10 Hidden Claude Features You Didn’t Know Existed 👀 (use responsibly)

10 Hidden Claude Features You Didn’t Know

Table of Contents

🔎 Feature 1 — Turn on Memory (Search and Reference Chats)

Claude’s memory-like capability is now available as a “Search and Reference Chats” feature. When enabled, Claude can surface relevant details from your past conversations so that nothing important slips through the cracks.

How to enable it

  • Open Claude and click Settings.
  • Go to Features.
  • Scroll and toggle on Search and Reference Chats.

Once activated, you can ask things like, “What was the last thing we spoke about?” and Claude will search your chat history and give you a concise summary. For example, I used this to recall a specific conversation about commercial window cleaning prospects in Southampton — Claude retrieved the context and asked if I wanted to continue with that plan.

Use cases

  • Pick up long-term projects without re-briefing Claude each time.
  • Recover details from brainstorming sessions, draft revisions, or strategy calls.
  • Ask for specific items an earlier chat produced (like a list of leads or a marketing outline).

Best practices

  • Label important conversations (where possible) and keep sensitive content minimal in memory-enabled chats.
  • Periodically review and prune older chats to avoid cluttered or irrelevant memory results.

🧩 Feature 2 — Artifacts: Build Mini AI Apps Inside Claude

Artifacts are essentially mini AI-powered apps, prototypes, or interactive documents that run inside Claude. Think of them like no-code AI modules you can build and reuse.

How to enable and start

  • Settings → Features → Toggle on Artifacts and AI-powered Artifacts.
  • Tell Claude: “Let’s build an AI app that can do X, Y, Z.”

Example: I created a “Writing Editor” artifact. Claude produced the interface, stored the prompt used to define behavior, and exposed parameters like feedback on clarity, readability, and grammar. You can customize these artifacts or make your own from scratch for use cases such as:

  • Customer intake workflows
  • Interactive proposal generators
  • Onboarding checklists that react to user input
  • Content reviewers and checklist-based editors

Why this matters: artifacts let you create reusable AI workflows without leaving Claude. They keep logic, prompts, and interfaces in one place so you can distribute consistent capabilities across your team or clients.

🧰 Feature 3 — Claude Chrome Extension (Beta)

Claude’s Chrome extension brings Claude to the web pages you visit. It can summarize articles, answer comments, and even automate browser interactions. Important note: it’s a beta feature currently available to a very limited group of early testers (~1,000 users) and comes with risks; use it responsibly.

What it can do

  • Summarize the current webpage content.
  • Auto-generate replies to comments or emails on web apps.
  • Execute page-level automation (where supported).

How I’ve used it:

  • “Summarize this article” and get a clean, concise brief in seconds.
  • Generate draft responses for comments or support messages.

Security tip: Because the extension can interact with pages and data, treat it like any other browser extension. Do not enable it on high-risk sites (banking, financial dashboards) unless you understand and trust the privacy model.

🖥️ Feature 4 — Desktop Extensions: Control Your Mac, iMessage, Apple Notes & More

Claude can integrate with desktop apps via connectors described as “desktop extensions.” These give Claude the ability to read and write data in apps like Apple Notes, iMessage, PDF filler tools, and even execute AppleScript to control macOS.

How to enable

  • Settings → Connectors → Browse Connectors → Desktop Extensions.
  • Enable the specific connectors you want (e.g., Read and Send iMessage, Read and Write Apple Notes, PDF Filler, Control Your Mac).

Examples of practical automation

  1. From Claude: “What’s the last text message I got?” Claude reads the most recent iMessage and returns the content and sender.
  2. Ask Claude to fill PDFs: upload or point Claude to a PDF and instruct it to populate fields or produce a ready-to-sign document.
  3. Use “Control your Mac” to run AppleScript-based automations from Claude—schedule processes, move files, or open applications.

Why this is powerful: you no longer have to switch apps constantly. Claude becomes a central command interface for tasks that previously required manual clicks and copy-paste between apps.

🔗 Feature 5 — Web Connectors: Stripe, PayPal, Google, HubSpot & Hundreds More

Claude’s web connectors let it interact with SaaS platforms like Stripe, PayPal, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Gmail, HubSpot, and more. Once authorized, Claude can read, write, and automate workflows across these tools.

Getting set up

  • Settings → Connectors → Web (or browse connectors) → choose the app (Stripe/Google/HubSpot/etc.).
  • Authorize the connection through the app’s OAuth or API flow.

Real-world examples

  • “Find my last five emails and put them in a Google Sheet.” Claude can read Gmail, extract headers and snippets, and create a new Google Sheet with appropriate column headers.
  • “Create a calendar event and send invites based on this list.” Claude can schedule a meeting with attendees pulled from an existing CRM record.
  • “Check stripe for recent payments and summarize MRR trends.” Claude can query Stripe and produce an executive summary.

