How to Use Claude Projects to Work with AI

1. Open claude.ai and sign in.
2. In the left sidebar, find the “Projects” section.
3. Click the “New project” button (or ”+”).
4. Give your project a clear name. Useful examples:
   • “Social media content”
   • “Client proposal analysis”
   • “Python coding with AI”
   • “Sales email writing”
5. Click “Create project”.

Your project is ready. Now comes the important part: setting up the instructions.

The instructions are the heart of a project. They are the text Claude reads before every conversation: your context, your rules, and your way of working. You can write up to 8,000 characters (about 2,000 words).

Inside your project, click “Edit project instructions” (or the settings icon) and write your instructions.

What to include:

1. Who you are: “I’m a freelance graphic designer specializing in brand identity for small Latin American businesses.”
2. Who Claude is in this context: “Act as my creative assistant. When I ask for ideas, give concrete options, not generalizations.”
3. How you want responses: tone, length, format (lists, paragraphs, code).
4. Specific rules: “Never give me answers longer than 300 words unless I ask. Always use neutral Spanish, no regional slang.”
5. Background info that always applies: your rates, your tools, your work process.

Example instructions for a content project:

I'm Wanda, a tech and AI content creator for Spanish-speaking audiences.
My tone is warm, direct, and jargon-free. My audience is professionals
aged 25-45 who want to learn to use AI at work without needing to code.

When I ask for content ideas:
- Give me 5 options, not 1.
- Each option includes: opening hook + main point + call to action.
- No emojis at the start of each point.
- In neutral Spanish.

My platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, weekly newsletter.
Never recommend paid tools without mentioning if there's a free alternative.

Write the instructions as if you were explaining your work to someone new who’ll be collaborating with you. The more specific you are, the better results you’ll get.

A project can have its own knowledge base: documents Claude consults automatically when it needs them. Each file can be up to 30 MB.

What files to upload:

• Brand guides (colors, typography, tone of voice)
• Product or service documents you sell
• Rates or price lists
• Templates you use frequently
• Reports or data you want Claude to know
• Client interview transcripts

How to upload them:

1. Inside your project, find the “Knowledge” or “Files” area.
2. Click “Add content” or the file upload icon.
3. Upload your documents (PDF, Word, plain text, Markdown).
4. Click “Save”.

Claude won’t read the entire file with each message; it extracts the relevant section when needed. That’s why organizing files well (with clear headings) improves results.

Don’t upload confidential client information without their permission. Project files are private (only you see them on Free, Pro, and Max plans), but it’s good practice not to include sensitive personal data.

With instructions and files ready, you can start working.

1. Inside your project, click “New conversation”.
2. Start working as if it were a normal chat, but you’ll notice Claude already knows your context from the first message.
3. You can open as many conversations as you need inside the same project; they all share the same instructions and files.

What changes compared to a regular chat:

• You don’t have to introduce yourself or explain your work at the start.
• Claude follows your rules (tone, format, limits) without you repeating them.
• If you uploaded files, Claude uses them when relevant.
• Each conversation is saved in the project so you can pick up where you left off.

Create a separate project per work area: one for writing, one for data analysis, one for code. That way each one has its own rules and files without mixing them.

If you’re not sure where to start with instructions, use Claude to help you write them. In a chat outside your project (a regular one), paste this:

I want to create a Claude project for [describe your work and what you'll use it for].
Help me write the project instructions. Make them concrete, with clear rules
for tone, format, and behavior. Maximum 500 words.

Claude will generate a complete draft you can copy and paste directly into your project instructions. Then adjust it to your liking.

Problem	Fix
Claude doesn’t follow my instructions	Check that instructions are saved (the “Save” button); also verify they’re not too vague
Claude says it can’t access the file	The file may be corrupt or in an unsupported format; convert to PDF or plain text and try again
I don’t see the “Projects” option	Make sure your account is active at claude.ai; some regional rollouts may take time
I hit the 5-project limit (free plan)	Delete a project you no longer use or upgrade to the Pro plan for unlimited projects
Instructions look fine but Claude ignores them mid-conversation	Very long conversations can make the model lose focus; open a new conversation inside the same project