Analyze Documents with Claude Cowork

Use Claude Cowork to triage a folder of documents and write a summary memo.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every project generates a trail of documents. Contracts, financial reports, meeting notes. Finding the ones that actually matter for a specific decision can take hours of reading and cross-referencing.

In this project, you will use Claude Cowork to scan a folder of mixed project documents, identify the most relevant ones for a business initiative, and produce a professional summary memo. No code required.

What You'll Build

You'll build an AI-powered document triage workflow that reads a folder of files, classifies them by relevance, and delivers a formatted Word memo directly to your file system.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • A local folder containing 8 sample project documents spanning contracts, financial reports, and meeting transcripts.
  • A relevance assessment from Claude identifying which documents matter most and why.
  • A formatted Word memo (.docx) summarizing key findings, delivered directly to your folder.
  • Secret Mission: Set up a scheduled task that re-runs the document scan weekly so new files are automatically triaged and appended to a running summary.

Are there any prerequisites?

This project requires a paid Claude subscription (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan). The Pro plan starts at $20/month. You also need Claude Desktop installed on macOS.

Set Up Claude Desktop and Cowork

Claude Cowork is a mode inside Claude Desktop that brings agentic capabilities to knowledge work. Instead of responding one message at a time, Cowork can take on complex, multi-step tasks and execute them on your behalf.

In this step, you'll install Claude Desktop, switch to Cowork mode, and confirm it can read files on your computer.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Install or open Claude Desktop and sign in with your paid account.
  • Switch to Cowork (Tasks) mode using the mode selector.
  • Verify Cowork can read your local files by running a quick test task.
Download and open Claude Desktop

Claude Cowork requires the Claude Desktop app. It is not available on the web or mobile.

  • Press Cmd+Space (macOS) or the Windows key (Windows) to open your search bar.
  • Type Claude and press Enter to see if the app is already installed.

✔️ Claude Desktop opens

You already have Claude Desktop installed. Sign in with your paid Claude account (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise) if prompted.

Move on to the next substep.

ⓧ I don't have Claude Desktop yet

  • Open your browser and go to claude.ai/download.
  • Download the macOS installer (or Windows installer if you are on Windows).
  • Open the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install.
  • Once installed, open Claude Desktop from your Applications folder or search for it with Cmd+Space.
  • Sign in with your paid Claude account (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise).

Which plan do I need?

Cowork is available on all paid plans: Pro ($20/month), Max, Team, and Enterprise. A free plan will not give you access to Cowork.

Claude Desktop won't open?

Make sure the download completed fully and you dragged the app into your Applications folder (macOS). On Windows, try running the installer as an administrator.

help me troubleshoot Claude Desktop installation

Switch to Cowork mode

Claude Desktop has two modes. Chat is for regular conversations. Cowork (Tasks) is where Claude can work autonomously with your files.

  • Look for the mode selector at the top of the Claude Desktop window.
  • Click the Cowork tab to switch from Chat to Tasks mode.

You should see the Cowork interface with the option to start a new task.

What is the difference between Chat and Cowork?

In Chat mode, Claude responds to one message at a time and cannot access your local files. In Cowork mode, Claude can read entire folders, coordinate multiple steps in parallel, and deliver finished files directly to your computer.

Cowork tasks also consume more of your usage allocation than regular chats because they involve more compute-intensive, multi-step processing.

Don't see the Cowork tab?

Make sure you are signed in with a paid Claude account. Free plans do not have access to Cowork. Also confirm your Claude Desktop app is updated to the latest version.

help me find the Cowork tab in Claude Desktop

Verify Cowork can access your files

Before building your document analysis workflow, confirm that Cowork can actually read files on your machine.

  • In the Cowork interface, type the following into the task input field:
  • List the files in my Desktop folder.
  • Click Work in a Folder at the bottom of the interface.
  • Select your Desktop folder from the file picker.
  • Let Claude run the task. It will list the files on your Desktop.

You should see Claude output a list of files and folders currently on your Desktop.

