Create a Cowork Project that runs a recurring workflow

Complete Set up your Cowork folder so Claude knows you on day one first; this lesson wraps that folder in a Project and adds Scheduled Tasks on top, so you need the about-me.md and anti-ai-writing-style.md files already in place.

A Cowork Project is a workspace inside the desktop app that wraps a folder with three things browser Claude does not have: persistent scoped memory, baked-in custom instructions, and Scheduled Tasks that run while the app is open. Memory is scoped on purpose. The Project remembers within itself, forgets across boundaries, so the newsletter Project does not accidentally read your client research.

The three creation paths: (1) start from scratch (new folder + new instructions); (2) import a browser Project (Claude pulls custom instructions and uploaded files into a local copy); (3) point at an existing folder you already use. Same Project shape, three on-ramps. Use whichever matches your starting point. Migrating a browser Project that already holds your team playbook is the fastest path if one exists.

The pattern this lesson teaches uses a weekly newsletter as the worked example because most readers have one (or the same shape under a different label: weekly report, client update, sales digest). The folder holds: about-me.md from Lesson 1, an anti-AI writing guide, 5 past newsletters Claude can match voice against, reference material, and official company docs. Custom instructions stay tight (5 to 8 lines): match voice exactly, no banned words, paragraphs under 3 sentences, always run AskUserQuestion before writing. The Scheduled Task fires every Monday at 8am with one line of prompt; you walk in to a draft.

Three other workflows fit the same shape with different folder contents and instructions: client deliverables (template + 2 examples + brief, output .docx, max 15 pages); sales proposals (pricing sheet + 3 winning proposals + objection playbook, lead with prospect pain); weekly operations briefing (last 4 briefings as pattern reference + one-page template + raw inputs dropped Mondays). Same Project, same Scheduled Task pattern, different folder.

Now try it: pick which creation path matches your starting point (fresh, import, or existing folder). Build the newsletter Project end to end. Set the Scheduled Task for next Monday morning so you can verify it fired before your week starts.

One Project, one Scheduled Task, and Monday morning arrives with a draft already written.

<!-- diagram: cowork-project-anatomy -->

Paste this into Claude:

I created this Cowork Project a moment ago. Read every file in the folder. Then summarize what you know about this workspace: what's here, what I probably use it for, and what instructions you'll follow. If something is unclear, use AskUserQuestion.

(After Claude responds, paste this newsletter-specific follow-up:)

I want to write my next newsletter on [topic]. Start with AskUserQuestion to refine the angle with me before you write anything. Match the voice in the 5 past newsletters in this folder, follow the anti-AI writing guide, and output a markdown draft in the folder.

What good looks like:

• You have a Cowork Project named for the workflow (e.g. 'Weekly Newsletter') created via one of the three paths: from scratch, imported from a browser Project, or pointing at an existing folder
• The Project folder contains: your about-me.md (from Lesson 1), an anti-AI writing guide, 3 to 5 past newsletter examples, reference material, and any official brand docs
• Custom instructions are 5 to 8 lines: match voice, banned-word list, paragraph length cap, AskUserQuestion-first rule, output format
• On first run, Claude reads the folder, summarizes what it found, and asks 3 to 6 clarifying questions before writing the newsletter draft
• The draft lands in the folder as a markdown file you can edit; it sounds closer to your past newsletters than to default Claude voice

What a good response looks like:

**Project summary after Claude reads the folder:**

I've read the 11 files in this Project. Here's what I found:

WORKSPACE: Weekly Newsletter

Files I'll use as primary context:
- about-me.md: your role (food and beverage strategist), audience (DTC founders), voice rules (direct, no jargon, no 'elevate', no 'ideate').
- anti-ai-writing-guide.md: 12 banned phrases, sentence-length cap of 22 words, no rhetorical questions, no em dashes.
- 5 past newsletters: pattern is short intro (1 paragraph) > 3 short sections under H3 > one specific recommendation > sign-off with first name only.

Files I'll use as supporting reference:
- positioning-frame.md (your strategic POV on the category)
- brand-voice-tracker.md (5 brands you've quoted, 5 you've critiqued)
- recurring-themes.md (3 themes you return to across past issues)

Instructions I'll follow:
1. Match voice exactly to the 5 past newsletters.
2. No banned words from anti-ai-writing-guide.
3. Paragraphs under 3 sentences.
4. Always run AskUserQuestion before writing.
5. Output a markdown draft directly into this folder named newsletter-YYYY-MM-DD.md.

Anything you want me to clarify or override before I start on the next issue?

---

(Then, after you respond to that and ask for a draft on a specific topic, Claude asks:)

Before I write the next newsletter, four quick angle questions:
1. Is this a reaction piece (responding to something this week) or a foundational POV (something you'd reuse for 6 months)?
2. Which audience segment are you writing to: founders pre-launch, founders growth-stage, or operators inside larger brands?
3. Do you want one strong recommendation (your default) or a 3-option breakdown for this one?
4. Should I pull a specific past newsletter as the closest stylistic anchor, or freestyle off the full pattern?

Paste this into Claude:

(Set this up via the UI, not as a prompt.)

In your new Cowork Project:
1. Click "Scheduled tasks" in the Project sidebar.
2. Click "New".
3. Write the prompt: "Open this Project. Pull this week's topic from [Notion page / email subject / wherever you draft the topic]. Run AskUserQuestion to confirm angle. Then write the next newsletter as a markdown draft in this folder. Stop after the draft is saved. Don't send anything."
4. Pick a frequency: weekly on Monday at 8am (or your cadence).
5. Save.

Then leave Claude Desktop running overnight Sunday so the Monday morning task fires. Walk in Monday to find the draft.

What good looks like:

• Scheduled Task is created inside the Project with a prompt that runs end to end without you sitting there
• Frequency matches your real cadence (weekly Monday, biweekly, or your equivalent)
• The prompt explicitly says 'stop after draft is saved, don't send anything' so the scheduled run produces a draft, not an artifact you have not reviewed
• On the next scheduled fire, a markdown draft lands in the Project folder before your work day starts
• If you missed the fire because the Desktop app was closed, you noticed within a day and turned 'app stays open' into your habit