How to give Claude access to a folder, and keep the rest private

Why Claude cannot see your files

Out of the box, Claude Desktop only knows what you paste or attach. Reading a folder needs an extension, a small local program that Claude can ask to list, read or move files. The extension decides which folders are reachable.

Give access to specific folders

1. Install Desktop Steward (double-click the downloaded file, press Save in Claude Desktop).
2. By default Claude can read Desktop, Documents, Downloads and Pictures, and change files only in Documents/AI Workspace and Downloads.
3. To open another folder, go to Settings → Extensions → Desktop Steward → Configure and add it under “Folders Claude may read”. Add it to “Folders Claude may change” only if Claude should be able to move or rename things there.

What stays private no matter what

• Password stores, keychains, SSH and cloud keys, browser profiles, mail, system folders.
• Any file whose name marks it as a secret (.env, *.pem, *.key, *.kdbx, id_rsa …).
• Everything outside the folders you listed.

One thing to keep in mind

What Claude reads through an extension is sent to Anthropic the same way as text you paste into the chat. So open folders you would be comfortable pasting from. A folder of tax documents is fine if that is what you want help with; a folder with other people's data may not be.

Take access back

Remove the folder in Configure, turn the extension off with the Enabled switch, or uninstall it. Copies kept for undo live in ~/.desktop-steward and can be deleted at any time.