# Set up a Claude Project so Claude always knows your context

> Create a Claude Project, add instructions and reference files once, and get on-brief answers in every chat without pasting context again.

Level: Intermediate
Tool: Claude
Category: Productivity
Time: About 15 minutes
Checked: 2026-10-15
Tools: [Claude Projects](https://claude.ai/projects)
HTML page: https://easyaihowtos.com/guides/set-up-a-claude-project

If you paste the same background into Claude again and again, a Project fixes that. You set the instructions and reference files once, and every chat in the Project starts already briefed.

## What you need

- A Claude account (free accounts can create a small number of projects; paid plans allow more)
- Two or three reference files, such as a style guide, product notes, or past examples
- A short description of how you want Claude to respond

## Steps

### 1. Create the project

Open **claude.ai/projects** (or click **Projects** in the left sidebar) and choose **+ New Project**. Give it a clear name and description. The name and description are for you; Claude does not read them.

### 2. Write project instructions

Click **Set project instructions** (or **Instructions**) and paste rules that should apply to every chat in this project. Then click **Save instructions**.

Prompt:

```
You are helping with [my bakery's marketing].
Audience: [local customers, mostly families].
Tone: [warm, plain, no hype words like "amazing"].
Always: [keep posts under 80 words and end with our hours].
If facts are missing, ask me instead of guessing.
```

### 3. Add knowledge files

In the project's knowledge panel, click **+** and upload documents, text, or code, or connect Google Drive. Everything here is available to every chat in the project. Use clean, text-heavy files: they work better than scans.

### 4. Start a chat inside the project

Type in the message box on the project page. Ask for real work, such as "Draft three posts for this week's specials." You should not need to explain the background again.

### 5. Test that it uses your files

Ask a question only your files can answer, such as "What does our style guide say about emojis?" If Claude guesses, tighten the instructions: "Answer from the project files and quote the line you used."

### 6. Keep it current

Chats inside a project do not share memory with each other. If you decide something new, add it to the instructions or a knowledge file so future chats know it.

## Tips

- Put rules in instructions and facts in files. Mixing them makes both harder to follow.
- On paid plans, when knowledge gets large Claude can switch to searching your files instead of reading them all, so very specific questions work best.
- On Team and Enterprise plans, check the project's visibility setting before you add sensitive files.

## FAQ

### How is a Project different from a normal chat?

A Project bundles instructions and files that apply to every chat inside it, so you set context once.

### Do chats in a project remember each other?

No, not on their own. Shared context lives in the instructions and knowledge files.

### What files can I upload?

Common types such as PDFs, documents, text, spreadsheets, and code. There are size limits that can change; Claude shows an error if a file is too big.

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This guide is from Easy AI How-To (https://easyaihowtos.com). It is independent of the tools named above. Screens and free-plan limits change, so check the date before you rely on a button name.