[For Non-Engineers: Claude/Claude Code Series] A Claude Beginner's First Time Using Cowork to Automate "Routine Tasks" with /schedule

Introduction

This is Kawasaki from the Hokkaido Sales Division of the East Japan Sales Headquarters.

I am in my third month of cloud sales. While I had started casually using Claude's Chat feature,
I was in a situation where I knew the name "Cowork" but had no idea where to start.

After actually trying it hands-on this time, I was able to automate "confirmation tasks I had been doing myself every time" more easily than I expected.

Who This Is For

• You have used Claude's Chat before, but have yet to try Cowork
• You have tasks where "you're just checking the same things every time, but it still takes up a surprisingly noticeable amount of time"
• You want to know how to use the scheduling feature not just for "preventing oversights," but as a system to "eliminate manual input every time"

This is a summary of the steps I actually took, aimed at people like you.

What Is the Difference Between Cowork and Chat

Everyday Claude chat is mainly used in a "ask once, get one answer" style. Cowork, on the other hand,

• Uses connectors (external tool integrations) such as Gmail, Slack, and HubSpot
• Lets you delegate multi-step tasks all at once
• Allows you to switch your favorite tasks directly to scheduled execution

These are the key differences. The star of this article is precisely that third point: "switching to scheduled execution."
When thinking about what kind of tasks I perform regularly to set up scheduled execution, I first considered that I check my morning emails and want to avoid missing anything, so I decided to entrust this work to Cowork.

Step 1: First, Try It Through Normal Conversation

Rather than jumping straight to scheduling, start by giving instructions through conversation as usual and confirm that you get the expected results.

What I tried this time was a task to "review Slack and Gmail from the past 3 days and organize anything that has been missed in terms of replies or follow-ups, sorted by urgency."

Please check Slack and Gmail from the past 3 days and organize anything requiring action, sorted by urgency.

[High] Action required: Items with assigned owners or approaching deadlines
[Medium] Consider replying/following up: Replies are needed but not urgent
[Low] When time allows: Casual replies or information sharing only

For each item, please include a 1–2 sentence summary after a heading in the format:
"[Source (HubSpot/Gmail/Slack DM)] Subject (Date)"

When I sent this to Cowork with Gmail and Slack connectors connected, it actually compiled unanswered emails and DMs sorted by urgency.

[High] Action Required

[Gmail] Re: [Scheduling Our Next Meeting] ◯◯ Corporation (08/04)
A reply from ◯◯ expressing interest in exchanging opinions about implementing "◯◯ Service,"
with suggested dates around 8/17.

[Gmail] Invitation: Generative AI Utilization Proposal for ◯◯ University (dated 08/06 · held 8/10)
Confirmed Google Meet invitation. Content preparation is needed.

[Medium] Consider Replying/Following Up

[Gmail] Invitation: [1-on-1] ◯◯ & ◯◯ (dated 08/03 · held 8/7)
Friday 4:30 PM 1-on-1 confirmed. It may be good to check if there are any items to prepare in advance.

[Low] When Time Allows

[Slack DM] ◯◯ (08/02 10:15)
A reply to "Let's go to lunch sometime!" has not been sent. A casual reply is sufficient.

[Gmail] ◯◯ Tool Maintenance Notice (08/03)
System maintenance scheduled for Sunday, 8/10 from 2:00–4:00 AM. No reply needed, but
please be aware if it may affect your schedule.

※Dummy information has been used for this example.

Step 2: If the Results Are Good, Lock It In Right There with /schedule

■ What Are "Commands" in the First Place?

There is a feature in Cowork where entering words starting with / in the chat field lets you ask Claude to perform specific actions.
These are called "slash commands."

Unlike making requests in plain sentences, sending a set keyword starting with / conveys to Claude that "this is not a regular question, but an instruction to invoke a specific function." /schedule is one of these commands, and knowing it lets you quickly call up the scheduled execution settings.

■ What Kind of Command Is /schedule

/schedule is a command that can be used in any conversation within Cowork. When entered, it converts the current conversation content (i.e., the prompts and exchanges up to that point) directly into a scheduled task.

When you type it, Claude will ask you—in a selection format—about:

the execution frequency (hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays only, or manual)
whether to confirm before execution or run automatically (approval mode)

You just tap to answer and the setup is complete. Even if you don't remember the command, speaking naturally—like "I want you to do this every morning at 7"—will activate the same feature.

After creation, you can access it anytime from "Scheduled" in the sidebar, edit the instructions with the pencil icon, pause it with a toggle, and do a test run with "Run Now." If you want to fine-tune the frequency or wording later, you can do so directly from here.

Once you are satisfied with the output, type /schedule within the same conversation.

/schedule Run this every morning at 7

Then, Claude will ask you—with answer choices—about:

1. Execution frequency (hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays only, or manual)
2. Whether to confirm before execution or run automatically (approval mode)

Just tap to answer and your scheduled task is complete.
What was really helpful here was that there was no need to copy and paste the prompt into a separate screen. The "tested content" becomes "live production" as-is, so there is no confusing in-between step.

Speaking naturally—like "I want you to do this every morning at 7"—activates it just the same, so you don't need to memorize the command.

Step 3: Understand the Difference in Execution Environments

There are two patterns for scheduled tasks.

Tasks like today's "unanswered message check" that rely solely on connectors are executed in the cloud, so the results are ready in the morning even if your PC is closed. It was a quietly reassuring point that failures like "it didn't run because my PC was off" are less likely to happen.

Examples That Could Work Across Job Roles

Even outside of sales, I think every job role has "regularly occurring confirmation and review tasks." Here are a few examples.

• General Affairs / Back Office: Every morning, organize unanswered questions that have piled up in the internal inquiry channel by type
• HR: On a weekly basis, identify candidates whose application correspondence has stalled
• Engineers: Every morning, prepare a draft retrospective memo based on the logs of incidents and issues closed the previous day
• Marketing: Compile weekly mentions and reactions related to your company's products and campaigns

If you have a task where "you open a tool and check it yourself every time," that is a candidate for a Cowork scheduled task.

Summary

• Cowork lets you seamlessly follow the flow of "try it in chat → lock it in as-is if it's good"
• /schedule, entered mid-conversation, converts the current prompt into a scheduled recurring task on the spot
• Tasks that rely solely on connectors run in the cloud, so you don't have to worry about your PC's state
• It's applicable to any job role, not just sales—as long as there are "regularly occurring confirmation tasks"

I think there are many people who use Claude's chat but feel like they "don't know where to start" with Cowork. I recommend first picking one confirmation task you do every day or every week, trying it through conversation, and then running /schedule—in that order.
As an additional benefit, you no longer need to keep "Did I handle that thing?" in the back of your mind,
and because results are sent as Slack notifications, you can check them during your commute, which changes how you prepare in the morning.
Please give it a try if you haven't yet.