One interface to rule them all: When you combine memory, artifacts, desktop extensions, and web connectors, Claude starts to look like a single-pane-of-glass interface for personal and business automation. Instead of jumping between Gmail, Sheets, Slack, HubSpot, and your local apps, you can interact through Claude and have it orchestrate work for you.

🧩 Feature 6 — Expand Claude’s App Library: roop.app and 500+ Tools

If the out-of-the-box connectors don’t cover everything you need, roop.app offers a way to add hundreds more integrations that plug into Claude’s connector system. This unlocks an even broader automation ecosystem.

How to connect additional apps

  1. Visit roop.app and browse the available connectors (they provide a long list including niche tools).
  2. Click enable and authorize the connector.
  3. Return to your Claude instance (Cloud Desktop or connectors page) and find the newly enabled apps.

Use case example: I connected YouTube, enabled it, and then used Claude to parse recent video comments and populate action items into a Google Sheet. Another example: link a project management tool and have Claude pull in tasks and provide a daily status update.

Why this matters: connecting more apps increases the breadth of things Claude can automate on your behalf, from lead discovery to content distribution and beyond.

✍️ Feature 7 — Use and Create Writing Styles (Use Style / Custom Styles)

Claude has style presets and the ability to create custom styles. This changes the way Claude writes and responds — effectively training it on tone, formatting, and voice you prefer.

How to use style

  • When composing, click Use Style or go to Create and Edit Styles.
  • Choose from built-in presets or Create Custom Style.
  • To create a custom style, paste sample content (website copy, blog posts, newsletters) and instruct Claude to emulate that tone and structure.

Practical examples

  • Need web copy in the voice of a competitor? Paste their copy as training material and create a custom style to mimic structure and tone (avoid plagiarism — use style for inspiration and transformation).
  • Create a monthly newsletter style so every edition maintains the same tone and structure without re-briefing the model each time.
  • Set different styles for sales emails, technical documentation, creative storytelling, and support responses.

Best practices

  • Use aggregated, original content samples rather than copying single sources verbatim.
  • Document the constraints and preferences (length, voice descriptors, formatting) in the style definition so others on your team can reuse it.

⚙️ Feature 8 — Presets: From Drive, Code, Learn, Write

Claude includes function-specific presets that make specialized tasks faster. Examples include:

  • From Drive: Grant Claude access to your Google Drive and instruct it to summarize folders, analyze documents, or produce consolidated reports.
  • Code: Use code presets to ask Claude for code reviews, bug fixes, or scaffolding new scripts.
  • Learn: Use learning presets to have Claude produce study plans, flashcards, or explainers on complex topics.
  • Write: Use writing presets for blog posts, email sequences, or ad copy with structure recommendations (headlines, intros, CTAs).

These presets reduce friction and include context-aware behavior tailored to the task category.

Claude now supports adding prepaid credits via Stripe. This functions like a balance or virtual card that Claude can use for purchases or transactions without exposing your primary credit card details.

How to set it up

  • Settings → Billing → Add Link by Stripe (or similar “add credit” option).
  • Top up the balance you want Claude to use.

What this enables

  • Allow Claude to buy services or order items on your behalf via authorized connectors or workflows.
  • Use it for automation where Claude needs to interact with paid APIs, procure content, or pay for extras without exposing your main card.

Security note: Treat this as you would any payment method. Only top up amounts you’re comfortable authorizing and ensure Claude only performs actions you trust it to execute. Review transaction logs and permissioned flows regularly.

🔐 Feature 10 — Safety, Responsible Usage & Risk Mitigation

Many of Claude’s deeper features introduce new attack surfaces: connectors, desktop extensions, and the browser extension can access sensitive data depending on what you authorize. The extension itself is still in beta and available only to a small set of testers — it has real utility but also risks.

Risk mitigation checklist

  • Limit connectors to only the apps you need.
  • Use separate, constrained accounts or service accounts for automation where possible.
  • Regularly audit authorized apps and revoke unnecessary permissions.
  • Do not enable the Chrome extension or desktop connectors on devices with sensitive financial or personal accounts unless you understand the privacy model.
  • Monitor logs and review Claude-generated actions before fully automating critical workflows.

Responsible usage: When enabling a capability like “control your Mac” or “read and send iMessages”, recognize the potential for unintended actions. Start with read-only flows, test thoroughly, then escalate to write or send flows once you’re confident.

