Week 14 — Readings & Resources · Claude Cowork IV: Computer Use, Chrome, Excel & Cross-App Workflows

Course: Using Artificial Intelligence (AI 101) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Quinn
Objective covered: Objective 6 — Automate real tasks and operate cross-app workflows (computer use, Claude in Chrome, Claude in Excel) — using agentic tools safely.

How to use this page

Everything here is a link to an external resource — open it in your browser. Nothing is downloaded. Resources are grouped to match the lecture's four main ideas: the three cross-app tools, prompt-injection risk, safe-use rules, and cross-app workflow design. Read or watch at least one item in each group you haven't mastered; read the full safety article before Studio 14.

Order that matches the lecture: ① the three tools → ② prompt injection & safety → ③ cross-app workflows → ④ the absolute money rule

① The Three Cross-App Tools (official docs — verified live)

These are the authoritative sources for every feature and availability claim about the tools this week.

Claude for Chrome — Official Product Page (Anthropic)
🔗 https://claude.com/claude-for-chrome
Why it's required: the official product page confirms availability ("beta on all paid plans"), describes what Chrome can do (navigate, click, fill forms), and explains the safety context right on the landing page. Read the FAQ section; it answers the most common questions about what the tool can and cannot do.
⏱ ~8 min

Getting Started with Claude in Chrome (Anthropic Support)
🔗 https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12012173-get-started-with-claude-in-chrome
Why it's here: step-by-step setup guide for the Chrome extension — confirms how to enable it and what permissions it requests.
⏱ ~5 min

Claude for Excel — Release Notes entry, November 2025 (Anthropic Support)
🔗 https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12138966-release-notes
Why it's here: the November 2025 and February 2026 entries in the official release notes confirm Claude for Excel's availability and capabilities (sidebar, pivot tables, charts, workbook modification). Scroll to the November 24, 2025 and February 5, 2026 sections.
⏱ ~6 min (skim the relevant entries)

Computer Use in Cowork — Official Support Article (Anthropic)
🔗 https://support.claude.com/en/articles/14128542-let-claude-use-your-computer-in-cowork
Why it's here: the authoritative description of what computer use does, how to enable it, and what it can control in the Cowork context.
⏱ ~5 min

② Prompt Injection — What It Is and Why It Matters

Maps to Lecture Segment 3. This is the most important safety reading of the Cowork weeks. Read it before Studio 14.

Using Claude in Chrome Safely (Anthropic Support) — Required
🔗 https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12902428-using-claude-for-chrome-safely
Why it's required: the official safety guide from Anthropic explaining prompt-injection attacks with concrete attack scenarios, the defensive habits, what Anthropic has blocked (financial sites, credential scraping), and what you're responsible for even with safeguards in place. The Studio's safety-audit step is built around the ideas in this article.
⏱ ~10 min

Prompt Injection Defenses — Anthropic Research Blog
🔗 https://www.anthropic.com/research/prompt-injection-defenses
Why it earns the click: Anthropic's own researchers describe how they test for and defend against prompt injection, including quantified red-team results (attack success rates). Gives a realistic picture of the current state — defenses are real but not perfect.
⏱ ~12 min

③ Cross-App Workflows — How Chrome and Cowork Work Together

Maps to Lecture Segment 5.

Claude for Chrome — Official Product Page (read the "Chrome + Cowork" section)
🔗 https://claude.com/claude-for-chrome
Why it's here (second read): the bottom section of the product page describes the Chrome-to-Cowork handoff explicitly: Chrome gathers web information, Cowork turns it into Excel models and reports. This is the architecture you'll use in Studio 14.
⏱ ~5 min (focused re-read of the workflow section)

Work Across Excel and PowerPoint with Cowork (Anthropic Support)
🔗 https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13892150-work-across-apps-with-cowork
Why it's here: the official documentation for the Excel+PowerPoint cross-app capabilities — describes how Cowork shares context across Office apps for workflows that span multiple files.
⏱ ~6 min

④ The Safe-Use Rules — Agentic Tools in Practice

Maps to Lecture Segment 6 and the safety requirements in Studio 14.

Use Claude Cowork Safely (Anthropic Support)
🔗 https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13364135-use-claude-cowork-safely
Why it's here: the Cowork-specific version of the safe-use guidelines — approval habits, least-privilege principles, what to do if Claude acts unexpectedly.
⏱ ~7 min

Using Agents According to Anthropic's Usage Policy (Anthropic Support)
🔗 https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12005017-using-agents-according-to-our-usage-policy
Why it's here: the official policy on what agents may and may not do — confirms the financial-transaction prohibition and other hard rules that apply regardless of what plan you're on.
⏱ ~6 min

Pick-one quick path (≈20 min total)

In a hurry? Do exactly these three and you're ready for Studio 14:
1. Read the official Claude for Chrome page (group ①) — especially the FAQ and the safety callouts.
2. Read "Using Claude in Chrome Safely" (group ②) — the full article, not a skim.
3. Read "Using Agents According to Anthropic's Usage Policy" (group ④) — specifically the prohibited actions.

Heads-up (links rot): these link to official Anthropic documentation, which Anthropic may update or reorganize. If a specific URL fails, navigate to support.claude.com and search for the article title, or check the release notes page. Nothing here is downloaded or redistributed — all resources stay as links to their original sources.

Product-accuracy gate: every link in this file resolves to an official Anthropic domain (claude.com, support.claude.com, www.anthropic.com) and was verified live on 2026-06-29. No third-party summaries; no open-license claims.