How to Use Claude AI for Beginners: Free Plan, Cowork, Skills

Learning how to use Claude AI got simpler this autumn. On September 16, 2026, Anthropic began merging Claude Cowork into ordinary conversations, so on Pro, Max and Ultra you no longer pick a "Chat" or "Cowork" mode before you start. You describe the outcome, and Claude decides whether that needs a quick answer or a longer task that searches the web, reads your files and hands back a finished spreadsheet or deck.^[1][2] If a guide tells you to choose Chat or Cowork before you start, it was written before that change.

This guide follows Anthropic's own pricing page and Help Center as they read on November 4, 2026. It covers what the free plan includes, how to hand Claude a whole task, how projects, memory and skills fit together, the Microsoft 365 and Chrome add-ons, and where Claude Code comes in.

TL;DR

• Claude runs on the web at claude.ai, in desktop apps for Mac and Windows, and in iOS and Android apps. You must be at least 18.^[3]
• The free plan covers chat, web search, file creation, memory, connectors, artifacts, skills and up to five projects. Cowork tasks, scheduled tasks, Claude Code and the Office add-ins start at Pro, which is $20 a month.^[4]
• On paid plans, a long task keeps running in the cloud after you close your laptop. Tasks that touch files on your computer need Claude Desktop open.^[2]
• Projects hold standing files and instructions, memory carries what you have told Claude between chats, and skills store a procedure that Claude loads only when a task calls for it.^[5][6]
• Claude does not generate photos or illustrations. It builds charts, diagrams and interactive visuals in HTML and SVG.^[7]

Getting started on the web, desktop and phone

Anthropic lists three ways in: claude.ai in a browser, Claude Desktop for Mac or Windows, and Claude for iOS or Android. You need to be in a supported location and at least 18 years old.^[3] The apps are available on every plan, including Free, and your conversations, projects, memory and preferences sync across devices when you sign in with the same account.^[8]

Once you are signed in, type a request into the message box and send it. The "+" button in the lower left, or typing "/", opens extra options and commands. The model you are talking to appears below the message box on web and desktop, or at the top of the screen on mobile; click it to switch models or change how much effort Claude puts into a reply.^[3] A model change applies from Claude's next response, and "More models" shows the rest of the lineup.^[9] Anthropic's most recent model launches include Claude Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5; Haiku 5.5 replaced Haiku 4.5 in the consumer model selector on October 29, 2026.^[1][9]

Anthropic calls the desktop app the full Cowork experience: it is where Claude can use files and folders on your computer, and it keeps the Code tab for Claude Code.^[2][10]

What the free plan includes, and what needs Pro

Every plan has usage limits, measured over a rolling five-hour window and over a week. Anthropic publishes no fixed message count, because usage depends on chat length, file size, the model and the features you use.^[4]

Source: Claude pricing page, November 4, 2026. Prices exclude tax.^[4]

When you reach a limit, you can wait for the reset, upgrade, or, on a paid plan, turn on usage credits billed at standard API rates. Settings > Usage shows where you stand.^[4] For most people, the free plan is the right way to learn how to use Claude AI. Upgrade when you run into the limits, or when you need Cowork or Claude Code.

How to use Claude AI for a whole task

On Pro, Max and Ultra, the merged experience is rolling out in stages. If your message box still shows "Chat" and "Cowork", you do not have it yet: select "Cowork" in the bottom left to hand over a task, and "Chat" to go back.^[2][10] Once your account moves over, there is no switch back, and your chats, tasks, projects and settings come with you.^[2]

Describe the result rather than the steps. Anthropic's own example is "Go through these five interview notes and pull out the top themes, with a quote for each." Claude then searches, reads files, runs code and assembles the output on its own. It can return documents, spreadsheets with working formulas and presentations you can open in PowerPoint.^[2]

A few things change how far a task can reach:

• Your computer. In Claude Desktop you can give Claude a folder to read, organize and create files in. It can browse with the browser built into the desktop app or with your own Chrome through Claude in Chrome, and computer use, which clicks and types in your apps, is in beta on Pro, Max and Ultra. All three work only while Claude Desktop is open, and by default Claude asks before permanently deleting files.^[2]
• The cloud. New Cowork sessions on Pro, Max and Ultra run on Anthropic's servers, so work continues after you close the laptop and the same sessions appear on desktop, web and mobile.^[10] You can start a task on your phone, or check one you started at your desk and answer Claude's questions from there.^[2]
• Permissions. A setting in the message box controls how independently Claude works. Auto, the default on Pro, Max, Ultra and Team, keeps going and runs automated safety checks before each action. Manual, the default on Enterprise, asks before every action. Anthropic advises staying close when a task sends messages or changes important files.^[2]

