Learn what Cowork OS can do, choose a first workflow, and move from one-off agent help to safe, inspectable operating loops.
Step 1
Plan
Step 2
Execute
Step 3
Review
Start Here
The reference pattern is simple: give people a few high-confidence doors into the product. For Cowork OS, those doors are setup, one bounded job, and a real workflow library.
Use the latest desktop release, npm path, or source build, then point Cowork OS at one workspace you can inspect.
Setup docsStart with a local task like summarizing a folder, drafting replies, or organizing project notes before adding broader permissions.
Beginner guideBrowse concrete examples for research, inbox operations, artifacts, developer loops, family agents, and always-on automation.
Use casesUse The System
Move through these topics as your workflows mature. You do not need all of them on day one.
Cowork OS combines chat, tools, files, approvals, memory, channels, and recurring work in one runtime.
Agent operating systemWatch plans, timeline events, outputs, approvals, and background tasks without losing the thread of the work.
Mission Control docsBring your own providers, channels, plugins, skills, and connected apps only when the workflow needs them.
ProvidersMove useful agents into Slack, Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Teams, email-adjacent loops, and remote surfaces.
ChannelsTurn repeated work into daily briefings, heartbeat checks, proactive follow-ups, and governed automations.
Core automationUse approvals, sandboxing, scoped profiles, and workspace boundaries before letting agents mutate external systems.
Security guideSuggested Path
First hour
Keep the workspace small and the expected output obvious. Good first runs include folder cleanup, meeting-note synthesis, and project status drafts.
First week
Promote successful one-off runs into templates, skills, or recurring routines once the output is consistently useful.
Ongoing
Add channels, memory, automations, and profiles so Cowork OS can keep track of commitments and hand work back when judgment is needed.
Examples
Use these as starting points, then adapt the workflow to your files, approvals, channels, and team rules.
Collect sources, extract claims, compare tradeoffs, and produce a brief with citations and open questions.
Open workflowClassify incoming messages, draft replies, track commitments, and surface overdue follow-ups before they disappear.
Open workflowCreate documents, spreadsheets, slide decks, PDFs, and long-form outputs that can be inspected and reused.
Open workflowUse agents for codebase orientation, implementation, review, docs, CI triage, and release-supporting work.
Open workflowSafety
Cowork OS is most effective when it can operate, but operating does not mean giving every workflow every tool. Keep trust proportional to risk.
Use one workspace and one profile.
Stop before sending, deleting, spending, or changing external systems.
Review generated files and messages before reusing them.
Turn successful one-off work into automation only after repeated checks.
Start with a bounded workflow you can inspect, such as a project summary, inbox triage draft, folder organization, or research brief.
No. Start with local files and one workspace. Add providers, channels, and connected apps only after a workflow needs them.
Use recurring automation after a one-off workflow has produced useful results several times and the approval boundaries are clear.
Use scoped profiles, explicit workspaces, approval-gated actions, and a short list of verified workflows before expanding permissions or channels.
Resources
Use this page as the map. Go deeper only where your current workflow needs more capability, control, or context.