Check account availability before setup
Anthropic describes Dispatch as a limited beta for some Pro and Max accounts. A missing entry is not necessarily an installation error to fix with additional permissions. Check the available Cowork cloud access instead and choose the workflow that can actually reach the required tools.
The desktop remains part of operations
Dispatch uses existing desktop access. The computer and app must stay active while local work runs. Test network interruption and sleep mode in the pilot. A mobile briefing is a useful first task: read a defined source file, save a summary to the output folder and return it for review.
Deliberately restrict mobile-triggered access
Before the first task, inspect reachable folders, connectors and apps. Specify the permitted result location and keep sending and deletion as separate actions. The owner must know how to stop work and revoke a connection. A screenshot of the mobile interface does not prove that the requested file was correctly created.
Decision matrix
| Decision point | Proceed when | Stop when |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment boundary | Documented: goal, workspace, permitted data, notification and approval. | Scope, data or accountability remains unresolved. |
| Workflow evidence | A test assignment reaches the intended workspace, respects permitted data and delivers the expected notification. An action affecting production waits for its separate approval. | There is only an unevaluated demo without acceptance evidence. |
| Operational control | Owner, approval, fallback and next review date are defined. | Avoid: treating remote start as approval for production impact. If the workspace or approval boundary is unclear, a remote start must not be interpreted as blanket authority for arbitrary follow-up actions. |
Keep it verifiable
Primary sources
- Assign tasks from anywhere with DispatchSource checked:
