Claude Cowork Setup: Projects, Connectors & Dispatch

Claude Cowork is one of the most capable personal AI tools available in 2026, but only if you set it up correctly. A misconfigured setup leads to an AI that feels generic and forgets context between sessions. A well-configured setup feels like having a genuinely capable assistant who knows you, your work, and your preferences.

This guide walks you through every step — from subscribing in India to running your first autonomous task from your phone.

What You Need Before You Start

• A Mac running macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
• An international credit card or Wise virtual card (for payment from India)
• 20 minutes of focused setup time

How to Set Up Claude Cowork

Step 1: Subscribe to Claude Pro

Go to claude.ai/upgrade and subscribe to Claude Pro ($20/month, approximately ₹1,999 at current exchange rates).

Payment options for India:

• International credit card — Visa or Mastercard with international transactions enabled. If your card is blocked, call your bank and ask them to enable "international online transactions."
• Wise virtual card — Create a free account at wise.com, link your Indian bank account (UPI, NEFT, or IMPS), add money in INR, and use the virtual Mastercard details Wise provides. This is the most popular option for Indian users who do not have an international credit card.
• UPI — Not supported by Anthropic as of March 2026.

Once subscribed, create your account at claude.ai if you do not already have one.

Step 2: Download and Install Claude Desktop

Go to claude.ai/download and download the Claude Desktop app for macOS. Install it as you would any Mac app — drag it to your Applications folder.

Open the app and sign in with your Anthropic account credentials. The first launch will download additional components, which takes about 2 minutes.

Step 3: Enable Cowork Mode

In the Claude Desktop app:

1. Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner
2. Go to Settings → Features
3. Toggle on "Cowork"
4. Restart the app when prompted

After restarting, you will see a new left sidebar with Projects, Connectors, and Dispatch. The interface has changed — you are now in Cowork mode.

Step 4: Create Your First Project

A Project is a dedicated workspace for a specific area of your life or work. Create one for your primary use case first.

1. Click "New Project" in the left sidebar
2. Give it a name (e.g., "Work Tasks" or "Freelance Projects")
3. Choose or create a local folder on your Mac to attach. Recommendation: create a folder at ~/Documents/Claude-Cowork/Work-Tasks/
4. Click Create

Claude Cowork will now scope all file operations in this Project to that folder. It cannot access files outside the configured folder unless you explicitly grant additional permissions.

Step 5: Add a Context File (This Is the Most Important Step)

A context file tells Claude who you are and how to work with you. Without it, Claude starts every session from scratch. With it, Claude remembers your preferences, communication style, and work context permanently.

In your Project folder, create a file called ABOUT.md. Write the following, replacing the examples with your actual details:

# About Me

## Who I am
My name is [Your Name]. I am a [your role — e.g., freelance content writer / software developer / marketing manager] based in [your city], India.

## My work context
I primarily work with [describe your clients/employer/industry]. My main tools are [Gmail / Slack / Notion / etc.]. I work in IST (UTC+5:30).

## How I communicate
I prefer concise responses — bullet points over long paragraphs. When summarizing emails, use a 3-line format: Subject, Key Ask, Suggested Action. When drafting documents, match the tone of the existing content unless asked otherwise.

## Current priorities
[Describe your current projects or goals — update this monthly]

## Important preferences
- Always use IST for any date/time references
- Currency references should use INR unless the original document specifies otherwise
- File naming convention: YYYY-MM-DD-description (e.g., 2026-03-26-client-report.md)

Save the file. In Claude Cowork, click the Project name, go to Context Files, and add ABOUT.md. Claude will now read this file at the start of every session in this Project.

Step 6: Connect the Gmail Connector

1. In the left sidebar, click "Connectors"
2. Click "+ Browse Connectors"
3. Find Gmail and click "Connect"
4. A browser window opens asking you to authorize Claude to access your Gmail
5. Sign in with your Google account and grant the requested permissions
6. Return to Claude Cowork — Gmail should now show as "Connected"

Test it immediately: type "Summarize my 5 most recent emails" in the Project chat. Claude should retrieve and summarize them within 30 seconds.

Step 7: Connect Google Calendar

Repeat the same process for Google Calendar:

1. Connectors → Browse Connectors → Google Calendar → Connect
2. Authorize through the Google OAuth screen
3. Test with: "What do I have on my calendar tomorrow?"

