Claude.
For free.

Create an account at claude.ai and check the features shown in your account. Anthropic currently says free users can create up to five Projects, upload supported files, use Skills when code execution is enabled, and use memory. Artifacts and downloadable documents are available, though intensive tasks consume more of your allowance. Availability can vary by device, region, organization settings, and rollout.

Keep this distinction clear: Claude Code and Claude Cowork are paid-plan features. A free Claude chat is not a free route to those products. If a tutorial shows Claude Code or Cowork, check eligibility before planning your workflow around it.

Use a Project for work you return to, such as a newsletter, job search, course, or client account. Give it a purpose and a short instruction: who the audience is, what good output looks like, and what facts must be checked. Add only files you expect to reuse. Anthropic says project files can provide context across chats; on a free account, keep the project focused so it remains easy to navigate.

Example project instruction

Start a new chat for an unrelated task. A long conversation may make each new request more expensive to process because prior context can be relevant. Keep related iterations in one chat while you are actively revising a draft; start a fresh one for a separate job. Put the essential facts in the first message so Claude does not need several rounds to discover them.

Focused request template

Batch small related questions when they use the same source material. Avoid asking for web research, long files, or complex reasoning when a simple edit will do. If a model or effort selector appears in your account, use a lighter setting for routine summaries and reserve deeper reasoning for difficult decisions. Anthropic notes that message length, attachments, conversation length, tools, model, and effort affect usage.

For a text-heavy PDF, a clean TXT or Markdown version may be more efficient and easier to quote. Preserve headings, page references, and tables. Do not convert a visual report to text if its charts or layout matter: Claude can analyze visual elements in smaller PDFs, and text conversion may discard essential information. Split a large document into the relevant chapters rather than sending all of it for a narrow question.

Ask Claude to work with a file efficiently

Remove private data you do not need to share. Check file-type and size limits in Anthropic's current upload guide before preparing a large batch.

1. Plan: State the output, audience, source material, and constraints in one message.
2. Draft: Ask for a short outline or first version, not ten alternatives.
3. Check: Review factual claims, numbers, and quotations yourself.
4. Refine: Give one consolidated list of changes, rather than many tiny messages.
5. Save: Download or copy the final result into your own files.

When you hit a limit, follow the reset time shown in your account. Free Claude usage limits reset periodically; Anthropic describes a five-hour window but does not promise a fixed number of messages because usage depends on the task. Paying is optional; no prompt can legitimately override the limit.

• It forgot project context: Confirm you are in the right Project and the relevant file is attached or in project knowledge. Memory and project files are different features.
• It missed a table or diagram: Upload the original PDF or image and identify the page.
• The answer feels generic: Supply a specific audience, example, and success criterion.
• You cannot see a feature: Check Anthropic's current plan page and your settings; some features roll out gradually.
• A task uses too much allowance: Narrow the file and output length, disable unneeded tools, or split the work into useful stages.

These are deliberately focused. Use one prompt for one useful output, then review the result.

Turn rough notes into a message

Understand a document

Improve your own draft

If the output will be sent to someone else, read it once as the recipient. Confirm that the facts, tone, and request are right before using it.