You opened a folder and Claude told you what was in it. Fair next question: if it can see that, what else can it see?
Claude Code can see the folder you opened, everything inside it, and the conversation you’re having. Nothing else, by default.
The file list down the side of the window isn’t decoration. It’s the boundary.
What it can see
- Every file and subfolder inside the folder you opened.
- The conversation so far — every message, everything it read, every result it got back.
- A file somewhere else, but only if you point at it specifically. Left alone, it stays inside what you opened.
What it can’t
- Your browser tabs, your email, your Slack, your screen. It doesn’t see your monitor. It sees a folder.
- Other folders on your computer that you didn’t open.
- Your previous chats. Each new conversation starts fresh. (Memory across chats is something you can switch on later; it isn’t the default.)
Why it’s worth knowing
For privacy. What Claude reads is what goes to Anthropic to produce an answer. So the rule is blunt and easy to follow: if you wouldn’t want a folder near a third party, don’t open it in Claude. Your company may have its own rules about this — they’re worth asking about before you open anything with customer data in it.
For sanity. “Why doesn’t Claude know about that file?” has the same answer nine times out of ten: it isn’t in the folder you opened.
Four words, and they’ll save you an hour:
Claude sees what you opened.