Quick Start: Set Up Claude Cowork

Prerequisites

You need:

Mac or Windows (Linux support coming soon)
Claude API key (from claude.ai/api)
One tool you use daily (Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, etc.)

Time required: 10 minutes for setup, 20 minutes to build your first skill.

The 4-Step Setup

1

Download Cowork

Go to claude.ai/cowork and click "Download for Mac" or "Download for Windows."

Install like any other app. It'll be in your Applications folder (Mac) or Program Files (Windows).

2

Authenticate with Claude

Open Cowork. It'll ask for your Claude API key.

Get one here: claude.ai/api → "Create API Key" → Copy and paste into Cowork.

Pro tip: Keep this key safe. Don't share it. Treat it like a password. You can revoke it anytime from the API dashboard.

3

Connect Your First Tool

In Cowork, click "Connectors" and pick one tool:

Gmail: Cowork can read your emails
Google Drive: Cowork can access your files
Google Calendar: Cowork can see your schedule
Slack: Cowork can read channels
Asana/Trello/Monday: Cowork can see your tasks

Click the tool. A popup will ask: "Grant Cowork access?" → Click "Allow."

That's it. You've granted Cowork permission to read that tool.

4

Run Your First Skill

In Cowork, click "New Task" and select a template (e.g., "Daily Email Digest").

Cowork will ask you a few questions. Answer them. Then click "Create Skill."

Your first skill is now running. You can:

Run it manually to test (click "Run Now")
Schedule it to run automatically (daily, weekly, etc.)
Modify it anytime (click "Edit")

First Skill Ideas (Pick One)

Start with something small. One thing you do every week.

Easiest (5 minutes)

Email digest: Summarize your Gmail from the past 24 hours. Send it to yourself.

Connect: Gmail
Skill: Read emails → Extract 5 key points → Send summary email
Run: Daily at 8am

Small (10 minutes)

Slack summary: Each morning, get a digest of important messages from #general and #announcements.

Connect: Slack
Skill: Read past 24h of messages → Extract decisions/updates → Send email
Run: Weekdays at 7am

Medium (15 minutes)

Weekly status update: Combine your calendar, Slack, and email into a status report for your manager.

Connect: Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack
Skill: Fetch calendar events, emails, Slack → Write status update → Save to Google Drive
Run: Every Friday at 4pm

What Happens Now?

You're live. Your skill is running.

You can:

Test it: Click "Run Now" to see if it works
Edit it: Click "Edit" to change the task or schedule
Build another: Create a second skill (email drafts, report generation, etc.)
Debug it: If something goes wrong, click "View Logs" to see what happened

Expected issues (normal): Your first skill might not be perfect. It might miss something, misunderstand an instruction, or crash. That's fine. Edit it. Try again. This is how you learn.

Troubleshooting

Cowork won't start

Fix: Restart your computer. Try again.

Authentication failed

Fix: Make sure your API key is correct (no extra spaces). Try generating a new one from claude.ai/api.

Connector won't connect

Fix: Make sure you're logged into that Google/Slack account in your browser. Try disconnecting and reconnecting.

Skill isn't running

Fix: Check that the schedule is enabled. Click "View Logs" to see if it ran or hit an error. If it says "Authentication failed," reconnect that tool.

Skill is slow or timing out

Fix: You might be asking it to do too much. Try splitting into smaller skills. "Read 1000 emails" is too big; "Read emails from the past 24 hours" is better.

Still stuck? Email support@humanagency.co with a description of the error and a screenshot. We'll help.

Next: Build Your Second Skill

Your first skill taught you how Cowork works. Your second skill will be the one that saves you real time.

Go to Build a Skill and follow the 5-step process.

Back to Hub Build Your First Skill →

Quick Start: Set Up Cowork