Getting Started

Claude Cowork

Install CCOS plugins into Claude Cowork, set up your project folder, and run your first skill.

You need the CCOS ZIP file to follow this guide. Download it below — this page will verify your active license before the download starts. If you don’t have a license yet, you can grab one from the store.

Download CCOS ZIP ↓ Get a license →

  1. Unzip the CCOS file and find the plugin ZIPs

    Once you’ve downloaded the CCOS ZIP, unzip it. Inside you’ll find several folders — for this setup we only care about one: plugin-zips. Open it and you’ll see a collection of individual ZIP files. Each one is a separate plugin that gets installed on its own.

    • Ignore the marketplace folder for now — you won’t need it in Cowork
    • Ignore the skills folder too — that’s for other setups
    • Keep the plugin-zips folder somewhere easy to find — you’ll be dragging files from it shortly

  2. Download and install Claude Desktop

    Claude Cowork runs inside the Claude desktop app. If you don’t have it yet, download and install it, then sign in with your Anthropic account.

    Download Claude Desktop

  3. Add your first plugin

    Inside Claude, go to Settings and find the option to upload a personal plugin. The UI may change over time — watch the short video below if you’re not sure where to look.

  4. Drag a CCOS plugin ZIP into the upload prompt

    When Claude asks you to provide the plugin file, drag one of the ZIP files from your plugin-zips folder directly into the prompt. Claude will install it automatically.

  5. Repeat for every plugin in the plugin-zips folder

    Each ZIP file is a separate plugin and needs to be installed individually. Go through the whole folder and install them all.

    • You may not use every plugin on every project — that’s fine, install them all anyway
    • Having them all installed means they’re available whenever a skill needs them
    Do not use the marketplace folder, and do not upload the marketplace to a public GitHub repo. Distributing the CCOS system publicly violates our license terms.

  6. Create a new project and choose your folder

    In Claude, click Projects and start a new project. You’ll be asked to choose a folder on your computer. This folder is where CCOS will store everything it creates for you — your DNA context files, lesson HTML, site pages, and anything else the skills build.

    • Create a dedicated folder for CCOS — something like “My CCOS Workspace” on your Desktop or Documents is fine
    • On Mac: you can find your Desktop or Documents folder in the left sidebar of the file picker
    • On Windows: look for Desktop or Documents in the left panel of the folder browser
    • Don’t point it at a system folder or an existing project folder — give CCOS its own space

  7. Start your first conversation with the cc-help skill

    With your project open, paste the prompt below into the chat and hit send. The cc-help skill will orient you and recommend the best next step — which for most new users is running cc-create-dna to set up your Creator DNA context files.

    Jump ahead to cc-create-dna →
    Paste this into Claude
    Use the cc-help skill

You’re all set up. Time to build something.

Your plugins are installed and your project folder is ready. Explore the full plugin library to see what’s possible, or head back to the start to pick a different setup path.

Explore Plugins Back to Get Started