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How to Use Claude AI: Projects, Documents and Better Results

A step-by-step guide to Claude: getting started, analysing long documents, using Projects and artifacts, and writing effective prompts.

By AI Resource Hub Editorial TeamUpdated 3 min read
On this page
  1. Getting started
  2. Step 1: Give Claude enough context
  3. Step 2: Analyse long documents
  4. Step 3: Use Projects for ongoing work
  5. Step 4: Work with artifacts
  6. Step 5: Search the web when you need current facts
  7. Step 6: Use Claude for coding
  8. Tips for better results
  9. Limitations to keep in mind
  10. Next steps

Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic. People often choose it for working with long documents, careful writing and programming. This guide walks you through getting started and using the features that make it most useful.

Getting started

  1. Go to claude.ai, or download the Claude app for desktop or mobile.
  2. Sign up with your email or a Google account.
  3. Start a new chat and type a request in the message box.

There is a free plan with usage limits. Paid plans give you more usage and access to additional features; check Anthropic's pricing page for current details.

Step 1: Give Claude enough context

Claude responds well to clear, detailed instructions. A useful structure:

  • Who you are and what you're doing: "I'm a secondary school teacher preparing a parents' evening letter."
  • What you need: "Write a one-page letter explaining the new homework policy."
  • Details: the facts it must include.
  • Format and tone: "Warm, plain English, under 300 words, with a short bullet list of key dates."

If you have examples of what good looks like – a previous letter, a style guide – paste them in. Examples are one of the most effective ways to get the output you want.

Step 2: Analyse long documents

Upload PDFs, Word documents or text files using the attachment button, then ask focused questions:

  • "Summarise this report in one page for a busy manager."
  • "List every deadline and obligation in this contract, with the clause number."
  • "What are the three weakest arguments in this proposal, and why?"

Asking for clause or page references makes it easier to check answers against the original. For legal or financial documents, use Claude to understand and prepare questions, then confirm with a professional.

Step 3: Use Projects for ongoing work

Projects keep related chats, files and instructions in one place. For example, a "Small business marketing" project might include your price list, brand guidelines and customer FAQs, plus instructions like "Write in a friendly, direct tone for customers in Lagos." Every chat in that project can use that material without you re-uploading it.

Good uses for Projects:

  • A course you're studying, with lecture notes and the syllabus.
  • A book or long report you're writing.
  • A client you work with regularly.

Step 4: Work with artifacts

When Claude creates something substantial – a document, a piece of code, a diagram or a small interactive page – it can appear as an artifact in a panel next to the chat. You can keep refining it in conversation ("Add a section on costs", "Make the table sortable") and copy or download the result.

Step 5: Search the web when you need current facts

Claude can search the web when the feature is available and enabled. Use it for recent information, and open the cited sources to confirm details.

Step 6: Use Claude for coding

Claude is widely used for programming: explaining code, writing functions, debugging and reviewing. Paste the error message and relevant code, describe what you expected, and say what you've tried. Developers can also use Claude Code, Anthropic's coding tool that works directly with a codebase. Always run and test code before using it.

Tips for better results

  • Ask it to think through a problem step by step for analysis or maths, then check the steps.
  • Tell it what to avoid, for example "no jargon" or "don't add information that isn't in the document".
  • Ask it to flag uncertainty: "If you're not sure about something, say so."
  • Break big tasks into stages: outline first, then sections.

Limitations to keep in mind

  • Claude can make mistakes, including misreading documents or stating incorrect facts. Check what matters.
  • Usage limits apply, especially on the free plan with long documents.
  • Don't share sensitive personal data, passwords or confidential information you're not permitted to share.

Next steps

Compare it with other assistants in ChatGPT vs Claude, or try our document summary prompts.

Frequently asked questions

Who makes Claude?

Claude is made by Anthropic, an AI safety and research company.

Can Claude read PDFs?

Yes. You can upload PDFs and other documents and ask questions about them.

Is Claude free?

There is a free plan with usage limits. Paid plans offer more usage.

AI Resource Hub Editorial Team

Our editors research AI tools using official documentation and reliable reporting, and update guides when products change. Read our editorial policy to see how we work. Editorial policy.

Tools in this guide

Claude

Anthropic

AI assistant known for long documents, careful writing and coding help.

  • Analysis of long PDFs and documents
  • Projects for organising files and instructions
  • Artifacts for documents, code and interactive pages
Free plan
Read reviewOfficial site (opens in a new tab)

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