Taming
0-3

Just say what you want

  • Level 0
  • 3 minutes
  • Free

Describe the result you want in plain words. Claude decides whether it needs a quick reply or longer work.

This lesson

  1. Read Now
  2. Try it
  3. Check

The idea

There is no secret language. You write to Claude the way you'd write to a capable colleague who just joined your team.

Say who you are, what you need, and what a good answer looks like. Plain sentences are fine. So are typos.

Since September 2026, there is also no mode to pick. You describe what you need. Claude decides whether that's a quick answer or a longer piece of work with files.

Look

Here's where you type

Simplified drawing of the Claude screen: past chats on the left with your name below them, your message and Claude's reply in the middle, and the message box with attach, voice and send near the bottom. Highlighted: the message box.
Simplified drawing of Claude on a phone: a menu button for past chats and your initials at the top, your message and Claude's reply in the middle, and the message box with attach, voice and send at the bottom. Highlighted: the message box.
  1. The message box. This is where you type. It's the biggest box on the screen.
  2. Send. Click or tap the arrow. On a computer, Enter works too.
  3. Your past chats. Everything you've asked is kept here for later. On a phone, they sit behind the menu button.
  4. Claude's reply. It shows up above the box. You can keep the conversation going.
A simplified drawing, not a screenshot. The buttons move around now and then. The big box you type in doesn't.
Do

Three steps. That's it.

  1. 1
    claude.ai

    Open Claude

    Go to claude.ai in your browser, or open the Claude app, and sign in.

  2. 2
    I'm a school nurse.What are threethings you could…

    Type the line

    One plain sentence: who you are, and what you want.

  3. 3
    123

    Read the answer

    Read it like a first draft from a new colleague. Keep what helps. Ask for changes.

Your turn

Try it on your own job

Type this into the message box, filling in your job:

I'm a [your job]. What are three things you could help me with this week?

Read the answer. Pick the one that would save you the most time. That's your first real task. The next few lessons show you how to ask for it well.

Any job title works. "School nurse" works. So does "the person who does everything."

If your screen looks different

If you still see a separate Cowork tab, you have the older layout. The new one is rolling out gradually. Start in the chat tab. Everything in this lesson works the same way.

Quick check

One question, no gradeWhat is the best way to start a request?

Next lesson · 0-4 · 3 minutes

Talk to it like a colleague

Next: Talk to it like a colleague

Checked against Claude on 2026-09-25.