Projects
A feature in Claude that groups chats together with shared files and standing instructions. Upload the documents that matter, write a page of instructions, and every chat you start inside the project already has them. It is a system prompt plus a filing cabinet. Projects are available on every Claude plan, including free.
In plain English
A project is a folder with a brain. Drop in the files that matter and a page of instructions. Every chat you start inside it already knows your business, your tone, and your rules.1
In the real world
- The Projects section in the Claude sidebar.
- “Proposal writing” with your past proposals and pricing sheet inside.
- “Client X” with their brand guide, last three meeting notes, and a “how we talk to them” instruction.
When to use it
- Anything you’ll ask about more than once.
- Work with a fixed set of reference files.
- Sharing a setup with teammates, so everyone’s chats start from the same brief.2
When not to use it
- One-off questions.
- Dumping every file you own into one project. The files share the context window. Curate.
Good, bad, ugly
- Good: the cheapest context engineering most people will ever do.
- Bad: files go stale. Last year’s price list, confidently quoted.
- Ugly: a project with forty documents and no instructions. The model has everything and knows nothing.
Key facts
- Holds
- Uploaded files, custom instructions, and every chat you start inside it
- Launched
- June 2024, for Pro and Team plans. Now on every plan.
- Think of it as
- A system prompt plus a filing cabinet
Common questions
What's the point of a project versus a normal chat?
You stop re-uploading the same files and re-explaining the same context. Every chat inside the project starts with them already there.
Does Claude remember my earlier chats in the project?
It has the files and instructions in every chat. Chat history behaves differently by plan and version, so check the help center for your account.
Does ChatGPT have this?
Check the OpenAI help center. This page sticks to what Anthropic documents.
References
- What are projects?Anthropic, Claude Help CenterView source
- Collaborate with Claude on ProjectsAnthropic · 2024-06-25View source