  • Cancel the task after you have confirmed the file list looks correct.

What just happened?

You gave Cowork a folder boundary (your Desktop) and a task (list files). Claude ran shell commands inside an isolated virtual machine on your computer, read the contents of your Desktop, and reported the results back to you.

This same mechanism is what you will use to point Claude at your project documents in the next step. The folder you select defines what Claude can see and write to.

Keep Claude Desktop open

The Claude Desktop app must remain open while Claude is working on any task. If you close the app or your computer goes to sleep, the active task will stop.

Claude can't list your files?

Make sure you selected the correct folder in the file picker. Cowork can only access the specific folder you grant it permission to. Also check that your Desktop actually has files in it.

help me troubleshoot Claude Cowork file access

Your environment is ready. Next up, you'll create the sample project documents that Claude will analyze.

Create Your Sample Project Folder

In Step 1, you confirmed Claude Cowork can read files on your machine. Now you need to give it something meaningful to work with.

In this step, you'll create a folder of realistic business documents for a fictional company launching a "Green Energy Initiative." The folder will contain a mix of contracts, financial reports, and meeting transcripts that Claude will later scan and classify.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create the green-energy-initiative folder on your Desktop.
  • Create 8 sample document files across 3 document types (contracts, financial reports, meeting transcripts).
  • Verify the folder contains all 8 files.
Create the project folder and document files

You'll create a folder containing 8 documents that simulate a real project drive. Some documents are directly relevant to the Green Energy Initiative, and some are not. This mix is intentional.

Why include irrelevant documents?

In real workplaces, project folders are messy. Including documents that are NOT relevant to the initiative (like a building renovation contract) tests Claude's ability to triage and classify. If every document were relevant, there would be nothing to filter.

  • Create the project folder on your Desktop by running this command in Terminal:
mkdir ~/Desktop/green-energy-initiative
  • Confirm the folder was created by running:
ls ~/Desktop/green-energy-initiative

You should see an empty output (no files listed yet). That's expected.

Now you'll create each document file using TextEdit. You'll repeat the same process for all 8 files.

  • Press Cmd+Space to open Spotlight search.
  • Type TextEdit and press Enter to open it.
  • Once TextEdit opens, press Cmd+Shift+T to switch the document to plain text mode.
  • This step is critical. Without switching to plain text, TextEdit saves files as .rtf (rich text) instead of .txt.

Keep TextEdit open

You'll create 8 files in a row. Keep TextEdit open and use Cmd+N to create each new document. Remember to press Cmd+Shift+T each time to switch to plain text before pasting content.

For each file below, copy the content into a new plain text document, then save it with Cmd+S. When the save dialog appears, navigate to the green-energy-initiative folder on your Desktop and enter the exact filename shown.

Contract documents (3 files)

These three files represent vendor contracts. Two are directly tied to the Green Energy Initiative, and one is completely unrelated.

  • Create a new plain text document in TextEdit and paste the following content. Save it as contract_solar-panel-supply.txt in your green-energy-initiative folder:
CONTRACT AGREEMENT
Solar Panel Supply Agreement
Date: March 15, 2025
Parties: GreenTech Corp (Buyer) and SolarMax Industries (Supplier)

1. SCOPE OF WORK
SolarMax Industries agrees to supply 2,500 high-efficiency monocrystalline solar panels (Model SM-400W) to GreenTech Corp for installation at the Riverside Campus facility.

2. DELIVERY SCHEDULE
- Phase 1: 1,000 panels delivered by June 1, 2025
- Phase 2: 1,500 panels delivered by August 15, 2025

3. PRICING
Unit price: $285 per panel
Total contract value: $712,500
Payment terms: Net 60 from delivery

4. WARRANTY
25-year performance warranty guaranteeing minimum 80% output efficiency.
5-year full replacement warranty for manufacturing defects.

5. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Panels must achieve minimum 21.5% conversion efficiency under standard test conditions.

