dusk botclaude code for non-developers: start with one folder
you can start with claude code without making software your first project. in dusk bot, a bot can think with claude through its official command-line app while you text it in plain words. begin with files you intentionally supply and a result you can inspect. if you want anthropic's own terminal-free knowledge-work experience, cowork, now becoming part of claude, is another route.123
pick a job that does not need a terminal lesson
choose a small set of files you understand: notes from a personal project, a reading packet or a planning document. the first job should be to inspect and summarize those files, leaving the originals alone. avoid a request to reorganize your whole computer.
the important skill is writing a brief you can check. name the input, what counts as finished, what should remain untouched and what to do when information is missing. the ai agent introduction explains why those limits matter when a program can take several steps instead of just answering a question.
set up one bot for that job
in dusk bot, choose New bot and give it a name, shape, colour and one job in plain words. choose the ai for the bot. dusk has no model of its own: it runs the vendors' official command-line apps on the machine where the bots live, and you sign in yourself.8
work with the ai you already sign in to, and check your provider's current terms for the use you intend. do not assume installing a different desktop interface changes those terms. dusk bot can also take an api key or a local model, but you do not need to compare every option before trying one bounded task.1
supply the material deliberately
drop files into the chat or use Attach files. dusk accepts documents, spreadsheets, pictures and screenshots. the work it makes appears in the chat and lives in the bot's folder, or a project folder you give it. use a copy of your first packet if you are experimenting.5
ask it to identify what it could read before you request a summary. then ask for an outline with a source for each point and a list of unresolved questions. check the outline against the files yourself.
steer it while it works
replies stream in, and a line shows the tools the bot uses. send another message if you see it heading toward the wrong task. Cmd . on mac, or Ctrl . on windows and linux, stops it. questions can come as Allow or Deny cards.4
start a new bot on Ask for approval for a few days. that setting covers commands and file changes. connected-app sends have their own sending setting, while other app changes should be kept read-only or carry an explicit ask-first instruction. for the first file exercise, there is no need to connect mail, chat or payments.6
learn from the first correction
if the summary misses a decision, point to the relevant source and say what was missing. if it uses a tone you dislike, give a precise correction. dusk bots remember what you tell them, and you can read and edit their notes in Memory. you can also turn memory off.7
keep task-specific instructions separate from durable preferences. "use short paragraphs" may be useful across work; a deadline in one document may not be. when you find a way of working you want to reuse, skills show how to save it.
when another interface is a better fit
anthropic describes cowork as bringing claude code's agentic capabilities to knowledge work without requiring a terminal. it is included in paid plans. anthropic now describes cowork and chat as one claude, with cowork brought in automatically for file work.23
the cowork pricing guide helps if you want that route. dusk bot fits a different choice: keeping your own named bots and conversations, with a model per bot. neither approach removes the need to review a result. if you cannot tell whether the answer is correct, choose a smaller first task or ask someone who understands the material to check it.
questions
can i use claude code without a terminal?
dusk bot lets you text a bot while it runs the official command-line ai app. anthropic also describes cowork as a terminal-free knowledge-work experience. they are different product paths.12
do i need to learn programming first?
no. you won't write code or approve commands you don't understand for this exercise.
what should i try before giving it my inbox?
supply a small packet of non-sensitive files and ask for a source-based outline. review missing or mistaken points before giving the bot access to a connected account.
sources
read next
what is an ai agent, in plain english?a goal, some tools, and your limits.
claude cowork pricing: what are you paying for?the plan price, the limits, the name.
claude skills for people who do not write codea reusable method, with its materials.
an ai agent that controls a computer for youa first task on a bot's own desktop.
claude code from your phone: three ways inyour phone reaches the work.
how to run claude code 24/7choose a home for overnight work.
drafted with ai help from the dusk bot docs and the sources listed on this page, then checked against them. if something here is wrong or out of date, write to [email protected].