In this lesson, you'll learn to spot the three patterns of work that suit Cowork, set up a scheduled task with /schedule, and run Cowork tasks in the cloud.
Not every task is a fit for Cowork, and you'll get more out of it when you can recognize the tasks that are. Three patterns cover most of the work Cowork is built for: tasks that take several steps, tasks that leverage context from real files, and tasks that span the tools you already use.
Pattern 1: The task is multi-step. If a task requires several steps, it's a good fit for Cowork. In one prompt, Claude gathers context, compares sources, does additional research, drafts a summary, and formats the deliverable. With Cowork, you can hand the whole arc to Claude.
Examples:
Pattern 2: The task lives in real files on your computer. Cowork is a great fit for when the objective of the task is to output a real artifact — a Word doc, a spreadsheet, a deck, a PDF — saved in the format you need. And the inputs are real too: Claude reads the existing files in your folder, edits them, and saves changes back. Chat can produce a new document; Cowork works on the files you already have.
Examples:
Pattern 3: The task spans multiple tools. The work touches the systems where you already operate — Gmail, Slack, the M365 suite, your calendar, your CRM. Claude accesses them through your connectors, gathers context, and acts. Chat connects to tools too — the difference is that Cowork plans across them and runs the whole sequence as one delegation, instead of you stitching the steps together one prompt at a time.
Examples:
The through-line across all three patterns is the same: work that used to mean juggling steps, files, and tools in your own head can now be handed off as a single task.
Scheduled tasks let you set up a task once and have Claude run it on a cadence.
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There are two ways to set up a scheduled task. You can start fresh: type /schedule, describe the task and the cadence, and Claude drafts a prompt for you to review and accept. Or — the more natural path — do the task once in Cowork, confirm the output looks right, then type /schedule to turn that exact process into a recurring one. Tell Claude your preferred cadence (hourly, daily, weekdays, or manual), review the prompt, and accept.
Where a scheduled task runs depends on where Cowork runs. With Cowork running in the cloud, a scheduled task runs in the cloud at its set time — your computer doesn't need to be on, and the task works through your cloud connectors rather than the folders on your computer. With Cowork running on your desktop, a scheduled task runs when your computer is on and Claude is running; if your laptop is closed, asleep, or off at the scheduled time, Claude picks the task up as soon as you're back and lets you know it was delayed. A scheduled task keeps running where it was created — a task you set up on your desktop stays on your desktop.
Some ideas worth scheduling:
Running Cowork in the cloud covers the case of work you start while you're nowhere near your computer.
When you run Cowork in the cloud, you can use Cowork on the web and in the Claude mobile app: start a task from your phone, check on it from any browser, and pick up the deliverable at your desk. The session runs in the cloud rather than on your desktop, so there's nothing to leave on or keep awake.
Two things to know before you rely on it. First, a session in the cloud reaches your connectors, not the folders on your computer — if a task needs files that live only on your machine, start it from the desktop app. Second, where you start a task is where it runs: start it from the web or the Claude mobile app and it runs in the cloud; start it from the desktop app and it runs on your desktop, with your local folders — and needs your computer on. A session stays where it started — to change where the work happens, start a new session.
Examples:
Multi-step, file-based, multi-tool — the patterns tell you what's worth handing off. Scheduled tasks and Cowork in the cloud tell you when and where the handoff can happen. The judgment stays with you: Claude plans, executes, and asks. You decide what gets sent, shared, or shipped.
Look at your calendar or to-do list for this week. Pick one piece of work that matches one or more of the three patterns above — multi-step, file-producing, or tool-using. Write it down. You'll hand it to Claude in Lesson 4.
In the next lesson, you'll walk through delegating that task end to end — from prompt to finished deliverable.