How to create a Claude project

How to set up a Claude project

If you've been using Claude for a while, you've probably hit the same wall. You put time into a prompt, get back a decent response, and then spend another ten minutes editing it into something you'd actually send. Next time you open a new chat, you're back to square one.

Claude has no idea who you are. It doesn't know your business, your clients, your tone, or your goals. Every new chat is a blank slate. This isn't a Claude problem; it's a setup problem. And a project fixes it.

What a Claude Project Actually Is

A project is a dedicated workspace inside Claude. It groups related conversations so context carries forward across sessions. Instead of re-explaining the same background every time you open a chat, the project already holds it.

I run separate projects for content marketing, strategy work, and client proposals. Each has its own context and its own instructions. When I open a content marketing chat, Claude already knows what I'm working on, who I'm talking to, and what I'm trying to achieve.

The practical impact is significant. You stop re-explaining yourself. You stop rewriting outputs to match your voice. And you stop losing useful thinking because it was buried in a random chat from three weeks ago.

How to Set One Up

Go to the left sidebar in Claude and click Projects. Click New Project, give it a specific name, "Content Strategy" or "Client Proposals" rather than something vague, and add a short description of what you'll use it for.

The setup takes about five minutes. But the setup alone won't change your results. That comes from what you put inside it.

Project Instructions: Write Them Like a Standing Brief

Claude's project instructions are the first thing it reads before responding to any prompt in that project. Get these right, and every chat you run inside that project starts from a much stronger base.

Cover who you are, what your business does, who your clients are, what you're trying to achieve, and how you want Claude to approach its role in this specific project. The more specific you are, the more useful the outputs.

Include what you want Claude to avoid: certain tones, certain formats, assumptions it might otherwise make. Think of it as a standing brief you write once and never have to repeat.

The Brand Voice Document Makes the Biggest Difference

Most people write their instructions and stop there. The step that actually changes output quality is uploading a brand voice document.

This is a separate document that covers how you write, how you speak, what you stand for, who your audience is, and what your positioning is. Not a list of adjectives, a real description of your voice, with examples of how you communicate.

Once it's uploaded to a project, Claude uses it as a reference whenever you ask for written content. The output starts to sound like you, not like a generic AI version of your industry.

I noticed the difference straight away. Posts I'd normally spend twenty minutes editing now come back much closer to what I'd actually say. The edits are smaller. The content is more usable.

If you produce any content at all, social posts, emails, proposals, website copy, a brand voice document is worth the time it takes to write.

Mobile Access Is Worth Knowing About

If you have the Claude app on your phone, your projects are accessible there, too. It's a small detail, but a useful one. Ten minutes before a client meeting, you can brainstorm inside the right project context and pick the conversation up on the desktop when you're back. The continuity holds across devices.

Start With One Project This Week

Pick the area of your business where you use Claude the most. Create a project. Write proper instructions. If you create any content, put together a brand voice document and upload it.

The best way to judge the difference is to run the same prompt inside a project with a brand voice document, and then again in a standard chat. The gap is obvious.

The AI doesn't get better. Your setup does, and that's what changes the outputs.

Read my other Digital Sparks here.

FAQ'S

Q1: What is a Claude project and how is it different from a regular chat?

A: A Claude project is a dedicated workspace that holds your business context across multiple conversations. Instead of re-explaining your background, clients, and goals every time you start a new chat, the project stores that information permanently. Claude starts from the right base each time rather than treating every conversation as a blank slate.

Q2: How long does it take to set up a Claude project?

A: The initial setup takes about five minutes — create the project, name it, and write your instructions. The instructions are where you put real effort in, covering your business, clients, and how you want Claude to work. Done properly once, they save you significant editing time across every conversation you run in that project.

Q3: What should I put in my Claude project instructions?

A: Cover who you are, what your business does, who your clients are, what you're trying to achieve, and how you want Claude to approach its role in that specific project. Also include what to avoid — certain tones, formats, or assumptions. The more specific you are, the stronger every response will be from the start.

Q4: What is a brand voice document and do I need one for Claude?

A: A brand voice document describes how you write, who your audience is, your positioning, and your communication style — with real examples, not just adjectives. Upload it to a Claude project and Claude uses it as a reference for any written output. Content comes back sounding more like you and needs far less editing.

Q5: Can I access my Claude projects on my phone?

A: Yes. If you have the Claude app installed, your projects are available there with the same context and instructions as on desktop. You can brainstorm inside the right project before a client meeting and continue the same conversation when you're back. Context carries across devices.