Organise your work with Claude Projects – a step‑by‑step beginner’s guide

Sign in and open the Claude dashboard

Open your browser, go to claude.anthropic.com, and click the Log in button. You’ll see a screen with fields for your email and password; enter them and press Enter. After logging in, the main chat view appears – a white space with a text box at the bottom. Look for a navigation icon that looks like a grid of four squares (often top‑left or top‑right). Click that icon; a new page loads showing recent chats and a sidebar labelled “Projects”. If you don’t see the grid, look for a menu labelled “Dashboard” or a three‑line (hamburger) icon that opens the same view.

You’ll know it worked when you see a list of past conversations on the left and a side panel titled “Projects” on the right.

Create a new Project

In the Projects panel, find a button that says + New Project or shows a plus (+) beside the word “Projects”. Click it; a small dialog pops up asking for a name and an optional description. A Project is just a digital folder that groups together chats and files for a single aim – think of it as a binder you keep on your desk. Type a clear name (e.g., Q3 Marketing Campaign) and a short description (e.g., Copy, ad ideas and feedback for the next quarter). If the button is a large card labelled “Create Project” instead of a plus, click that card and follow the same prompts.

Name: Q3 Marketing Campaign Description: All copy, ad ideas and feedback for the upcoming quarter

You’ll know it worked when the new project appears in the list, highlighted, and the main area switches to an empty workspace titled with your project name.

Add existing chats to the Project

With your project open, look for a button that says Add conversation or shows a speech‑bubble icon. Click it; a panel slides in showing recent chats with check‑boxes beside each title. A chat (or conversation) is simply a previous dialogue you’ve had with Claude. Tick the boxes next to the chats you want linked (e.g., “Ad copy brainstorming” and “Email subject line ideas”). After selecting, press the Add button at the bottom of the panel. Some versions may let you drag a chat tile into the project area instead of using check‑boxes – if you don’t see check‑boxes, try dragging.

You’ll know it worked when those chat titles appear as cards inside the project workspace, indicating they’re now part of the same folder.

Upload supporting files

Next, locate an Attach file or Upload file button – usually shown as a paper‑clip or cloud icon near the top of the project pane. Click it; a file‑chooser window opens. Navigate to a document on your computer (PDF, text file, spreadsheet or image) and select it, or simply drag the file onto the designated “Drop files here” area. Claude will process the file, extracting its text so it can be referenced later. If you only see a large rectangle that says “Drag files here or click to upload”, that’s the same upload area.

You’ll know it worked when the file shows up as a line item inside the project, often with a tiny icon indicating its type (PDF, sheet, etc.) and a loading bar that disappears once processing finishes.

Write a prompt that uses everything

Now you can ask Claude to work across the whole project. In the text box at the bottom of the project screen, type a clear instruction that refers to the combined material. A prompt is simply the question or task you give the AI. For example, ask it to summarise the ideas from the attached chats and the PDF, then suggest three headline options. Press Enter. Claude will read the linked chats and the uploaded file, then start typing a response that pulls information from all sources. If the answer seems vague, try re‑phrasing with more specifics – Claude usually produces better results when the prompt is detailed.

Summarise the key ideas from all attached chats and the brief, and suggest three headline options.

You’ll know it worked when Claude’s reply includes references to the chat content and the PDF, such as “Based on the ad copy brainstorming chat…” or “From the CampaignBrief.pdf…”.

Share the Project (optional)

If you want teammates to see or edit the workspace, look for a Share button – often shown as a person‑plus icon or an outward‑arrow near the top‑right of the project pane. Click it; a dialog appears offering a copy‑able link or an email‑invite field. Choose Copy link, then paste the URL into an email or chat message. Some versions may place the sharing options inside a dropdown menu labelled “More actions”; if you don’t see the icon, open that menu and look for “Share”.

You’ll know it worked when a small banner appears saying “Link copied to clipboard” or when an invitation confirmation message shows up.