of 5— Create a Claude Account and Start a Project

What you'll accomplish

By the end of this guide, you'll have a Claude Project that knows your company's payroll policies, pay calendar, benefit deduction schedules, and compliance rules — so you can ask it questions and get accurate, company-specific answers instead of generic AI responses. It also becomes a tool you can share with managers for self-service policy questions.

What you'll need

A Claude Pro account (claude.ai — $20/month)
Your company's payroll policy documents (PDF or Word files, or copy-pasted text)
Your pay calendar for the year
Your benefits deduction schedule (what deductions start when, pre-tax vs post-tax)
Time needed: 45-60 minutes for initial setup; 5 minutes to use
Cost: $20/month (Claude Pro)

How-To Guide: Build a Payroll Policy Assistant with Claude Projects

Step 1: Create a Claude Account and Start a Project

Go to claude.ai and sign in (or create an account if you don't have one)
Click "Upgrade to Pro" if you're on the free plan — Projects require Pro
In the left sidebar, click "Projects" then click "New Project"
Name it: "Payroll Policy Assistant — [Your Company Name]"

What you should see: A project workspace with a chat area and a "Project knowledge" section on the left. Troubleshooting: If you don't see "Projects" in the sidebar, you may be on the free plan — upgrade first.