Note: A new version of projects is now available in beta, rolling out in stages starting with Claude Code. Existing projects keep working as they do today. See The new version of projects (beta) below.
Projects allow you to create self-contained workspaces with their own chat histories and knowledge bases. Within each project, you can upload documents, provide context, and have focused chats with Claude.
Projects are available to all users, including those with free Claude accounts. Free users can create a maximum of five projects.
The new version of projects (beta)
We're rolling out a new version of projects in stages, starting with Claude Code. In the new version, a project is one conversation: you say what you need as it comes to you, and Claude breaks the work into parallel threads that run in the cloud. Claude tells you what's done and what's waiting on you, and if you close your laptop, the threads keep going. Every thread starts with the project's files, repositories, instructions, and memory, and the project's Library collects the files you add and the files Claude produces.
Who has it
The new version is now available in beta to select Pro and Max subscribers who use Claude Code. If you have it, you'll see "Projects" in the sidebar at claude.ai/code and in the Code tab of the Claude desktop app. More Claude Code users on Pro and Max plans will get access as the rollout expands, and chat, Cowork, Team, and Enterprise will follow. If you're on Pro or Max and don't have access yet, you can join the waitlist.
Your existing projects
Existing projects in chat and Cowork keep working as they do today. On Pro and Max plans, we'll upgrade them to the new version as the rollout expands to chat and Cowork.
Usage
Projects draw from your plan's usage like any other use of Claude, and running several threads at once uses it faster.
For more on the new version, see Projects in the Claude Code docs. The rest of this article describes the current version of projects.
Project knowledge
A key benefit of projects is the ability to provide context for your chats with Claude. You can upload relevant documents, text, code, or other files to a project's knowledge base, which Claude will use to better understand the context and background for your individual chats within that project.
In addition, you can define project instructions for each project to further tailor Claude's responses. For example, instructing Claude to use a more formal tone or answer questions from the perspective of a specific role or industry.
Enhanced project knowledge with RAG
Enhanced project knowledge with RAG is only available to users with paid Claude plans (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise).
When using a paid plan, your projects automatically scale to handle large amounts of content through Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). When your project knowledge approaches context limits, Claude seamlessly enables RAG mode to expand capacity by up to 10x while maintaining response quality.
For more information on leveraging expanded project knowledge capacity, see Retrieval augmented generation (RAG) for projects.
Collaboration and sharing (Team and Enterprise plans only)
For users on Team and Enterprise plans, projects can be shared with other members of your organization, enabling powerful collaboration and knowledge sharing capabilities. The sharing system includes:
Permission levels:
Can view: Members can see project contents, knowledge, and instructions, and chat within the project, but cannot edit it.
Can edit: Members can modify project instructions and knowledge, add/remove members, update member settings, and actively contribute to the project.
Project creators can:
Share to specific members instead of making a project fully private or public to the entire organization.
Make a previously-created private project visible to the whole organization.
Sharing options:
Individual sharing: Share projects with specific team members by email.
Bulk sharing: Add multiple users at once using email lists.
Organization-wide sharing: Make projects available to everyone in your organization either when creating the project or afterward.
Note: If an Owner or Primary Owner disables public projects, organization-wide sharing will be disabled both when creating the project and afterward.
Collaboration features:
Shared with me tab: Easily find projects that others have shared with you.
Email notifications: Get notified when someone shares a project with you.
Access management: Project creators can modify permissions or remove access as needed.
Multiple members can contribute documents, create chats, and work together within the same project environment, making projects ideal for team collaboration.
For more information on getting started with projects, see How can I create and manage projects?
For more information on private projects and visibility settings on Team and Enterprise plans, see Project visibility and sharing.