Here’s how to set up Claude Projects: open Projects in Claude’s left sidebar and click “+ New Project”. Then add instructions for how Claude should work and the files it should know. Every chat you start inside that project uses both, so you stop pasting the same background in every time.
If you’ve ever typed “here’s my business, here’s my tone, here’s our pricing” into a fresh chat for the fifth time this week, a project fixes it.
Below is the exact setup, three projects I’d build first as a business owner, and the limits worth knowing. Every step here matches Anthropic’s own help article.
What is a Claude Project, compared to a normal chat?
A normal chat starts from zero. Claude only knows what you tell it in that conversation.
A project is a folder with a memory. Anthropic calls it a self-contained workspace with its own chat history and knowledge base.
You give it instructions and files once. Every chat inside the project starts with them already loaded.
Chats inside a project don’t read each other, though. If something from one chat matters later, put it in the project’s files.
How do I create a project?
Projects work on every plan, including the free one. Free accounts can make up to five, per Anthropic’s overview.
- Open Projects. Click Projects in the left panel, or go to claude.ai/projects.
- Click “+ New Project” in the top right.
- Name it and add a description. These are for you. Claude can’t see them, so don’t put instructions here.
- Pick who sees it (Team and Enterprise only). “Keep it private” or “Share with your broader organization”.
That’s the empty project. The next two steps are what make it useful.
How do I write project instructions?
Click “Set project instructions”, type them, then click “Save instructions”. They apply to every chat in the project.
Write them like you’d brief a new assistant on day one. Who you are, who they’re writing for, how it should sound, and what to never do. Here’s a starting point you can edit:
You help me run [business name], a [what you do] in [city].
Our customers are [who they are].
When you write anything for a customer:
- Sound like a friendly owner, not a corporation.
- Keep emails under 150 words.
- Never promise a date or a price unless I give it to you.
If you're missing a detail, ask me before you guess.
Keep it short. You can come back and add a line every time Claude does something you don’t like.
How do I add files to a project?
The project’s knowledge sits on the right side of its main page. Click the “+” button and upload documents, text files or code. Anything there is used in every chat in that project.
Good things to upload:
- Your price list or service menu
- Past emails or proposals you liked
- Your FAQ, policies or onboarding checklist
- A one-page “about us” with how you talk
On paid plans, there’s more room. When your files get close to what Claude can hold at once, it switches to a retrieval mode that Anthropic says can expand capacity up to 10x. You don’t have to turn it on.
Can I connect Google Drive?
Yes, if the project is private. In the project’s Files section, click “+”, choose “Drive”, then search your recent docs or paste a document link. You’ll sign in to Google the first time.
Google Docs added this way stay synced with Drive, so Claude always reads the latest version.
Two limits, from Anthropic’s Google Workspace article. The Drive option is turned off in shared projects. And Claude only reads the text, so pictures inside a doc are skipped.
Three projects I’d set up first
1. Client emails. Instructions: your tone, your sign-off, what you never promise. Files: 5 to 10 real emails you were happy with. Then you paste in a customer’s message and ask for a reply.
If you want these sent automatically later, that’s a bigger build, like the one in how to automate client update emails.
2. Proposals. Instructions: your proposal structure and pricing rules. Files: two or three past proposals that won, plus your price list.
Paste your notes from a sales call and ask for a first draft.
3. Hiring and team docs. Instructions: “write job posts and SOPs in plain language for [your trade].” Files: your current job descriptions and any written processes. Ask it to turn a voice-memo transcript into a step-by-step SOP.
Keep each project to one job. A “do everything” project with 40 files gives fuzzier answers than three focused ones.
What it can’t do
Projects don’t learn from your chats on their own. Each chat sees the instructions and files, but not what you said in another chat, so anything worth keeping has to go into the files.
They also don’t do anything outside Claude. A project drafts the email, but it won’t send it, update your CRM or chase the client.
That part needs an actual automation.
And if you’re careful about where client files go, read up first. Everything you upload lives with Anthropic. If that’s a dealbreaker, there are ways to run AI locally on a Mac instead.
What to do now
Pick the task you repeat most this week. Make one project for it, write five lines of instructions, and upload three examples you liked. Use it for a week and fix the instructions every time it misses.
FAQ
Are Claude Projects free?
Yes. Projects are available on every plan, and free accounts can create up to five.
Can Claude see my project name and description?
No. Anthropic says the name and description are only for you. Put anything Claude should follow in the project instructions.
Do chats in the same project share context?
No. Each chat sees the project’s instructions and files, but not other chats. Add anything important to the project knowledge.
Can I share a Claude Project with my team?
Only on Team and Enterprise plans. Click “Share project” next to the project name and give each person “Can view” or “Can edit”.
Can I add Google Docs to a Claude Project?
Yes, in private projects. Click “+” in the project’s Files section, choose “Drive”, and pick the doc. It stays synced with the latest version.
Feel free to book a call if you need help.