6. TERMINATION
Either party may terminate with 90 days written notice. Early termination fee: 15% of remaining contract value.

Signed: [signatures redacted]
  • Create a new plain text document and paste the following content. Save it as contract_building-renovation.txt:
CONTRACT AGREEMENT
Building Renovation Services
Date: January 22, 2025
Parties: GreenTech Corp (Client) and Morrison Construction LLC (Contractor)

1. SCOPE OF WORK
Morrison Construction will perform interior renovation of Building C at the downtown headquarters, including:
- Complete HVAC system replacement
- Asbestos abatement on floors 3-5
- New open-plan office layout for floors 2-4
- ADA compliance upgrades to all restrooms

2. TIMELINE
Project start: March 1, 2025
Estimated completion: September 30, 2025
Milestone reviews: Monthly

3. BUDGET
Total fixed price: $4,200,000
Change order threshold: $50,000 (requires VP approval above this amount)

4. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Contractor must maintain $5M general liability coverage throughout project duration.

5. NOTE
This renovation is part of the broader campus modernization effort but is NOT connected to the Green Energy Initiative. Separate budgets and project management tracks apply.

Signed: [signatures redacted]
  • Create a new plain text document and paste the following content. Save it as contract_ev-charging-stations.txt:
CONTRACT AGREEMENT
Electric Vehicle Charging Station Installation
Date: April 2, 2025
Parties: GreenTech Corp (Client) and ChargePoint Solutions (Vendor)

1. SCOPE OF WORK
Installation of 40 Level 2 EV charging stations and 8 DC fast-charging stations across three GreenTech Corp parking facilities as part of the Green Energy Initiative employee benefits program.

2. LOCATIONS
- Riverside Campus: 20 Level 2 + 4 DC fast chargers
- Downtown HQ: 12 Level 2 + 2 DC fast chargers
- Research Park: 8 Level 2 + 2 DC fast chargers

3. PRICING
Level 2 stations: $6,500 each (40 units = $260,000)
DC fast chargers: $45,000 each (8 units = $360,000)
Installation labor and materials: $185,000
Total contract value: $805,000

4. TIMELINE
Installation start: May 15, 2025
All stations operational: July 31, 2025

5. MAINTENANCE
3-year full maintenance agreement included.
24/7 remote monitoring and support.
Response time for repairs: 4 business hours.

6. SUSTAINABILITY METRICS
Vendor to provide monthly usage reports and carbon offset calculations for Green Energy Initiative reporting.

Signed: [signatures redacted]
Financial documents (2 files)

These two files cover budget tracking and financial health. Both contain details about the Green Energy Initiative's funding.

  • Create a new plain text document and paste the following content. Save it as financial_q1-2025-report.txt:
QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT
GreenTech Corp - Q1 2025 (January - March)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Revenue: $48.2M (up 12% YoY)
Operating Income: $6.1M
Net Income: $4.8M

GREEN ENERGY INITIATIVE BUDGET TRACKING
Approved annual budget: $3,500,000
Q1 spend: $425,000
  - Solar panel deposit (SolarMax contract): $200,000
  - Engineering consultancy fees: $125,000
  - Permit and regulatory filings: $45,000
  - Project management staffing: $55,000
Remaining budget: $3,075,000

KEY NOTES:
- Green Energy Initiative spending is on track (12% of annual budget used in Q1)
- Expected Q2 acceleration as solar panel deliveries begin
- Board approved additional $500,000 contingency fund for the initiative
- EV charging station contract (ChargePoint) signed in April, will appear in Q2

RISKS:
- Supply chain delays possible for solar panel Phase 2 delivery
- Local permitting for Riverside Campus installation taking longer than expected
- Currency fluctuation impact on imported panel costs (supplier manufactures in Malaysia)

OVERALL COMPANY HEALTH:
Strong cash position ($22M). Debt-to-equity ratio: 0.3. No concerns about funding the Green Energy Initiative alongside normal operations.
  • Create a new plain text document and paste the following content. Save it as financial_annual-budget-2025.txt:
ANNUAL BUDGET ALLOCATION 2025
GreenTech Corp - Board Approved February 10, 2025

