How to use Claude Artifacts to create and preview your work

Open Claude and start a new chat

First, open your web browser and go to claude.ai. You'll either land on the login page or, if you're already logged in, Claude's main interface. Once you're in, look for a button to start a fresh conversation. This button is typically in the top-left corner of the screen and might be labeled "+ New chat" or simply have a "+" icon. Click it to open a blank slate for your new request.

If it looks different: The "New chat" button might appear as a pencil icon, a speech bubble, or a clear text link. Just look for an option that clearly indicates starting a fresh conversation.

💬 Example: You see a button in the sidebar labeled "+ New chat".

You'll know it worked when you see a blank chat conversation area ready for your input, often with a greeting from Claude like "Hello! How can I help you today?"

Write a prompt that asks for an artifact

Claude's Artifacts appear automatically when you ask for content that can be displayed as a document, code, or visual item. You don't need to enable a special pane — just write your request. In the message box at the bottom of the chat window, type your request and include a word that signals you want an artifact, like "create," "generate," or "make."

If it looks different: The message box will always be at the very bottom of the chat, usually labeled "Message Claude..." or "Type your message here."

💬 Example:

Create a thank-you letter artifact for my neighbour, Emma, who helped me move my sofa on Saturday. Use a friendly tone and keep it under 200 words.

You'll know it worked when you press Enter or click the "Send" button (often a paper plane icon), and Claude starts generating a response. The artifact will appear directly in your conversation, typically below or beside Claude's text response.

View the generated artifact

Once you've sent your prompt, Claude will process your request and display the result. The finished letter, document, or other content will appear directly in the conversation, formatted neatly in its own section. This is your live preview. You can scroll through the content, copy specific sections, or download it directly from this view.

If it looks different: Sometimes Claude might take a little longer to generate, especially for more complex requests. Just be patient. If it creates a text-only response in the chat and no formatted artifact, try rephrasing to be more specific about the format you want.

💬 Example: Below Claude's message, you now see a document titled "Thank-You Letter to Emma," complete with paragraphs of text as you requested, neatly formatted and separate from Claude's chat message.

You'll know it worked when the thank-you letter appears neatly formatted in its own section of the conversation, separate from the chat text. You'll see tools like "Copy" or "Download" directly above or below the artifact.

Use the live preview to see changes instantly

One of the most powerful features of Artifacts is the live preview. This means that if you want to tweak or refine your creation, you don't have to generate a whole new artifact. Simply send a follow-up prompt in the chat. Claude will then modify the existing artifact, and you'll see the changes refresh in the same place.

If it looks different: If your follow-up prompt is significantly different from the first, Claude might create a second artifact alongside the first one. This is also perfectly normal and useful for comparing different versions of your work side-by-side.

💬 Example:

Now make a separate artifact that summarises the key points of this article: https://example.com/article

(Note: You can replace https://example.com/article with a real article URL.) Claude will create a second artifact, a concise bullet-point summary, shown below or beside your original letter.

You'll know it worked when your existing artifact updates with the new detail, or a new, separate artifact appears if your prompt asked for something entirely different. You'll see the content change in the artifact section without having to click anything extra.