Glossary

The words, in plain English

Plain-English definitions of the words Claude uses. These are drafts. I am still writing them, and each one carries the date I last checked it.

Project: A folder in Claude that holds instructions and files for one recurring job. Every chat you start inside it already knows that context. Checked October 23, 2026.
Skill: A saved set of instructions Claude follows for a particular kind of task, so you do not re-explain the steps each time. Checked October 23, 2026.
Agent: Claude working on its own through a multi-step task, using tools, instead of answering one message at a time. Checked October 23, 2026.
Command: A shortcut you type, starting with a slash, that runs a saved instruction. Checked October 23, 2026.
Connector: A link from Claude to one of your other tools, such as your calendar or your files, so Claude can read from it or act in it. Checked October 23, 2026.
MCP: The standard plug that connectors are built on. You will see the letters; you do not need to know more than that. Checked October 23, 2026.
Context window: How much Claude can hold in mind in one chat. When it fills up, older parts fade or get summarized. Checked October 23, 2026.
Compaction: Claude summarizing an older part of a long chat to make room. Details can get lost, which is one reason to start a new chat per topic. Checked October 23, 2026.
Token: The unit Claude reads and writes in, roughly three quarters of a word. Pricing and limits are counted in tokens. Checked October 23, 2026.
Model: The version of Claude doing the work. Bigger models think harder and cost more; smaller ones are faster and cheaper. Checked October 23, 2026.
Cowork: The version of Claude that does the work inside your files and apps on your computer, rather than only talking with you. Checked October 23, 2026.
Claude Code: The version of Claude for developers. It works in a terminal and writes software. Not for most of my clients. Checked October 23, 2026.
Artifact: A document, page, or small app Claude makes for you that sits beside the chat and can be edited, shared, or published. Checked October 23, 2026.