Recurring work is a sentence away. Write something like "Every Monday at 9 AM, summarize last week's messages in my team's Slack channels", answer Claude's questions, then review the proposed name, schedule and instructions and click "Schedule". Scheduled tasks run remotely, even when your computer is asleep, and "Scheduled" in the left sidebar lists past and upcoming runs. They are available on all paid plans.^[11]

In the merged experience there is no web search toggle, because Claude searches when it helps. For a longer report, type /deep-research or choose "Research" from the "+" menu. Agentic tasks that search, run code or create files use more of your limit than a quick question.^[2]

Projects, memory and skills

These three features answer different questions, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion.

Projects are workspaces with their own chat history and knowledge base. Upload reference documents, add project instructions such as a tone or a role, and every chat in the project starts with that context. Free accounts can create up to five projects. On paid plans, a project whose files approach the context limit switches to retrieval mode, which Anthropic says expands capacity by up to 10x.^[5] Project files are limited to 30MB each, while files attached to a single chat can be up to 500MB, with up to 20 per chat.^[12] Project content is cached, so asking about the same documents again counts less against your limit than uploading them each time.^[13]

Memory is on by default for Free, Pro, Max and Ultra. Claude saves individual topics as you chat, and you can say "remember this" to save something directly. Each project keeps its own memory, separate from other projects.^[14] Everything Claude remembers is listed under Topics in Settings > Memory, where you can edit or delete it, and health or belief topics stay out unless you turn on sensitive topics.^[1] To keep one chat out of memory, open a new chat, click "+" and turn off "Memory" before your first message. The ghost icon opens an incognito chat that is not saved to your history.^[14]

Skills are folders of instructions, scripts and resources that Claude loads only when a task needs them. They work on every plan, including Free, but require code execution, which is called "Create and edit files" in the newer Settings layout under Settings > Capabilities.^[6][15] Anthropic's built-in skills handle Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PDF files, and Claude uses them automatically. To add your own, write the instructions in Markdown, zip the folder, then go to Customize > Skills, click "+", choose "Create skill" and "Upload a skill".^[15] Anthropic's rule of thumb: projects hold static background knowledge that is always loaded, while skills hold procedures that activate when needed and work everywhere in Claude.^[6] Our guide to Claude Code skills covers the SKILL.md format in detail.

Connectors link Claude to services such as Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft 365 and Slack, and they keep working while Claude runs a task. Add them under Customize > Connectors.^[2] Anthropic's directory of connectors and plugins listed 1,062 entries when we checked.^[16]

Artifacts, designs and documents

An artifact is something Claude makes that you would put in front of someone: a design, a deck, a document, a dashboard or a small interactive tool. It opens beside the conversation, and you can edit it, return to it and share it. Ask for one in any chat, or start from a template in the "Artifacts" tab. The Docs, Slides and Design templates are available on every plan; the Dashboards template is in beta on paid plans.^[17]

What Claude does not do is paint pictures. Anthropic's Help Center says Claude does not generate photos or illustrations the way image-generation tools do; it builds diagrams, charts and interactive visuals in HTML and SVG, and it can analyze images you upload.^[7]

Claude in Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Chrome

Claude for Excel, PowerPoint and Word is generally available on all paid plans, and Claude for Outlook is in beta.^[18] Each runs inside the Office app, so you do not copy text back and forth:

• Excel: ask about any cell, update assumptions without breaking formulas, and build models from scratch.
• PowerPoint: build slides in your template, edit the selection, and generate native charts and diagrams.
• Word: edit with tracked changes and respond to comment threads.

Anthropic notes that edits stay reviewable, with tracked changes in Word, highlighted cells in Excel and drafts that wait in Outlook.^[18] The add-ins, the Chrome extension and a Google Workspace beta are all listed on the Claude download page.^[8] Claude in Chrome needs Pro or higher.^[4]

Claude Code for developers

Claude Code is included in every paid plan and shares the same usage pool as your chats.^[4] On macOS, Linux or WSL, install it with:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

In Windows PowerShell, run irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Then open a terminal in a project folder, type claude, and sign in with your Claude account when prompted. Claude Code also runs in the desktop app, in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, on the web and in Slack.^[19] Our Claude Code guide goes further into commands and workflows.

