What Is Claude?

Last verified: 13 February 2026 | Applies to: All plans

In 30 seconds

Claude is no longer just a chatbot. It’s a platform with distinct components: Chat (enhanced with skills and connectors), Cowork (autonomous desktop agent), Plugins (pre-built domain expertise), Claude in Chrome (browser automation), and Claude Code (development tools). Each serves a different purpose. Most operators don’t need all of them — but understanding the landscape helps you pick the right tool for each job.

What it does

Here’s the full platform at a glance:

Component	What it does	Who it’s for
Chat	Conversations with Claude, enhanced by skills and connectors. Build documents, analyse data, get answers.	Everyone — this is where most operators start
Cowork	Claude that can act autonomously — read files, browse the web, run code, use plugins. Runs in Claude Desktop.	Operators who want Claude to do work, not just discuss it
Plugins	Pre-built bundles of domain expertise for specific business functions (finance, legal, sales, etc.). 11 available.	Operators in specific functions who want specialised workflows
Skills	The knowledge layer — markdown instructions that make Claude a specialist. Available on all plans including Free.	Anyone who wants to customise Claude’s behaviour
Connectors	MCP integrations that link Claude to your tools — Slack, Asana, Notion, and 50+ more.	Operators who want Claude working with their existing tools
Claude in Chrome	Browser extension for page reading, form filling, data extraction, and workflow automation.	Operators with repetitive browser-based tasks
Code tab / Claude Code	Claude for building and processing. Visual interface in Desktop or full CLI in the terminal.	Operators building custom automations or processing data

How the pieces fit together

These components aren’t separate products — they connect:

Chat + Skills + Connectors = an informed assistant that knows your domain and can access your tools
Cowork + Plugins = an autonomous worker with domain expertise that can act on your behalf
Cowork + Chrome = Claude starts a task in Desktop, handles browser work through the extension
Code + Chrome = build something in Code, test and verify it through Chrome

The practical path: Start with Chat. Add Skills to make it smarter. Connect tools via Connectors. When you’re ready for Claude to act autonomously, move to Cowork with Plugins. Add Chrome when you have browser-based workflows to automate.

What operators care about most

“Will it understand my business?” — Yes, once you set it up. Skills and the Productivity plugin give Claude persistent memory of your team, projects, and terminology. See Workplace Memory.

“Is my data safe?” — Data handling varies by component. Chat goes through Anthropic’s servers. Cowork runs in a sandbox on your computer. Connectors use OAuth (no passwords shared). See Security & Privacy.

“How much does it cost?” — Plans range from Free to Enterprise. The right choice depends on whether you need Cowork, which model you want in Chrome, and team size. See Choosing a Plan.

“Will this replace my existing tools?” — Not entirely, not yet. Claude extends your capabilities — it handles the thinking, drafting, processing, and automating. But it doesn’t replace your CRM, accounting software, or project management tools. It connects to them.

Where to start

If you’re brand new: Read Your First 30 Minutes — it walks you through setup to productive use in one sitting.

If you know your role: Find your role guide — each recommends specific plugins, workflows, and settings.

If you have a specific task: Browse Workflows — they’re organised by what you want to accomplish.

Your First 30 Minutes — get set up fast
Choosing a Plan — which plan unlocks which features
Models — Opus vs Sonnet vs Haiku decision framework

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