Give Claude files
Full Lesson Reference
Claude Code reads files on your machine. Not the web, not attachments in a chat - actual files in your project folder. Getting files to Claude is one of the highest-leverage things you do.
The rule: put files in your project folder
Anything Claude needs to read goes inside the project folder you started Claude in. Claude can only see what's in that folder (security feature, covered in Module 01).
Common patterns
Pattern 1: a dedicated data folder
my-project/ ├── CLAUDE.md ├── data/ ← inputs go here │ ├── brief.md │ ├── performance.csv │ └── brand-guide.pdf ├── drafts/ ← Claude writes outputs here └── public/ ← anything ready to publish
Tell Claude
Read the files in my /data folder and summarise what's there.
Pattern 2: drag files into the terminal
Already covered in Module 01. Drag any file from Finder or File Explorer into the terminal - the path appears automatically. Paste that into your Claude instruction:
Read this file and extract the key insights: [paste the path]
Pattern 3: reference by relative path
If you already know the path
Read data/brief.md and apply its tone to the email drafts we're working on.
File formats that work well
- Markdown (.md) - best format for briefs, strategies, notes. Claude reads and writes markdown natively.
- CSV (.csv) - structured data. Export from Google Sheets, platform dashboards, or database queries.
- JSON (.json) - API responses, configs, structured records.
- PDF (.pdf) - Claude reads PDFs up to ~20 pages. For large PDFs, specify pages: "Read pages 3-5."
- Images (.png, .jpg, .webp, .svg) - Claude can see and describe images. Useful for ad creatives, screenshots, design references.
- Word (.docx) - Claude reads these but markdown is cleaner if you can convert.
- Code (any language) - reads and edits Python, HTML, CSS, JS, SQL, shell scripts, etc.
Formats that don't work
- Excel (.xlsx) - not directly readable. Export to CSV first or open in Google Sheets and share the URL.
- Video / audio - Claude can't watch or listen. Provide transcripts (.md or .txt) instead.
- Encrypted files - Claude can't read files you've encrypted. Decrypt first or point Claude at the unencrypted version.
Big files cost tokens
Every file Claude reads goes into the context window. A big CSV or a lengthy PDF can eat significant context on its own.
If you only need part of a file
Read rows 1-100 of this CSV. Read pages 3-5 of this PDF. Read the first 200 lines of this transcript.
Cuts the context cost dramatically.
Claude creates files too
Most of your sessions, Claude produces files - reports, emails, landing pages, skill definitions. Those files appear in your project folder where you told Claude to put them.
Standard pattern
Build a weekly report. Save to drafts/weekly-report-2026-04-22.html
Specify the filename explicitly. Claude creates it, you can open it in your browser (file:/ /) or push to GitHub for a live URL.
Power-user tips
- Drag-drop saves path typing - always faster than typing a path manually
- Use relative paths when in the project folder - data/brief.md is cleaner than /Users/...full/path/
- Tell Claude to list folder contents - "show me what files are in this project" - useful when you're not sure what's there
- Symlinks work - if you have data in Dropbox and want it accessible from a GitHub repo, a symlink to the data folder lets Claude read it without copying
- Multiple files in one instruction - "read data/brief.md, data/competitors.csv, and data/brand-guide.pdf, then summarise all 3"
Action items
☐ Create a data/ folder inside each of your project folders ☐ Practice drag-drop: drag a file into your terminal to get its path
☐ Convert any .xlsx files to .csv for Claude work
☐ For large files, always specify which part to read
Next lesson: Local files vs live files.
Exercises
- Review the concepts covered in this lesson: Give Claude files.
- Write down your key takeaway from this lesson.
- Practice running any commands or prompts mentioned above inside your terminal.