DEPARTMENT BUDGETS:
- Engineering: $12,400,000
- Sales & Marketing: $8,900,000
- Operations: $15,200,000
- Human Resources: $3,100,000
- IT Infrastructure: $5,600,000
- Research & Development: $7,800,000
- Facilities Management: $4,300,000

SPECIAL INITIATIVES:
- Green Energy Initiative: $3,500,000
  * Solar installation (Riverside): $1,800,000
  * EV charging infrastructure: $900,000
  * Energy monitoring systems: $350,000
  * Employee sustainability programs: $200,000
  * Contingency/buffer: $250,000

- Digital Transformation Program: $2,100,000
- Customer Experience Overhaul: $1,500,000
- Campus Modernization (Building C): $4,200,000

TOTAL APPROVED BUDGET: $69,100,000

NOTES:
- Board added $500,000 contingency to Green Energy Initiative in March (not reflected above)
- Total Green Energy Initiative budget with contingency: $4,000,000
- ROI projection: Energy cost savings of $800,000/year beginning 2026
- Carbon offset target: 2,400 metric tons CO2 annually
Meeting transcripts (3 files)

These three files capture discussions from different teams. They range from highly relevant (steering committee) to tangentially related (HR benefits review).

  • Create a new plain text document and paste the following content. Save it as transcript_steering-committee-march.txt:
MEETING TRANSCRIPT
Green Energy Initiative Steering Committee
Date: March 28, 2025
Attendees: Sarah Chen (VP Operations), David Park (Facilities Director), Lisa Wong (CFO), Marcus Johnson (Sustainability Manager), Rachel Adams (Project Manager)

[Meeting called to order at 2:00 PM]

SARAH CHEN: Let's start with the project status update. Rachel, where are we?

RACHEL ADAMS: We're in good shape overall. The SolarMax contract is signed and the deposit is paid. We expect Phase 1 panels to arrive by June 1 as planned. The ChargePoint contract for EV stations should be finalized next week.

DAVID PARK: I want to flag the permitting situation at Riverside. The county planning office is asking for an additional environmental impact assessment for the solar installation. This could delay us by 3-4 weeks.

SARAH CHEN: What's the financial impact of that delay?

LISA WONG: Minimal for now. We budgeted conservatively. But if it pushes Phase 1 installation past July, we'll lose the summer peak generation period and our year-one ROI projections drop by about $150,000.

MARCUS JOHNSON: I also want to raise the employee engagement piece. We're planning a "Green Week" campaign in May to build awareness. Budget is coming from the employee sustainability programs line item.

SARAH CHEN: Good. What about the energy monitoring systems?

RACHEL ADAMS: We're evaluating three vendors right now. Should have a recommendation by mid-April. The system needs to integrate with our existing building management software.

SARAH CHEN: Alright, let's schedule a vendor review meeting for April 15. Any other business?

DAVID PARK: One more thing - the building renovation contractor asked if we want to coordinate HVAC upgrades with the energy monitoring system installation. I think it makes sense even though they're technically separate projects.

SARAH CHEN: Agreed. David, set up a coordination meeting with Morrison Construction and whoever we select for energy monitoring.

[Meeting adjourned at 2:45 PM]

ACTION ITEMS:
1. Rachel: Finalize ChargePoint contract by April 7
2. David: Follow up with county planning on environmental assessment timeline
3. Marcus: Submit Green Week campaign plan by April 10
4. Rachel: Present energy monitoring vendor recommendation April 15
5. David: Coordinate meeting between Morrison Construction and energy monitoring vendor
  • Create a new plain text document and paste the following content. Save it as transcript_all-hands-january.txt:
MEETING TRANSCRIPT
GreenTech Corp All-Hands Meeting
Date: January 15, 2025
Speaker: Tom Reynolds (CEO)

[Excerpt - relevant section only]

TOM REYNOLDS: ...and that brings me to our third strategic priority for 2025: sustainability. I'm pleased to announce the Green Energy Initiative, a $3.5 million investment in making our facilities carbon-neutral by 2028.

