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How to Use Claude Projects

Set up Claude Projects with custom instructions and a knowledge base so every conversation starts with the right context without re-pasting.

Claude

Claude Projects let you save instructions and reference documents that apply automatically to every conversation in the project. Instead of pasting your style guide, product specs, or analysis template at the start of every chat, you set them once and they persist. Projects are available on all plans, including Free (which supports up to five projects).

What Projects include

  • Project instructions — custom rules that apply to every conversation in the project
  • Knowledge base — uploaded files and documents that Claude can reference
  • Conversation history — all chats within the project are grouped together

Setting up a project

Create a project, give it a descriptive name, and add your instructions. Think of the instructions as a brief that applies to every conversation. Keep them specific and actionable.

Bad project instructions

Help me with writing.

Better project instructions

You help me write content for our company blog.
Tone: practical, direct, no corporate buzzwords.
Audience: mid-market SaaS team leads.
Always use active voice and short paragraphs.

Best project instructions

You help me write and edit content for the Acme blog.

Voice and tone:
- Practical and direct, never preachy
- Short sentences (15 words average)
- Active voice
- No buzzwords: leverage, synergy, ecosystem, game-changer
- Use "you" to address the reader

Content rules:
- Every post needs a clear takeaway the reader can act on today
- Include at least one concrete example per section
- No invented statistics or unnamed expert quotes
- Link related posts when relevant

Audience: Team leads at mid-market SaaS companies (30-200 employees)
Format: Subheaded sections, no numbered lists unless ranking is meaningful

Reference the style guide and past posts in the knowledge base for examples.

The best version works because Claude knows the voice rules, content rules, audience, and where to find examples. Every conversation in this project starts with this context automatically.

Using the knowledge base

Upload documents that Claude should reference across conversations: style guides, product specs, competitive analysis, past content, or templates. Claude can search and cite from these documents when answering questions.

  • Upload your brand style guide so Claude follows it without being told each time
  • Upload product documentation so Claude answers product questions accurately
  • Upload past blog posts as examples of the voice and format you want
  • Upload research notes so Claude can synthesize across sessions

Practical project examples

  • Blog writing project: style guide, voice rules, past posts as examples
  • Code review project: coding standards, architecture docs, test patterns
  • Research project: analysis template, source documents, evaluation criteria
  • Customer support project: product docs, FAQ, escalation rules, tone guidelines

Common project mistakes

  • Writing vague instructions that do not change Claude's behavior — be specific
  • Uploading too many unrelated documents to the knowledge base — curate what is relevant
  • Not updating project instructions when your needs change
  • Creating one project for everything instead of separate projects for distinct workflows

Related reading: /blog/how-to-work-with-files-and-documents-in-claude for file handling, /blog/how-to-build-a-reusable-claude-workflow for template-based workflows, and /blog/how-to-create-and-improve-artifacts-with-claude for iterating on standalone outputs.

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