Claude Projects Setup Guide

Quick reference for creating and configuring Claude Projects for persistent context.

What Are Projects?

Projects let you organize conversations around a specific topic or task. You can add:

Project Knowledge — Documents, files, and code that Claude references in all chats
Project Instructions — Custom guidelines that shape Claude’s behavior

Projects are available on all plans. Free users can create up to 5 projects.

Create a Project

Go to claude.ai/projects or click Projects in the sidebar
Click + New Project in the upper right
Enter a project name and description
For Team/Enterprise: choose visibility (private or shared)

Add Project Knowledge

Project knowledge provides context for all conversations within the project.

Open your project
Click the + button in the project knowledge section (right side)
Upload documents, text files, or code
Files are now available to Claude in all project chats

Tips:

Add all relevant documents upfront—more context helps Claude assist you better
Use clear, descriptive file names so Claude can find the right information
Paid plans automatically enable RAG mode when content approaches context limits

Set Project Instructions

Project instructions guide Claude’s behavior across all chats in the project.

Open your project
Click Set project instructions
Write your guidelines (tone, role, format preferences, etc.)
Save

Example instructions:

You are helping me with [specific task].

When responding:
- Use a professional tone
- Format code examples in Python
- Ask clarifying questions before making assumptions

Note: Context is not shared across individual chats within a project—only content in the project knowledge base is available to all chats.

Organize Your Projects

Star projects — Click the ⋮ menu or star icon to mark frequently-used projects for quick access

Move chats to projects — Use the dropdown arrow next to a chat name to add standalone conversations to a project

Archive projects — Click ⋮ menu → Archive (archived projects appear at the bottom of your list)

Delete projects — Unarchive first, then use ⋮ menu to delete permanently

Click Share project next to the project name
Add members by name or email
Choose permission level:
- Can use — View contents and chat, but cannot edit
- Can edit — Modify instructions, knowledge, and member settings
Shared projects appear in recipients’ “Shared with me” tab

Troubleshooting

Claude isn’t using my uploaded files?

Verify files uploaded successfully (check project knowledge section)
Try asking Claude directly about the content: “What files do you have access to?”
For large knowledge bases, Claude uses RAG—be specific in your questions

Project instructions not being followed?

Check instructions are saved (re-open the project to verify)
Be explicit and specific in your instructions
Start a new chat within the project after updating instructions

Can’t share a project?

Sharing requires Team or Enterprise plan
Verify you have edit permissions on the project

Next Steps

Review the course slide deck for detailed walkthrough
Post in Slack if you encounter issues