# Registering a working directory

> **What you will learn**
> What a working directory is and how to split them. This choice shapes how you
> work later.
>
> **If paths are unfamiliar,** start with [Files, folders, paths](/guide/it-files).

## A working directory is a folder to work in

You register a path. **If the path does not exist, it is created for you.**

```
/Users/me/projects/shop-frontend
/Users/me/projects/shop-api
/Users/me/documents/monthly-report
```

Once registered, **one folder is one card on the dashboard.**

## Registering is setting the scope

This is the important part. **A working directory is the agent's area of
operation.**

```mermaid
graph TD
  W["Working directory<br/>/projects/shop-api"] --> A["What the agent can see"]
  A --> F1["Files in this folder"]
  A --> F2["Subfolders"]
  X["Outside the folder"] -.->|"not accessed by default"| A
```

So **how you draw the folder is also a safety mechanism.**

| Folder registered | Result |
|---|---|
| `/Users/me` (whole home) | dangerous. Personal files and settings are in scope |
| `/Users/me/projects` | wide. Several projects mixed together |
| `/Users/me/projects/shop-api` | **about right** |

> **Do not register your home folder or the root.** Drawing it only as wide as
> needed is [least privilege](/guide/mcp-security).

![Registered folders stack](/guide-assets/ht-dashboard.png)

Registered folders stack up as cards, each showing how many tasks are running.

## How to split them

### Criterion 1 — by project

The most natural. One repository, one folder.

```
✓ shop-frontend / shop-api / shop-admin  (registered separately)
✗ shop (one parent folder)
```

**Splitting lets you run work in parallel.** Frontend work and API work do not
wait for each other — the same independence as in
[micro-sprints](/guide/ha-micro-sprint).

### Criterion 2 — split when the character differs

```
Code work        → /projects/shop-api
Document work    → /documents/specs
Data conversion  → /work/data-cleanup
```

Different character means different instructions. Mixed together, you re-explain
the context every time.

### Criterion 3 — split when the risk differs

Keep the folder containing production deployment scripts separate from your
experimental folder, because you can give them different autonomy levels — the
subject of [the next chapter](/guide/ht-first-task).

## What you set at registration time

Each folder can carry **defaults.**

| Setting | What |
|---|---|
| Name | the name shown on the card (need not match the path) |
| Default autonomy | the default level for this folder |
| Description | what this folder is (the agent reads it) |

**Writing the description means not explaining it every time.**

```
Example description:
  "Shop backend API. Node.js + PostgreSQL.
   Do not modify payment code (/payments)."
```

This is writing down
[the context part of a good instruction](/guide/ai-intent-context) once, per
folder.

## Common mistakes

### Drawing the folder too wide

Registering `/Users/me/projects` as one seems convenient, but:

- The agent's visible scope widens and it may touch the wrong files
- Work on several projects gets mixed into one card
- No parallel execution

### Not writing a description

You end up rewriting "this project is Node.js and…" for every task. Write it
once.

### Registering temporary folders and never removing them

Delete folders you no longer use. As cards accumulate, the important ones stop
standing out.

---

## Check yourself

**1. Why should a working directory be drawn narrowly?**

<details>
<summary>Answer</summary>

**Because the working directory is the agent's area of operation.** Register your
home folder and your personal files and settings are in scope. Drawing it only as
wide as needed is least privilege.
</details>

**2. What do you gain by splitting a project into several folders?**

<details>
<summary>Answer</summary>

**You can run work in parallel.** Frontend work and API work do not wait for each
other.
</details>

**3. What changes when you write a folder description?**

<details>
<summary>Answer</summary>

**You stop re-explaining the context on every task.** It is the context part of a
good instruction, written once per folder.
</details>

---

Now hand over your first task → [Your first task](/guide/ht-first-task)