Step 8: Create Your First Scheduled Task

Scheduled tasks run automatically on a recurring schedule as long as your Mac is awake and Claude Desktop is open.

In your Project chat, type:

Every Monday at 8 AM IST, do the following:
1. Read my unread emails from the past week
2. Create a summary with: urgent items, action items, and items I can ignore
3. Save the summary to my Project folder as YYYY-MM-DD-weekly-email-summary.md

Claude Cowork will confirm the scheduled task and show it in your Project's Schedule view. You can edit or delete it from there.

Step 9: Set Up Dispatch on Your Phone

Dispatch lets you send tasks to your Mac from anywhere using your phone.

1. Install the Claude app on your iPhone or Android device
2. Sign in with the same Anthropic account
3. On the home screen, tap the Dispatch icon (two arrows icon, top right)
4. You will see a message input — this is connected to your desktop's Cowork session

Send a test task: "Read my Project folder and tell me what files are currently there." Your Mac should execute this and you will see the response in the Dispatch thread on your phone.

Step 10: Verify Everything Is Working

Run through this checklist:

• [ ] Claude Cowork mode is enabled in Settings
• [ ] You have at least one Project created with a local folder
• [ ] ABOUT.md context file is added and Claude acknowledges your name/role
• [ ] Gmail connector shows "Connected" and can retrieve emails
• [ ] Google Calendar connector shows "Connected" and can read events
• [ ] At least one scheduled task is configured and showing in Schedule view
• [ ] Dispatch on your phone can send tasks and receive responses

If all boxes are checked, your Claude Cowork setup is complete.

Creating Effective Context Files

The single biggest lever for getting better results from Claude Cowork is a well-written context file. Here is what to include in your ABOUT.md beyond the basics:

Writing samples — Paste 2-3 examples of emails or documents you have written. Claude will match your tone. "Here is an email I wrote to a client last month: [paste email]"

Decision rules — "If an email looks like a newsletter or promotional content, label it and archive it. Do not summarize it." Explicit rules save you from having to correct Claude repeatedly.

Recurring contacts — "My manager is Priya Sharma ([email protected]). Client name: Rajan Mehta at Tata Consultancy. Mark anything from them as high priority."

Output preferences — "Always save outputs as Markdown files, not Word documents. Use headers, not bold text for structure."

Connector Permissions: What Each One Can Do

Understanding what you are authorizing is important:

| Connector | Read | Write | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | Gmail | All emails | Compose, send, label, archive | Cannot permanently delete | | Google Calendar | All events | Create, edit, delete events | Can see private events | | Google Drive | All files you own | Create, edit, upload | Cannot access shared drives by default | | Slack | Public channels you are in | Send messages, post to channels | Cannot read DMs unless granted |

You can revoke any connector at any time: Settings → Connectors → [Connector name] → Disconnect.

Common Setup Issues in India

"Payment declined" — Your card is blocking international transactions. Call your bank's customer care and ask to enable international online transactions for the card. Alternatively, use Wise.

"Claude Desktop shows an error on launch" — Make sure you are on macOS 13 or later. Check System Settings → General → Software Update.

"Dispatch shows tasks as pending but never completes them" — Your Mac needs to be awake and have Claude Desktop open and in Cowork mode. Enable "Prevent your Mac from automatically sleeping" in System Settings → Battery → Options when you want Dispatch to work overnight.

"Gmail authorization fails" — Try signing out of all Google accounts in your browser, then re-authorizing from scratch. If you use Google Workspace (company email), your admin may need to allowlist the Claude app.

What to Do Next

You now have Claude Cowork configured with Gmail, Calendar, a context file, a scheduled task, and Dispatch on your phone. The next step is to explore advanced workflows:

• Claude Cowork Hacks and Tips — Task queuing, custom skills, parallel projects, and India-specific workflows
• What Is Claude Cowork — Deep dive into features and how they work
• Best Personal AI Assistants India 2026 — Is Claude Cowork the right tool for you?

The setup you have completed today is a foundation. The real productivity gains come from the context files, scheduled tasks, and workflows you build over the next few weeks as Claude learns how you work.