Claude User Guide: Creating Projects, Uploading a Knowledge Base, and Setting Instructions

If you want Claude to consistently stick to the same set of materials and messaging for a particular type of task over the long term, the easiest way is to use Projects. This Claude tutorial explains the process in the order of “create a new project → upload materials → set instructions → daily switching and maintenance.” Follow it and you can turn Claude into a stable, dedicated assistant.

Find Projects in Claude and create a new project

After opening Claude on the web, you can usually see the Projects entry in the sidebar; if you’re using the mobile app, you can also look for “Projects” from the menu first. After entering, click “New project,” and give the project a clear name, such as “Brand Copy,” “Paper Reading,” or “Customer Service Script Library.”

After it’s created, Claude will treat the project as an independent workspace: conversations, files, and instructions within the project are grouped together, preventing them from being mixed into the same context as your everyday chats.

Upload project materials: build the “knowledge base” first, then start conversations

On the project page, find “Files” (or a similar entry) and upload commonly used documents first, such as product introductions, specification documents, FAQs, spreadsheets, or PDFs. File size, quantity, and format support may vary by account and region; if Claude indicates something isn’t supported, convert it to a PDF or plain text and try again.

After uploading, it’s recommended to use more “searchable” file names, such as “After-Sales Policy – Latest Version” or “Competitor Comparison – Summary Table.” This makes it easier for Claude to accurately reference the right materials when you ask questions within the project.

Set project instructions: put “long-term requirements” into Project Instructions

Projects usually include an “Instructions” section, which is suitable for long-term, stable rules such as tone, formatting, banned words, output structure, and citation method. Rather than repeating requirements in every conversation, write them clearly here once—for example, “Always give the conclusion first, then list 3 supporting points; any data mentioned must include the source file name.”

After writing them, run a quick test in a new project conversation: ask Claude to produce a short piece of content using your template and confirm it follows the format. If you find deviations, go back and fine-tune the project instructions directly—this is more reliable than repeatedly correcting it in chat.

Project switching and maintenance: rename, archive, and clean up conversations

When you need to switch tasks, prioritize switching to the corresponding Project before asking, to avoid Claude mixing in irrelevant background. After using a project for a while, you can rename it, archive projects you don’t use often, and delete or replace outdated files in the knowledge base with the latest versions, ensuring that what Claude cites is always “valid information.”

If a project’s conversations become too messy, you can also create a new project containing only “core materials + core instructions” to narrow Claude’s scope of work—outputs often become more consistent.

Common sticking points: what to do about upload failures and inaccurate citations

If Claude fails to upload, first rule out the three most common causes: the file is too large, the format isn’t supported, or the network/browser is blocking it. You can try compressing the file, converting it to PDF, switching browsers, or re-uploading in incognito mode; if it still doesn’t work, paste the key sections as text as a temporary workaround.

If Claude’s references in Projects are inaccurate, it’s usually because file names are too similar, there are too many materials, or the instructions aren’t clear enough. The approach is to give files more explicit titles and, in your question, specify “Please prioritize referencing ‘’.” If necessary, add another rule to the project instructions: “Citations must include the file name and the corresponding paragraph/key point.”