Here's what this means in practice. We'll be installing solar panels at our Riverside Campus, building out EV charging infrastructure across all three of our locations, and implementing smart energy monitoring throughout our facilities.

Why does this matter to you? First, it's the right thing to do. Second, it positions us competitively - our clients are increasingly asking about our environmental commitments. Third, and I know this matters to many of you - we'll be offering free EV charging as an employee benefit once the stations are live.

Sarah Chen will be leading this initiative from the operations side, and we've brought on Marcus Johnson as our new Sustainability Manager. They'll be forming a steering committee and you'll hear more details in the coming weeks.

I want to be clear: this is a board-level priority. We have full funding approved and executive sponsorship. This isn't a nice-to-have; it's core to our 2025-2028 strategy.

Questions? Yes, in the back...

EMPLOYEE (unidentified): When will the EV chargers be available?

TOM REYNOLDS: We're targeting end of Q2 for the first stations to come online. Riverside Campus will be first, then Downtown HQ, then Research Park.

EMPLOYEE (unidentified): Will there be a cost to employees for charging?

TOM REYNOLDS: Free charging during work hours is the plan. We're still working out the details for overnight or weekend use. Marcus will share the full policy once it's finalized.

[End of excerpt]
  • Create a new plain text document and paste the following content. Save it as transcript_hr-benefits-review.txt:
MEETING TRANSCRIPT
HR Benefits Committee Review
Date: February 20, 2025
Attendees: Karen Mitchell (CHRO), James Liu (Benefits Manager), Paula Santos (HR Business Partner), Tom Chen (Payroll Director)

[Meeting called to order at 10:00 AM]

KAREN MITCHELL: Good morning everyone. Today we're reviewing the 2025 benefits package adjustments. James, take us through the updates.

JAMES LIU: Sure. First, healthcare premiums are going up 4.2% this year. We're absorbing 3% on the company side and passing 1.2% to employees. That's about $12-15 more per paycheck for most people.

PAULA SANTOS: Have we communicated this yet?

JAMES LIU: Going out next week with the open enrollment materials.

KAREN MITCHELL: Good. What else?

JAMES LIU: We're adding the EV charging benefit as part of the Green Energy Initiative. Free charging during work hours at all company locations once the infrastructure is in place. Estimated per-employee value is about $50-80 per month for EV owners.

TOM CHEN: How do we handle the tax implications?

JAMES LIU: We've confirmed with our tax advisors that employer-provided EV charging at the workplace is a non-taxable fringe benefit under current IRS guidance. No W-2 reporting required.

KAREN MITCHELL: Perfect. What about the wellness program changes?

JAMES LIU: We're expanding the gym subsidy from $50 to $75 per month and adding mental health app subscriptions. The 401k match stays at 6%.

PAULA SANTOS: Any changes to PTO?

KAREN MITCHELL: No PTO changes this cycle. Let's move on to the parental leave policy update...

[Remainder of meeting covers topics unrelated to Green Energy Initiative]

Files saving as .rtf instead of .txt?

If TextEdit is saving your files with an .rtf extension, you forgot to switch to plain text mode before pasting. Open the file, press Cmd+Shift+T to convert it, then save again.

If the save dialog adds .txt automatically after your filename (making it something like contract_solar-panel-supply.txt.txt), uncheck the "If no extension is provided, use .txt" option in the save dialog, or simply remove the extra extension from the filename.

help me fix my TextEdit files saving in the wrong format

Verify your folder structure

You should now have 8 files inside your green-energy-initiative folder. Time to confirm everything landed correctly.

