# Overview

Understand how projects provide file boundaries and working directories while tasks provide conversational history and task state.

![Projects in Foxora Desktop v5.0.3](/docs/images/v5.0.3/desktop/projects-overview.webp)

## Where this lives

Open **foxora → Projects** and select the project you intend to use.

A project grants a task access to a specific local folder or Git repository and supplies the working directory used by files, shell commands, and project instructions.

> **Safety:** Foxora should not receive a parent folder merely for convenience. A project can contain secrets even when they are not mentioned in the prompt.

## Steps

1. Open **foxora → Projects** and select the project you intend to use.
2. Understand how projects provide file boundaries and working directories while tasks provide conversational history and task state.
3. Open the narrowest appropriate folder, confirm the active working directory, review repository state, and add project instructions for durable conventions.
4. **Confirm the result.** Ask Foxora to identify the active project, read a harmless file, and show the exact path without changing anything.

## Choose the right path

- Use a local folder for existing work.
- Clone or open a Git repository when history matters.
- Use a scratchpad when no file access is required.


## Confirm it worked

- Ask Foxora to identify the active project, read a harmless file, and show the exact path without changing anything.
- The screen, command, file, run, or destination named in this guide reflects the expected state.