Is it safe to give Claude your business data? A practical checklist
Claude only reaches what you give it: the folders you allow, the apps you connect, and the actions you approve. Here's where each of those is controlled.
Three doors, and you hold every key
| What | How it's controlled |
|---|---|
| Folders | Claude asks before it opens a folder. Attach one working folder, never your whole computer. |
| Connected apps | Customize › Connectors lists every app Claude can use. For each one, set write and delete tools to Needs approval, and block tools you never use. |
| Actions | The permission mode under the message box: Manual asks before each new tool, Auto runs on its own and pauses if something looks unsafe. |
Everything else on your computer, and any app you haven't connected, stays out of reach.
A simple rule
Keep Manual for anything that sends email or moves money. Use Auto for routine work on your own files.
Monthly checklist
- Only working folders are attached.
- The Connectors list contains only apps you still use.
- Write and delete tools are on Needs approval; unused tools are blocked.
- Your instructions say "always ask before deleting any file".
- Sensitive questions go in an Incognito chat, so they aren't remembered.
- Scheduled tasks are still wanted.
- Numbers are checked against the source before they reach a customer.
Plans for teams add admin controls for connectors and no training on your content by default; check Claude's current plan details before you buy.
Want to see it done, step by step?
The Monday Routine is a 26-lesson video course that walks you through this on a real-looking bakery, then on your own business. Lesson 24 shows every step on screen.
See the course · $149