A subscription is not the only way to run it. Claude Code accepts a Claude Console account with prepaid API credits.^[19] It can also use reAPI as its model provider: set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL to https://reapi.ai/api and ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to a reAPI key, and requests to Claude Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5 are billed to reAPI credits per token.^[20] Because Claude does not generate images, reAPI's MCP server is the piece that lets Claude Code call image, video and audio models from the same session; it currently needs a client that can send a custom Authorization header, which Claude Code can and OAuth-only clients cannot.^[21] Per-token rates are on the Claude Sonnet 5.5 page.

Getting better answers from Claude

Anthropic's own advice is short: talk to Claude the way you would talk to a coworker, start with simple requests, be specific, and refine your prompt or ask follow-up questions.^[3] Its usage guidance adds habits that also stretch your limit:^[13]

1. Plan the conversation and give background up front.
2. Group related questions into one message instead of sending them one by one.
3. Review the prompt before you send it, so you need fewer corrections.
4. Put documents you will reuse into a project, where cached content counts less.
5. Check Settings > Usage to see how fast you are spending.

Model choice and effort level also change how much each message counts against your limit, so it is worth keeping a lighter model for routine questions and saving heavier settings for harder work.^[13]

FAQ

Is Claude free?

Yes. The free plan includes chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation, memory, connectors, artifacts, skills and up to five projects, with limits that reset every five hours and every week. Opus, Cowork, Claude Code and Research need a paid plan.^[4]

How long can you use Claude for free?

There is no fixed number of messages. The free plan has a session limit that resets every five hours, and the number of messages varies with demand. Claude tells you when you reach the limit.^[3]

How old do I need to be to use Claude AI?

At least 18, and you must be in one of Anthropic's supported locations.^[3]

How do I share a chat in Claude?

Click "Share" in the upper right corner of the chat, then "Share" again to create a link. Anyone with the link sees a snapshot of the messages sent before you shared, including artifacts, but not files you attached. To revoke it, change the visibility from "Public" to "Private". On Team and Enterprise plans, chats can be shared only inside the organization.^[22]

How to use Claude AI on iPhone?

Install Claude for iOS from the App Store, or visit claude.ai/mobile on the phone, and sign in with the same account as on your computer.^[3][8] On Pro, Max and Ultra, the mobile app can also start Cowork tasks and follow ones you started at your desk.^[10]

How do I download Claude Code for desktop?

Install Claude Desktop from claude.com/download and open its Code tab, or install the command-line version with the commands above. Either way, Claude Code needs a paid plan, a Console account or a supported cloud provider.^[8][19]

Picking a plan and a first task

Start on the free plan with a real task: upload a document and ask for a summary, or ask for a one-page visual of a plan. Create a project once you notice yourself pasting the same background into every chat, and write a skill once you repeat the same procedure. Move to Pro when the limit gets in the way, or when you want Claude to finish files, run on a schedule or work in your code. That is most of what there is to know about how to use Claude AI in its current form.

References

1. Claude Help Center. Release notes. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/12138966-release-notes
2. Claude Help Center. Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/16761823
3. Claude Help Center. Get started with Claude. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/8114491
4. Anthropic. Claude pricing. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from claude.com/pricing
5. Claude Help Center. What are projects? Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/9517075
6. Claude Help Center. What are skills? Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/12512176
7. Claude Help Center. Can Claude produce images? Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/9002504
8. Anthropic. Download Claude. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from claude.com/download
9. Claude Help Center. Claude Haiku 4.5 was removed from the model selector. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/17444146
10. Claude Help Center. Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/15520349
11. Claude Help Center. Schedule recurring tasks in Claude Cowork. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/13854387
12. Claude Help Center. Upload files to Claude. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/8241126
13. Claude Help Center. Usage limit best practices. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/9797557
14. Claude Help Center. Use Claude's chat search and memory to build on previous context. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/11817273
15. Claude Help Center. Use skills in Claude. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/12512180
16. Anthropic. Connectors and plugins. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from claude.com/marketplace/connectors-plugins
17. Claude Help Center. What are artifacts and how do I use them? Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/17153992
18. Anthropic. Claude for Microsoft 365. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from claude.com/claude-for-microsoft-365
19. Anthropic. Claude Code quickstart. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart
20. reAPI. Coding Agents on reAPI. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from reapi.ai/docs/api/coding-agents
21. reAPI. MCP Server. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from reapi.ai/docs/api/mcp
22. Claude Help Center. Share and unshare chats. Retrieved November 4, 2026 from support.claude.com/en/articles/10593882