  • Return to Terminal and list the contents of your folder by running:
ls ~/Desktop/green-energy-initiative

You should see all 8 filenames listed:

  • 3 contract files: contract_solar-panel-supply.txt, contract_building-renovation.txt, contract_ev-charging-stations.txt.
  • 2 financial files: financial_q1-2025-report.txt, financial_annual-budget-2025.txt.
  • 3 transcript files: transcript_steering-committee-march.txt, transcript_all-hands-january.txt, transcript_hr-benefits-review.txt.

Missing files or wrong count?

If you see fewer than 8 files, check that you saved each document to the green-energy-initiative folder (not your Desktop or Documents folder). Open Finder and navigate to Desktop > green-energy-initiative to visually confirm what's inside.

If a filename has a .rtf extension instead of .txt, open it in TextEdit, press Cmd+Shift+T to convert to plain text, then save again with the correct .txt name.

help me find my missing document files

Your document folder is ready. Next up, you'll point Claude Cowork at this folder and watch it autonomously read, classify, and rank every document for relevance.

Run the Document Triage in Cowork

Your folder of 8 sample documents is ready to go. Now comes the exciting part: putting Claude Cowork to the test as your document analyst.

You'll point Cowork at the folder, give it a specific business goal, and watch as it autonomously reads every document, classifies each one, and ranks them by relevance. This is where you see the difference between manually skimming 8 files and delegating the entire triage to an AI agent.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Connect Cowork to the green-energy-initiative folder.
  • Run a triage prompt to classify and rank all 8 documents.
  • Review Claude's relevance assessment for accuracy.
Select your working folder in Cowork

Cowork needs to know which folder it can access before it can read any files. You'll select your project folder to set the boundary of what Claude can see.

  • In Claude Desktop, make sure you're in the Cowork tab (not Chat).
  • Start a new task.
  • Click Work in a Folder at the bottom of the interface.
  • In the folder picker, navigate to your Desktop and select the green-energy-initiative folder.

Why do I need to select a folder?

Claude Cowork can only access files inside the folder you select. This boundary keeps your other files private and tells Claude exactly where to look.

You should see the folder name displayed in the Cowork interface, confirming Claude now has access to the 8 documents inside.

Don't see your folder listed?

Make sure the green-energy-initiative folder is directly on your Desktop, not inside another folder. If the folder picker opens to a different location, navigate to your Desktop manually.

help me find my folder in the Cowork file picker

Enter the document triage prompt

The prompt you give Claude shapes everything it does next. A good Cowork prompt defines three things: the goal you're working toward, the specific outputs you expect, and how to present the results.

  • Paste the following prompt into the Cowork task input:
Read every file in this folder. My goal is to prepare a briefing on the Green Energy Initiative for an executive stakeholder meeting next week. For each document, tell me: (1) what type of document it is, (2) a one-sentence summary, and (3) a relevance score from 1-5 for my goal. Present this as a table sorted by relevance, highest first.
  • Press Enter or click the send button to start the task.

What does this prompt do?

  • The goal statement ("prepare a briefing for an executive stakeholder meeting") gives Claude a lens for evaluating relevance. Without it, Claude would have no way to rank documents.
  • The three numbered outputs (type, summary, score) ensure you get structured, comparable results for every document.
  • "Present this as a table sorted by relevance" shapes the output into something you can act on immediately.

Claude will begin reading each file in the folder. You'll see progress indicators as it processes the documents.

What should I see?

Claude shows its reasoning as it works. You'll see it open and read each file, classify the document type, and build the relevance table. The entire process takes about 30-60 seconds for 8 documents.

Claude isn't reading the files?

  • Click the folder name at the top of the task to confirm it points to green-energy-initiative on your Desktop.
  • Confirm all 8 files are .txt files inside the folder, not nested in a subfolder.
  • If Claude asks for permission to access files, click Allow.

Claude Cowork still can't access my files

Review Claude's relevance assessment

Once Claude finishes, it presents a table ranking all 8 documents by their relevance to your executive briefing goal. Take a moment to review the results for accuracy.

  • Confirm the table includes all 8 documents.
  • Check that each document has a type classification (contract, financial report, or meeting transcript).
  • Verify the relevance scores make logical sense for your briefing goal.

