Claude Duet: Anthropic’s Proactive AI Agent Explained

Last updated: 9 November 2026

What Claude Duet does

Most AI assistants are reactive: you type, they answer. Duet is built around the opposite idea. Anthropic describes it as an app where Claude works as a proactive agent. It watches the services you connect, decides what deserves your attention and prepares the groundwork.

Reports have listed connected apps such as Gmail, Slack, QuickBooks, Stripe, Gusto and DocuSign, but Anthropic had not published a final list at the time of writing.

How approvals work

Anthropic’s description is that Duet checks with you before it acts on your behalf. In practice, it can read, draft and prepare on its own, but for actions with real consequences it shows the proposed action and waits:

• Sending messages or emails.
• Spending money or making payments.
• Signing documents.
• Deleting data.

Some activities are not available at all in the preview, including securities trading and moving money between accounts. This approval-first design is the main difference between Duet and a fully autonomous agent, and it is a sensible default for anything touching finances or customers.

Which model it uses

Duet runs on Claude Opus 5.5, Anthropic’s most capable model at the time of writing. Anthropic is using the preview to test judgment and safeguards for proactive work: when to act, when to ask and when to stay quiet. For more on the model, see Claude Opus 5.5.

Who can use Claude Duet

If you are in India or elsewhere outside the US, Duet is not available yet. For Claude plans, see Claude pricing and Claude Pro vs Max.

Claude Duet vs ChatGPT dots vs Meta Muse

Three of the biggest AI companies launched proactive or always-on agents within weeks of each other.

Good first tasks for Duet

• A daily brief of what needs your decision across email and chat.
• Meeting prep: background on attendees and open threads before each call.
• Follow-up drafts after meetings, for you to approve.
• Weekly numbers: a simple dashboard from your accounting or payments data.
• Small builds: a prototype landing page or internal tool.

Avoid starting with anything where a mistake would be costly or hard to undo.

Privacy and security questions

Connecting an agent to email, chat and financial tools is a big step. Anthropic’s own CTO has acknowledged that giving an AI the keys to your mail, calendar and messages is “a little scary”. Before connecting accounts, consider:

• Least access: connect only the apps Duet needs for the tasks you want.
• Client data: check your contracts and privacy obligations before connecting accounts that hold client information.
• Prompt injection: an email or web page could contain instructions meant to mislead an agent. Approvals help, but read proposed actions carefully. See AI agent security.
• Disconnection: know how to disconnect apps and what happens to data afterwards.

See AI data privacy for business.

Limitations in the preview

• Anthropic says Duet can misread a thread or judge urgency poorly.
• Usage limits for background work are not published.
• The connected app list is not final.
• US only, with a waitlist.
• Duet is separate from the main Claude app, so projects and chats do not automatically carry over.

What proactive agents mean for businesses

When people delegate research and admin to agents like Duet, those agents read websites, emails and documents on their behalf. For businesses, that means:

• Clear, accurate information on your website matters even more, because an agent may be the first reader. See how to make your website agent-ready.
• Emails and proposals should state key facts plainly, so an agent summarising them gets it right.
• Your brand’s presence in AI answers shapes the shortlists agents build. See what is AEO.

How to get started once you have access

1. Join the waitlist from Anthropic’s Duet page while signed in to your Pro or Max account.
2. Install the app on iOS or Android, or open it on the web, when your invitation arrives.
3. Connect one or two apps first, such as email and chat, rather than everything at once.
4. Tell Duet your priorities: which clients, projects or topics matter most, and what counts as urgent.
5. Review the first briefings closely and correct anything it gets wrong. Clear feedback helps it judge better.
6. Give it one small task, such as drafting replies to routine messages, and approve or edit each one.
7. Add more apps and tasks gradually as you build trust.

Writing good instructions for a proactive agent

A proactive agent is only as good as its understanding of what matters to you. Useful instructions:

• Define urgency: “Anything from these three clients, or anything mentioning invoices or deadlines this week, is urgent.”
• Define quiet: “Do not brief me on newsletters, notifications or internal social channels.”
• Set your voice: “Drafts should be short, polite and direct. Use British spelling.”
• Set limits: “Never commit to dates or prices in a draft without flagging it.”
• Explain your week: “On Mondays I plan; on Fridays I review numbers.”

Example: a small agency owner’s week with Duet

An illustrative scenario, not a recorded result: an agency founder connects email, team chat and accounting. Each morning Duet prepares a brief listing client emails needing replies, overdue invoices and blocked team questions. It drafts replies to three routine client emails, which the founder edits and approves. On Wednesday it notices a client asking for a quote and prepares a draft based on past proposals, flagging the price for review. On Friday it builds a simple dashboard of invoices paid and outstanding. Throughout, nothing is sent or paid without approval.

Measuring whether Duet is worth it

If you hit plan limits often, compare the cost of a higher Claude plan with the time saved. See Claude usage limits.

Alternatives outside the US

If Duet is not available in your country, similar ideas exist elsewhere. ChatGPT dots are available to Pro and Business Premium users in many regions, and Gemini’s agent features are rolling out to businesses. You can also build lighter versions with Claude Projects and scheduled automations. See ChatGPT dots, how to use Claude Projects and the best AI agents.

Frequently asked questions