Other ways to work with Claude
12. Other Ways to Work with Claude
Course: Claude 101 Estimated time: 10 minutes
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Understand the key Claude applications beyond Claude.ai
- Identify which Claude tool best fits different working contexts
Claude Code
Claude Code is a coding agent that you install as a plugin in your terminal or IDE. It lets you type in natural language instead of code, letting Claude propose changes, run tests, and commit changes through conversational prompts.
Claude Code lives in your development environment — it's not a separate web app. It integrates directly into VS Code, JetBrains, and any terminal.
When to use Claude Code:
- You're actively coding and want Claude to understand your entire codebase
- You need to make multi-file changes based on natural language prompts
- You want to automate refactoring, debugging, or documentation tasks
- You need to run tests and have Claude analyze the output
Claude for Chrome
Claude for Chrome is a browser extension that integrates Claude directly into your browser, allowing you to use Claude without switching tabs.
When to use Claude for Chrome:
- You're on a webpage and want to quickly summarize, explain, or interact with its content
- You need to process information from websites directly in your browser
Claude for Slack
Claude for Slack integrates Claude into your Slack workspace so you and your team can use Claude directly in Slack conversations, channels, and direct messages.
When to use Claude for Slack:
- You want to answer questions from teammates using Claude within a channel
- You want Claude to help draft responses without leaving your Slack workflow
- You need team-level access to Claude in a familiar tool that the whole team already uses
Claude for Excel
Claude integrates with Microsoft Excel, allowing you to interact with spreadsheet data using natural language.
When to use Claude for Excel:
- You're working in spreadsheets and want Claude to explain formulas, suggest improvements, or build new calculations
- You need to analyze data and generate insights directly within your spreadsheet
Summary
| Tool | Best for |
|---|---|
| Claude.ai | General conversation, projects, artifacts |
| Claude Code | Software development, agentic coding |
| Claude for Chrome | Browser-based research, quick page summaries |
| Claude for Slack | Team collaboration, in-channel AI assistance |
| Claude for Excel | Spreadsheet analysis and automation |