Migrate from Claude Cowork

You do not need to rebuild your setup to move from Claude Cowork to OpenWork. Start with one real task, bring over the capabilities it needs, and keep Cowork available until that task works end to end.

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What carries over

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1. Install OpenWork and open the same work

1. Download OpenWork for macOS, Windows, or Linux.
2. Create a workspace from the folder or repository you used with Cowork.
3. Ask OpenWork to summarize the workspace before changing anything. This confirms it can read the files you expect.

Your files stay where they already are. OpenWork does not require you to upload a duplicate copy before you can work with them.

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2. Choose your models

OpenWork is model-agnostic. You can keep using Anthropic models, add another provider, or let your organization provision models centrally.

• To keep using Claude, follow Add an Anthropic API key.
• To use ChatGPT, follow Sign in with ChatGPT.
• For another provider, follow Add a custom LLM.
• For a team-managed provider, follow Managed LLM provider.

Your Claude subscription and Anthropic API billing may be separate. Confirm API access before removing Cowork from your workflow.

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3. Bring over skills and plugins

OpenWork uses the same SKILL.md format. Copy a skill directory into the workspace, or import the plugin that contains it. After importing each skill:

1. Open the skill and check any file paths, app names, or environment variables.
2. Run the smallest task that should trigger it.
3. Confirm the output before importing the next skill.

See Connectors, skills, and plugins for how OpenWork organizes these pieces. For team distribution, see Publish and copy a skill.

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4. Reconnect apps and MCP servers

Credentials do not move between products. Reconnect each service so OpenWork receives its own authorized access.

• For Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Slack, Notion, Linear, and other managed services, use Connect your services.
• For another remote or local MCP server, use Add a custom MCP server.
• For an organization-wide setup, use Shared MCP connections.

Test read-only actions first. Then test actions that modify data, such as sending a message or updating a record, with a disposable example.

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5. Recreate schedules and browser tasks

For every recurring task, record:

• the prompt;
• its schedule and time zone;
• the workspace and files it can use;
• the connected apps it needs;
• where the result should be saved or sent.

Recreate one schedule at a time and run it manually before enabling recurrence. For browser-driven work, follow Control the browser and verify the target site while you are present.

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6. Move a team without configuration drift

Do not ask every teammate to repeat your local setup by hand. In OpenWork Cloud, publish approved skills and connections once, assign them to the right teams, and apply desktop policies centrally. Start with the team quickstart, then review desktop policies and members and roles.

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Cutover checklist

• The same workspace opens and the agent can read the expected files.
• At least one model is connected and billing is understood.
• Each required skill triggers on a representative task.
• Each connector or MCP server is authorized and tested.
• Scheduled and browser tasks have been run manually once.
• Team capabilities are published centrally instead of copied machine by machine.
• Important Cowork instructions are saved in files or skills.
• Cowork remains available until the representative workflow passes in OpenWork.

Once the checklist passes, make OpenWork the default for that workflow and migrate the next one.