🚀 Putting it all together: Practical Automation Examples

To help you visualize how these features combine, here are a few end-to-end workflows I use or recommend:

Example 1 — Sales Outreach & Lead Enrichment

  1. Use an artifact to provide a consistent lead intake form.
  2. Connect Gmail, Google Sheets, and HubSpot via web connectors.
  3. Ask Claude to read new lead emails, extract contact info, store it in Sheets, and create a HubSpot contact.
  4. Use a custom “sales email” style preset to draft outreach sequences.
  5. Schedule follow-ups using Google Calendar connector.

Result: a near-end-to-end automated outreach pipeline that can be monitored and fine-tuned inside Claude.

Example 2 — Content Production & Publishing

  1. Create a Writing Editor artifact with your editorial guidelines.
  2. Connect Drive, Canva (or InVideo), and your CMS with roop.app connectors.
  3. Have Claude draft blog posts in your custom “brand” style, produce images or video outlines, and create published drafts in your CMS.
  4. Use the Chrome extension (where safe) to pull inspiration and summarize research directly from the web into your artifact.

Result: reduced turnaround time for content with consistent brand voice enforced via styles and artifacts.

Example 3 — Personal Productivity Hub

  1. Enable Apple Notes, iMessage, and Control Your Mac desktop extensions.
  2. Ask Claude “What are my top 3 priorities from last week?” — it reads your notes and past chats to summarize.
  3. Create a daily agenda using Calendar, add tasks to a to-do list, and have Claude send reminders via iMessage.

Result: a single conversational interface that helps you manage daily tasks and communications without switching apps constantly.

🛡️ Security & Privacy Best Practices (Quick Reference)

  • Start with read-only permissions and ramp up as you confirm the actions are safe.
  • Use service accounts for automation (Google Workspace service account or Stripe restricted keys) rather than your primary admin account.
  • Use a separate device for testing if you plan to enable beta browser extensions.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication on all connected accounts.
  • Audit connector permissions monthly and revoke unused or suspicious ones.

❓ FAQ

Q: Is the Chrome extension safe to use?

A: The Chrome extension is currently in beta and available to a limited number of early testers. It can be extremely useful, but because it has broad access to web page content and can interact with websites, you should use it cautiously. Avoid enabling it on high-risk sites and test it in a controlled environment first.

Q: Can Claude really access my past chats and recall details?

A: Yes — if you enable the “Search and Reference Chats” feature, Claude can search your chat history and pull relevant details. This makes follow-ups and long-running projects much easier, but remember that stored chat history may be accessible in ways you should monitor.

Q: How do artifacts differ from prompts or templates?

A: Artifacts are interactive, reusable AI apps or documents that embed the prompt logic into an interface. Think of them as lightweight applications that preserve both the prompt and the expected behavior, not just a one-off instruction.

Q: What are the main privacy risks of connecting apps and desktop extensions?

A: By authorizing connectors and extensions, you grant Claude the ability to read, write, or act in those apps. This can expose emails, messages, documents, or financial data depending on the permissions. Use restricted accounts and audit permissions regularly.

Q: How do I prevent Claude from sending messages or making purchases without my approval?

A: Start with read-only permissions. Where write or send permissions are required, implement a manual approval step in the workflow (e.g., Claude drafts the message and waits for you to confirm before sending). For purchases, use prepaid credit balances and transaction alerts.

Q: Can I share custom styles and artifacts with my team?

A: Yes — artifacts and custom styles are designed to be reusable. Document their intended use, constraints, and revision history so team members can reuse them safely and consistently.

📝 Meta Description & Tags (SEO)

Meta description: Unlock 10 hidden Claude features to automate workflows, connect 500+ apps, build AI artifacts, enable memory, and use desktop extensions — step-by-step and responsibly.

Suggested tags: Claude AI, Claude features, AI automation, AI integrations, roop.app, Chrome extension, AI artifacts, Claude memory, no-code AI, Outskill AI Mastermind

📣 Final Notes & Call to Action

If you want to accelerate your AI learning and put these ideas into practice quickly, consider signing up for an intensive short course or live workshop. For example, the two-day AI Mastermind I partnered with (Outskill) is a hands-on livestream where you can learn automations, prompt engineering, and how to build no-code AI products in a focused, practical environment. They often give bonus resources like a prompt library and monetization roadmaps — the kind of training that helps turn these features into tangible income-generating systems.

Get started today by picking one feature from this guide and enabling it in a controlled way. A suggested first project: enable “Search and Reference Chats” and create a simple artifact that turns your last five Gmail threads into a summarized Google Sheet. Test the workflow, audit permissions, and then expand.

If you found this guide useful, leave a comment or share how you’re using Claude in your workflows — I’d love to hear what you build. And remember: powerful tools are best used responsibly.

 

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