How do I get Claude to access my company content?

One of the most valuable features of Claude is it's ability to not just answer questions, but to contextually use company data (files, emails, chats, etc) to generate meaningful responses. There are three ways Claude can access company data:


Let's take a look at each of these:


Attaching a file to a chat

The most straightforward but limited way to provide Claude with additional context is to simply attach a file to a chat with Claude. You can do this by clicking the ➕ icon under your chat and selecting Add files or photos:



You can add multiple files to a chat. Once you've added all the relevant files, you can submit the query. You can also add supplemental files during a conversation using the same menu.


Using a Connector

Connectors allow Claude to access company data on it's own, when contextually appropriate during a conversation. These connectors give Claude the ability to explore the data you have access to already. For example, using the Microsoft 365 Connector, Claude could create a report about the people you talk to most often in Outlook, or clean up your Inbox by moving any threads you haven't gotten a reply from in a week to a different folder.


Claude will usually know to use a connector by inferring it from your request, but you can always explicitly state "Use the [such-and-such] connector to..." in your request.


Data accessed by a connector must be somewhere Claude can reach it- usually in an online service like OneDrive, Sharepoint, Dropbox, etc. Connectors cannot access files directly on your computer- to do that, you must use Cowork.


Connectors are available in both Chat & Cowork modes.


Cowork

Cowork is a separate mode in the Claude app that allows you to access files directly on your computer and execute long-running and scheduled tasks behind the scenes. You can access Cowork by switching from Chat to Cowork in the app:



Cowork requires additional permissions to use. If the Cowork option is greyed out/cannot be clicked, please open a ticket requesting access to Cowork.



In addition to Connectors and directly attaching files to a Cowork request, you can attach entire folders on your computer for Claude to read and edit. You can attach a folder to a Cowork request using this option:



⚠️ Claude has unrestricted access to any folders attached to a Cowork request. This means it can delete or change any files in the folders you are using with it.

For this reason, the folders you can attach to a Cowork request are limited. If you need to attach a folder to a Cowork request that is currently blocked, please open a ticket with your use case and the folder you'd like to attach.


In a Cowork session, Claude will be able to access any files you directly attach to it, data from Connectors, and any folders/files you add to the request.


Which method should I use?

That's up to you! But generally speaking, here are some suggestions:


  • For quick one-offs such as analyzing a report that you just generated locally on your computer, just attach the file to a chat.

  • If you want Claude to review files in your shared Work drives, use a Connector to access them instead of attaching them manually.
    • Generally prefer using the Connector instead of attaching files in shared locations.

  • If you want to schedule a recurring job, or initiate a request that may take some time to fulfill, use Cowork.

  • Even in Cowork sessions, prefer the Connector when possible. Attach folders when dealing with a large amount of input data, or when dealing with data that is not stored in shared company drives.