Most people use Claude like a smarter Google search.
They open a new chat. Type a question. Get an answer. Close the tab.
If that sounds familiar, you're using about 10% of what you're paying for.
Here are 20 features ranked by how much they change the way you work, and most people paying $20 or $100 a month have never touched them.
# The basics most people skip
## 1. Projects
The single most underused feature in Claude.
A Project is a persistent workspace. Every conversation inside it shares the same context, the same files, and the same instructions, permanently. You don't re-explain yourself every session.
If you've ever opened a new chat and typed "okay so I'm working on a SaaS app and the stack is…" that's a sign you don't have a Project set up.
Create one for each thing you work on. Your startup. Your content. Your code. Claude will know exactly who you are before you type a word.
## 2. Custom Instructions per Project
Inside every Project, you set a system prompt that runs automatically on every conversation.
"You are an expert copywriter. I run a crypto marketing agency. My audience is founders. Always write in a direct, punchy style. No em dashes. No fluff."
You write it once. You never explain yourself again.
This is the difference between a Claude that sounds like you and a Claude that sounds like a press release.
## 3. Project Files
Upload your documents to a Project and they stay there.
Your brand guidelines. Your style guide. Your product spec. Your competitor research. Claude reads them automatically at the start of every session.
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