How to Set Up Claude Cowork + OpenAI Codex

Claude Cowork

Anthropic's desktop AI agent. It lives on your computer, reads your files, and does real work — writes documents, analyzes data, manages projects. Think of it as a coworker who never sleeps and never forgets context.

What you need

A Mac or Windows computer

An Anthropic account (free to create)

10-15 minutes

Step 1 — Download

Go to claude.ai/download and download the desktop app for your operating system. Install it like any other app — drag to Applications on Mac, run the installer on Windows.

Step 2 — Sign in

Open the app and sign in with your Anthropic account. If you don't have one, create it at claude.ai — it's free. The Pro plan ($20/mo) gives you more usage, but free works to get started.

Step 3 — Give it access to your files

Cowork will ask for permission to read files on your computer. Say yes. This is how it reads your documents, proposals, spreadsheets, and notes to do real work. It only reads what you point it to — it's not scanning your whole computer.

Step 4 — Give it your first task

Drag a folder onto the Cowork window (or point it to a folder), then tell it what you need. Start simple:

Your first Cowork prompt Read everything in this folder. Then write me a one-page summary of what's here and what I should focus on this week.

Pro tip: Cowork gets dramatically better when it has context. The more files you give it access to, the more useful its output becomes. Point it at your proposals folder, your client notes, your business docs. It remembers context across conversations.

Three things to try right now

Try 1 — Write a proposal

Point Cowork at your call notes from a recent sales call:

Read my call notes. Write a 1-page proposal for [client name]. Include what we'll deliver, timeline, price ($[amount]), and one clear next step. Keep it under 400 words. Sound confident, not salesy.

Try 2 — Prep for a meeting

I have a meeting with [name] tomorrow. Look through my files for any past conversations, proposals, or notes about them. Give me a 3-bullet prep sheet: what we discussed last time, what they care about, and one question I should ask.

Try 3 — Analyze your business

Read all the documents in this folder. I run a [business type]. Tell me: what's working, what's not, and what one thing I should change this week to make more money. Be blunt.

Agent 2 of 2 // agent_02

OpenAI Codex

OpenAI's AI agent desktop app. Works just like Cowork — you tell it what you want in plain English and it builds it. Landing pages, forms, automations, tools. It can even control your computer and use other apps for you. No coding experience needed.

What you need

A Mac or Windows computer
A ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Enterprise subscription ($20/mo for Plus)
10-15 minutes

Step 1 — Download the app

Go to openai.com/codex/get-started and download the Codex desktop app for your operating system. On Mac, drag it to Applications. On Windows, grab it from the Microsoft Store.

Step 2 — Sign in

Open the app and sign in with your ChatGPT account — the same login you use for ChatGPT. That's it. No API keys, no terminal commands, no configuration files.

Step 3 — Give it access

Codex will ask for permission to access files on your computer. Say yes — this is how it reads your documents and builds things for you. It only touches what you point it to.

Optional — Computer Use: In Codex settings, you can enable "Computer Use" which lets Codex control your mouse and keyboard to operate other apps alongside you. It gets its own cursor so it doesn't interfere with yours. Powerful but totally optional — skip this for now and come back to it later.

Step 4 — Give it your first task

Type what you want to build in plain English. Start simple:

Your first Codex prompt Create a simple landing page for my [business type] business. Include a headline, 3 bullet points about what we do, and a "Call Now" button with my phone number [your number]. Make it look clean and professional.

Codex will build it, show you a preview right in the app, and you can download or deploy the result.

Three things to try right now

Try 1 — Build a booking page

Build a booking page for my business. Title: "Book a Free Estimate". Include a form with: name, phone, email, and a dropdown for service type (options: [your services]). Make it look clean and professional.

Try 2 — Create a price calculator

Build a price calculator for [your service]. Inputs: [relevant inputs like square footage, number of windows, etc.]. Show the estimated price range at the bottom. Make it interactive — price updates as they change the inputs.

Try 3 — Make a customer follow-up tracker

Build a simple follow-up tracker. I want to add a customer name, their phone number, what we quoted, and when to follow up. Show them in a table sorted by follow-up date. Save everything so I don't lose it when I close the app.

When to use which

Cowork = your smart assistant. Use it when you need to think, write, analyze, or plan. It reads your files and gives you answers.

Codex = your builder. Use it when you need to make something — a page, a form, a tool, a calculator. It writes code and creates real things you can use.

Both are desktop apps. Both work with plain English. The difference is what they're best at.

Quick reference

Need a proposal? → Cowork Need a landing page? → Codex Need meeting prep? → Cowork Need a booking form? → Codex Need to analyze your data? → Cowork Need a price calculator? → Codex Need a follow-up text? → Cowork Need a customer tracker? → Codex Need to plan your week? → Cowork Need a countdown timer? → Codex

The real power is using them together. Cowork plans the strategy, Codex builds the thing. That's how I built the page you're reading right now.

Set up two AI agents on your machine in 30 minutes. Set up two AI agents on your machine in 30 minutes.

Claude Cowork

What you need

Three things to try right now

OpenAI Codex

What you need

Three things to try right now

When to use which

Quick reference

Want to set these up together? Want to set these up together?