What should the scores look like?

Documents directly about the Green Energy Initiative (like the steering committee transcript and solar panel contract) should score 4-5. Documents with minimal relevance (like the building renovation contract, which explicitly states it is NOT connected to the initiative) should score 1-2.

Partially relevant documents (like the HR benefits review that briefly mentions EV charging) should land in the middle range.

Scores may vary slightly

Claude's exact scores might differ from run to run. The important thing is that the relative ranking makes sense. Highly relevant documents should be at the top and irrelevant ones at the bottom.

You now have a clear picture of which documents matter most for your briefing. Next up, you'll use this assessment to generate a polished executive memo delivered directly to your folder.

Generate the Summary Memo

Claude has read all 8 documents and ranked them by relevance to your executive briefing goal. You now have a clear picture of which documents matter most and which ones you can safely skip.

In this step, you'll turn that analysis into a polished deliverable. You'll prompt Claude Cowork to synthesize findings from the highest-relevance documents into a professional Word memo, then refine it with source attribution.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Prompt Claude to generate a professional executive briefing memo as a Word document.
  • Verify the memo file appears in your folder and review its content.
  • Refine the memo with a follow-up prompt to add source document references.
Prompt Claude to write the executive briefing memo

Claude still has the full relevance assessment in its conversation context. You can now ask it to synthesize only the high-relevance documents into a structured memo and deliver it as a .docx file directly to your folder.

  • In the same Cowork task where Claude produced the relevance table, enter this follow-up prompt:
Based on your analysis, write a professional executive briefing memo as a Word document. Focus only on documents you scored 4 or 5 in relevance. The memo should have these sections: (1) Executive Summary (2-3 sentences), (2) Key Findings from relevant documents, (3) Financial Implications, (4) Open Questions and Next Steps. Save it to this folder as 'Executive_Briefing_Green_Energy_Initiative.docx'.

What does this prompt do?

This prompt tells Claude to produce a specific deliverable rather than just giving you a chat response. It constrains Claude to only use documents that scored 4 or 5, which filters out the noise from irrelevant files.

By specifying the exact section headings and output filename, you ensure Claude produces a consistently structured document. The .docx format means you get a real Word document you can open, edit, and share with stakeholders.

Claude will begin working on the memo. You'll see progress indicators as it reads through the relevant documents and composes each section.

Keep Claude Desktop open

Claude Desktop must remain open while Cowork is processing your task. Closing the app will end the session and stop memo generation.

Verify the memo in Finder

Once Claude finishes the task, you need to confirm the file was actually delivered to your folder and check that the content makes sense.

  • Wait for Claude to indicate the task is complete.
  • Open Finder and navigate to the green-energy-initiative folder on your Desktop.
  • Confirm you see a new file called Executive_Briefing_Green_Energy_Initiative.docx alongside your 8 original text files.
  • Double-click the .docx file to open it and review the memo's content.

What should I see in the memo?

Your memo should have four clearly labeled sections: Executive Summary, Key Findings, Financial Implications, and Open Questions and Next Steps. The content should draw exclusively from documents Claude scored 4 or 5 in relevance.

Check that the findings reference real details from your source documents (budget figures, contract values, timeline dates, risk items). Claude should not be inventing information that does not exist in your files.

Don't see the .docx file in your folder?

  • Make sure Claude indicated the task completed successfully. If it stopped mid-way, check that Claude Desktop stayed open throughout.
  • Confirm you're looking in the correct folder: green-energy-initiative on your Desktop.
  • If Claude produced the memo as text output in the chat instead of a file, re-enter the prompt and emphasize "Save it to this folder" at the end.

Still having trouble?

Refine the memo with source attribution

Professional memos need traceability. Stakeholders reading your briefing will want to know where each finding came from so they can dig deeper if needed.

