Module 1 · Claude Cowork Fundamentals
Permanent rules for a project
Instructions, memory, and local rules without confusing the layers
Tired of repeating "write formally," "show amounts in euros," "use our file names," or "never invent figures"? You can teach Claude standing rules — but there are several layers, and it helps to know which one you are using.
Widest scope at the top, narrowest at the bottom — four different layers, not one word called "memory":
Global instructions · follow you everywhere in Claude
Project — instructions · context · memory · this one stream of work
Local rules file (
CLAUDE.md) · visible conventions for this folder
Skills · reusable steps for one task
The four building blocks
| Building block | What it is for | Office example |
|---|---|---|
| Global instructions | Preferences that should follow you across Claude. | "Write in British English. Keep explanations concise." |
| Projects | A focused work area with its own instructions, context, scheduled tasks, and memory from project conversations. | The quarterly board-report project, with its source folder and house rules. |
| Skills | Reusable playbooks for repeated tasks. | A meeting-minutes skill or expense-checking skill. |
| Plugins | A packaged extension layer, often used by teams, that can bundle skills, connectors, and more specialized workflow components. | A company-approved sales-ops plugin in an internal marketplace. |