A cloud task with a checkable finish
You will brief the task, inspect its plan, follow progress and verify the final file. Examples are illustrations, not a recorded run.
Cowork supports multi-step work and tool use. Current documentation checked September 30, 2026 describes a unified Chat/Cowork rollout. A missing selector does not necessarily mean missing capability. Inspect your account and organization controls.
Prepare inputs inside the account
Upload two small practice files or paste their contents. Do not rely on a computer folder that has not been connected.
course-notes.txt
Audience: employees new to AI.
Three units of 30 minutes each.
Goal: write a request, check a response, improve a draft.
Date and budget unset.
constraints.txt
Each unit needs one exercise and a success check.
No personal information. No sending or publication.
Uploaded files are copies. If you change a local original later, provide the updated version explicitly.
Brief before execution
Draft a course plan using only the two supplied files.
First identify the inputs and show a short plan.
Deliverable: three 30-minute units with goal, content, exercise and success check.
Keep date, budget and approvals in a separate unresolved-details list.
Do not use the web, connect services, send, share or publish.
Stop and ask before changing scope.
Inspect the inputs and the 90-minute total. Do not approve unrelated supplier research or account connections.
Monitor and verify the deliverable
Cloud work can continue after closing the browser, but a task needing Desktop files or browser capabilities may still depend on an open computer/app. A cloud label does not make every input continuously accessible.
Read waiting/error states and answer only needed questions. Open the completed file. Expected structure:
Unit 1: request structure, 30 minutes, writing exercise and criteria.
Unit 2: source checking, 30 minutes, unsupported-claim exercise and criteria.
Unit 3: revision, 30 minutes, focused edit and criteria.
Unresolved: date, budget and approval.
Add a success check to Unit 2: identify and correct two unsupported claims.
Keep the other units, durations and unresolved details unchanged.
Reopen the file and compare. Completion is not approval to distribute.
Understand rollout without guessing
The official guide announces an October 6, 2026 change moving new Pro and Max tasks to the cloud. That is future information as of this chapter's September 30 check. Inspect the actual route instead of assuming it already applies everywhere.
Local access through Desktop remains a distinct capability and can require the app open. For this web exercise, use account-stored inputs and download the reviewed output rather than claiming it was saved to your computer folder.
Graded practice
Easy: bounded task
Supply both files. Success: correct inputs and no invented dates.
Intermediate: revise one criterion
Update Unit 2. Success: other content remains unchanged.
Challenging: completion audit
Compare each requested field with the actual file. Success: missing content is caught before reuse.
Troubleshooting
Input missing: inspect attachment and account, not guessed file content.
Task waiting: read the question instead of approving every action.
Computer unavailable: distinguish cloud execution from Desktop-dependent access.
Output only in chat: ask for the requested file and test its download.
Source updated locally: supply the new version; uploads are not live synchronization.