In Lesson 1.4 you opened a folder in the app and Claude told you what was inside. A fair next question: if it can see that folder, what else can it see?
Claude Code can see the folder you opened in the app, anything inside it, and the conversation you’re having. Nothing else, by default.
That folder you picked is shown right there in the app’s file pane — the list of files down the side. That pane is the boundary. Everything Claude does revolves around it.
What it can see
- Every file and subfolder inside the folder you opened.
- The conversation so far — every message, everything it looked at, every result.
- Files outside that folder only if you specifically point it at one. By default, it stays inside what you opened.
What it cannot see
- Your browser tabs, your email, your Slack, your screen. Claude doesn’t see your monitor — only the folder you handed it.
- Other folders on your computer you didn’t open.
- Your previous Claude chats. Each new chat starts fresh, with no memory of past ones. (Cross-chat memory is something you can turn on later — it’s not the default.)
- Anything your account hasn’t given it access to.
Why this matters
Two reasons.
Privacy. What Claude can see is what gets sent to Anthropic to answer your question. If you don’t want a folder anywhere near Anthropic’s servers, don’t open it in Claude.
Practicality. “Why doesn’t Claude know about that file?” almost always has the same answer: it’s not in the folder you opened. Open the right folder before you start — or, when you really need to, point Claude at a specific file elsewhere.
The mental shortcut:
Claude sees what you opened.
What’s next
Knowing what Claude can see is half the picture. The other half: knowing what it can do — and when it’ll stop to ask you first. That’s the next lesson.