FAQ
Last verified: 14 April 2026 | Applies to: All plans
In 30 seconds
Section titled “In 30 seconds”Answers to the questions operators ask most often, covering plans, features, data handling, and getting started. Can’t find your answer? Let us know.
General
Section titled “General”Is Claude free? There’s a Free plan with Chat, Skills, directory Connectors (60+ integrations), and file creation (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF). Cowork, Plugins, Claude in Chrome, and Code require a paid plan (Pro at $20/mo or above). See Choosing a Plan.
Is Claude for Operators affiliated with Anthropic? No. Claude for Operators is an independent publication. We’re operators writing for operators. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic.
How often is this toolkit updated? We verify the entire toolkit against Anthropic’s documentation weekly. Every page shows the same “Last verified” date. It reflects our most recent site-wide fact-checking sweep, not individual page edits. The Changelog is also updated weekly. If you find something wrong, let us know.
Features
Section titled “Features”What’s the difference between Chat and Cowork? Chat is a conversation with Claude: you type, Claude responds. Cowork gives Claude autonomy. It can read files, browse the web, run code, and use plugins on your behalf. Chat is for thinking; Cowork is for doing. See Cowork.
What’s the difference between plugins and skills? Skills are the knowledge layer: markdown instructions that make Claude a specialist. They work on all plans including Free. Plugins bundle skills + connectors + slash commands + sub-agents into a single package. Plugins require Cowork (paid plans). See Skills and Plugins.
How many plugins are there? Anthropic released 11 knowledge-work plugins: Productivity, Finance, Legal, Sales, Marketing, Data, Product Management, Customer Support, Enterprise Search, Bio Research, and Plugin Create. All open source. See Plugins Overview.
Does Claude in Chrome work on Edge? No. Chrome only, not Edge, Brave, Arc, or other Chromium-based browsers. See Claude in Chrome.
What models are available in Claude in Chrome? Pro users get Haiku 4.5 only. Max, Team, and Enterprise get a choice of Opus 4.6, Sonnet 4.5, or Haiku 4.5. Chrome has not yet been updated to Sonnet 4.6. See Models.
What is Dispatch? Dispatch lets you send tasks from your phone to your desktop Cowork session. Requires the Claude mobile app (iOS or Android) and Claude Desktop open on your computer. Available on Pro and Max. See Running Your Business From Your Phone.
What is Computer Use in Cowork? A research preview (23 March 2026) that lets Claude see and control your Mac screen: clicking, typing, opening apps. macOS Apple Silicon only. Available on Pro and Max (not Team or Enterprise). Different from the API computer use beta (sandboxed VM) and Claude in Chrome (DOM-based). See Screen Automation.
What are Cowork Projects? Persistent workspaces in Cowork (launched 20 March 2026). Link folders, set custom instructions, define recurring tasks, and enable per-project memory. Desktop only, paid plans. See Cowork.
Can Claude create interactive charts in chat? Yes. Since ~13 March 2026, Claude can create interactive HTML/SVG charts and visualisations inline in chat. Available on all plans including Free. These are different from Artifacts. They’re temporary and inline, not in the side panel.
What is the difference between Chat, Cowork, and Code? Chat is for conversations and thinking through problems. Cowork gives Claude autonomy to read files, browse the web, run code, and use plugins on your computer. Code is a developer-focused terminal environment for building and processing code. Most operators use Chat for quick questions and Cowork for tasks that require action. See Chat, Cowork, and Code for a full comparison.
Should I use Cowork or OpenClaw? Cowork is Anthropic’s first-party desktop agent, built into Claude Desktop. OpenClaw is a third-party alternative. Cowork has deeper integration with Claude’s plugin ecosystem, connectors, and scheduled tasks. OpenClaw offers different customisation options. See Cowork vs OpenClaw for a detailed comparison.
Can Claude replace my SaaS tools? Some, but not all. Claude is a strong replacement for standalone content generation tools, basic note-taking apps, and grammar checkers. It partially replaces CRM query needs, invoicing for simple cases, and project management reporting. It does not replace ad platforms, scheduling tools, or core team collaboration software. See SaaS Replacement and Tool Audit for category-by-category verdicts.
How do I build a custom Skill?
Create a folder with a SKILL.md file containing YAML frontmatter (name and description) and your instructions in markdown. ZIP it and upload via Settings, Capabilities, Upload skill. No code required. See Building Skills for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Is Computer Use safe? Computer Use is a research preview with a ~50% success rate on complex tasks. It sees everything on your screen, so close sensitive windows before starting. Stick to low-risk tasks (data export, reading values) while the feature matures. Avoid anything involving payments, credentials, or irreversible actions. See Computer Use Safety for risk tiers and a safe testing checklist.
How do I manage rate limits? Rate limits depend on your plan. If you are hitting limits frequently, the main strategies are: batch similar requests together, use Cowork for multi-step tasks instead of multiple chat messages, schedule heavy work during off-peak hours, and consider upgrading to a higher plan tier. See Rate Limit Strategies for the full guide.
Data & security
Section titled “Data & security”Does Claude use my conversations for training? On paid plans, Anthropic states that conversations are not used for training. On the Free plan, conversations may be used unless you opt out. See Security & Privacy.
Is Cowork captured in enterprise audit logs? No. Cowork conversation history is stored locally on users’ machines. It is not captured in Audit Logs, the Compliance API, or Data Exports, even on Enterprise plans. This is a known gap. See Audit & Compliance.
Is my data safe with connectors? Connectors authenticate via OAuth. Your passwords are never shared with Claude. Claude receives scoped access tokens that can be revoked at any time. See Connectors.
Pricing & plans
Section titled “Pricing & plans”Which plan should I choose? Solo operators: Pro ($20/mo) covers most needs. If you need Opus/Sonnet in Chrome: Max ($100-200/mo). Teams: Team plan with a mix of Standard ($25/seat) and Premium ($150/seat, or $100/seat with annual billing) seats. See Choosing a Plan.
Does Cowork use more of my plan’s usage? Yes, significantly more. A complex Cowork task may consume 5-10x what the same work would cost in Chat. Plan accordingly, especially on Pro. See Cost Management.
What’s the difference between Team Standard and Premium seats? Standard ($25/mo per seat): 1.25x Pro usage. Premium ($150/mo per seat, or $100/mo with annual billing): 6.25x Pro usage. Both include Claude Code and the same features. The difference is usage volume. Most team members should start on Standard. See Choosing a Plan.
How does Enterprise pricing work? Enterprise pricing is custom. Contact sales or sign up directly from the Enterprise page. Minimum 20 seats, annual billing. Pricing is based on seat count and usage. See Choosing a Plan.
Can Claude run tasks on a schedule?
Yes. Use the /schedule command in Cowork to define recurring tasks: hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays only, or on demand. Your computer must be awake and Claude Desktop must be open for tasks to run. Available on all paid plans. See Cowork.
Technical
Section titled “Technical”What’s the context window? 200K tokens for Haiku 4.5. Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 both support 1M tokens at GA standard pricing since 13 March 2026, no beta header or special access required. 600 image/PDF page limit. Available on Max, Team, Enterprise, and API. See Models.
What is MCP? Model Context Protocol, an open standard that defines how Claude communicates with external tools. Connectors are built on MCP. See Connectors and Glossary.
Can I build my own plugins? Yes. Use Plugin Create (one of the 11 plugins) to describe what you want. Claude builds the full plugin structure. No code required. See Building a Plugin.
What operating systems does Cowork support? macOS (Apple Silicon / M1 or later) and Windows x64. Intel Macs and Windows ARM64 are not supported. See Cowork.
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