  • Return to your Cowork task in Claude Desktop and enter this follow-up prompt:
Update the memo to add a 'Source Documents' appendix at the end that lists which files each finding came from, with page references where relevant. Save as version 2: 'Executive_Briefing_Green_Energy_Initiative_v2.docx'.

Why save as a new version?

Using a versioned filename (ending in _v2) keeps your original memo intact while adding the improved version. This is a best practice when iterating with Cowork. You never overwrite a previous deliverable.

  • Wait for Claude to complete the updated memo.
  • Switch back to Finder and confirm you now see Executive_Briefing_Green_Energy_Initiative_v2.docx in your green-energy-initiative folder.
  • Open the v2 file and scroll to the end. Confirm you see a Source Documents appendix listing which source files each finding came from.

What should the Source Documents appendix look like?

The appendix should map each key finding back to the specific filename it came from. For example, budget figures should trace back to financial_q1-2025-report.txt or financial_annual-budget-2025.txt. This makes the memo verifiable and trustworthy.

Claude overwrote v1 instead of creating v2?

  • Check if both files exist in Finder. If only one file is present and it contains the appendix, Claude may have overwritten the original. Ask Claude: "Also save the previous version without the appendix as Executive_Briefing_Green_Energy_Initiative.docx."
  • If Claude produced text output instead of a file, remind it to save as a Word document to this folder.

Need more help?

You should now have both Executive_Briefing_Green_Energy_Initiative.docx and Executive_Briefing_Green_Energy_Initiative_v2.docx in your folder alongside the 8 original source documents.

Secret mission

Schedule a Weekly Document Triage

Your executive briefing was a one-time snapshot. But what happens when new documents land in the folder next week? In this secret mission, you'll set up a recurring Cowork task that automatically scans for new files every Monday and appends their assessments to a running log.

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. This project runs entirely locally on your machine, so there are no cloud costs. The only ongoing cost is your existing Claude subscription.

Resources you used:

  • The green-energy-initiative folder on your Desktop (sample documents and generated memos).
  • Scheduled weekly Cowork task (if you completed the Secret Mission).
  • Claude Desktop app.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to keep using Claude Cowork with this folder, or want to add more documents and re-run the analysis.

  • Your green-energy-initiative folder stays on your Desktop with all generated memos.
  • Your scheduled weekly task continues to run every Monday at 9:00 AM (as long as your computer is awake and Claude Desktop is open).
  • Claude Desktop remains installed and ready to use for other Cowork tasks.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Cancel the scheduled task so it stops running weekly, but keep the folder and Claude Desktop installed for later use.

  • Open Claude Desktop and switch to the Cowork tab.
  • Type /schedule in a Cowork task to open the scheduling interface.
  • Find your weekly document triage task and cancel it.
  • Leave the green-energy-initiative folder on your Desktop. You can reconnect Claude to it anytime.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project files, cancel the scheduled task, and optionally remove Claude Desktop entirely.

  • Cancel the scheduled task first. Open Claude Desktop, type /schedule in a Cowork task, and remove the weekly document triage task.
  • Delete the project folder by opening Terminal and running the command below.
rm -rf ~/Desktop/green-energy-initiative
  • Confirm the folder is gone by running:
ls ~/Desktop | grep green-energy

You should see no output, confirming the folder is deleted.

  • To remove Claude Desktop, open Finder and navigate to your Applications folder.
  • Drag Claude to the Trash.
  • Empty the Trash to complete the removal.

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

You've just turned Claude Cowork into your personal research analyst. In minutes, you went from a folder of mixed documents to a polished executive briefing memo ready to share with stakeholders.

You've learned how to:

  • Built a folder of realistic project documents and used Claude Cowork to autonomously read, classify, and rank them by relevance to a specific business goal.
  • Produced a professional executive briefing memo (.docx) delivered directly to your local file system with structured sections and source citations.
  • Wrote effective multi-step prompts for document triage and synthesis workflows, including iterative refinement with follow-up instructions.
  • Scheduled a recurring weekly task that automatically triages new documents added to the folder and appends findings to a running log.

Ready to quiz yourself?