it does on day one, what it costs, where it falls short, and how I’d test it.
What is Claude Duet?
Think of it as an assistant that checks in on your business before you ask.
You connect the apps you already use, like Gmail, Slack, QuickBooks or Shopify. Duet keeps an eye on them and messages you when something needs you. You can also hand it a job by typing or by voice, and it works on it while you do something else.
It runs on its own cloud computer with its own browser. So your laptop or phone doesn’t have to stay on. You get a notification when the job is done or needs your review.
It’s built on Claude Opus 5.5. Here’s Anthropic’s product page and the launch announcement.
What can it do on day one?
From Anthropic’s two pages:
- Morning brief. A short summary each morning of what matters across your connected apps, with next steps drafted.
- Watching your apps. It checks your connected accounts every few hours and only messages you when something needs attention. You choose what you hear about and how often.
- Bigger jobs. Scheduling meetings, building dashboards, financial or sales forecasts, decks, docs, spreadsheets, prototypes and simple web apps.
- Office work examples. Anthropic lists finding unpaid invoices, drafting reminders, preparing payroll for review and getting contracts ready to send.
- One thread. Everything happens in one ongoing conversation, so you don’t start over each time.
- Your Claude setup carries over. Memory, skills and connected apps from your Claude account come with it.
It connects to more than 6,000 connectors and plugins in the Claude Marketplace. Named ones include Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Slack, Stripe, Shopify, QuickBooks, Docusign, HubSpot, Gusto, Microsoft 365, Notion, Canva and Ramp.
For buying things, it works with Link, Stripe’s digital wallet, and pays with a virtual card so your real card number isn’t shared. It can also check out with Shop Pay.
Does it act without asking?
It reads, drafts and prepares work on its own. Before it sends a message, makes a payment, signs a document or deletes anything, it shows you the action and waits for your yes.
Some things are off-limits even if you approve them. Anthropic names trading securities and moving money between accounts.
Anthropic also says it never directly sees your passwords or sign-in tokens. It refuses to share things like credit card numbers and government ID. You can disconnect any app at any time.
That approval step is the part I’d lean on early. Nothing goes to a client until you’ve read it.
What does Claude Duet cost, and who can get it?
There’s no separate price. It’s included in the Claude Pro and Max plans during the preview.
Right now it’s for US Pro and Max subscribers, by waitlist. Team and Enterprise plans aren’t included yet. It comes as its own app on iOS and Android, and on claude.ai on a computer.
Watch your usage. Duet shares your plan’s limits with the rest of Claude, and its background check-ins count toward them.
Bigger jobs, like a financial model or a deck, use more. If you already hit your Claude limits during the week, expect to hit them sooner.
Want help setting this up in your business? Book a free call.
What it can’t do
Anthropic is upfront that this is an early version. It may misread a thread or get wrong what’s urgent. Because it checks in every few hours, it can miss something that lands in between.
It’s weaker at personal errands, like booking tickets, since it was built mainly for work. It can’t show you its browser yet. And it lives in its own app, separate from the main Claude app.
So treat it like a new hire in week one. Let it draft and flag. Read what it prepares before you approve anything.
What should you try first?
Start with small, boring tasks you already do every week.
- Join the waitlist on the Claude Duet page. You need a US Pro or Max plan.
- Connect two apps, not ten. Your email and your calendar are enough to start.
- Read the morning brief for a week. Note what it caught that you would have missed, and what it got wrong.
- Give it one real office task. For example: “Find invoices that are more than 30 days unpaid and draft a polite reminder for each.” Review every draft before you approve.
- Then add one more app, like QuickBooks or your CRM, once you trust what it flags.
If you’re new to Claude, set up your instructions first. A Claude Project holds your rules and files, and Duet carries your skills and memory over. For a wider view of where AI fits, see how to use AI in your business.
FAQ
What is Claude Duet?
Claude Duet is Anthropic’s AI agent for professionals and small business owners. It watches your connected apps, sends a morning brief, messages you when something needs you, and does tasks in the background.
How much does Claude Duet cost?
It has no separate price. During the research preview it’s included in Claude Pro and Max, and it uses the same usage limits as the rest of Claude.
Who can use Claude Duet?
US subscribers on Claude Pro or Max, through a waitlist. Team and Enterprise plans aren’t included yet.
Can Claude Duet send emails or pay bills on its own?
No. It drafts and prepares, then asks for your approval before it sends a message, makes a payment, signs a document or deletes anything. Some actions, like trading securities or moving money between accounts, are blocked even with approval.
What apps does Claude Duet work with?
Anthropic says it has access to more than 6,000 connectors and plugins. Named examples include Gmail, Slack, QuickBooks, Stripe, Gusto, HubSpot, Docusign, Shopify and Canva.