> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://anaconda.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Working with projects

<Note>
  For basic information about projects, see [What is a project?](/docs/platform/concepts/what-is-a-project)
</Note>

Most AI and ML work begins with open-ended experimentation, and Anaconda Platform supports this type of work out of the box. You can [spin up a workstation](/docs/platform/guides/develop/setting-up-a-cloud-workstation), [run flows](/docs/platform/getting-started/connect-and-first-run), and [scale compute](/docs/platform/getting-started/scaling-to-the-cloud) as needed.

This experimentation work still benefits from all the core functionality of [Metaflow](https://docs.metaflow.org), including versioning, artifact tracking, and namespacing, without doing anything extra. However, as the work matures, it needs structure—a shared home for the **code**, **data**, and **models** that make up the system, repeatability you can hand to a teammate, and a delivery pipeline for getting changes into production safely.

That is what a project adds. Projects bundle your flows, deployments, and assets under Git-backed branches, with CI/CD integration built in, similar to how modern web development platforms like [Vercel](https://vercel.com) or [Render](https://render.com) work, but purpose-built for AI and ML.

<Frame>
  <video controls muted playsInline src="https://mintcdn.com/anaconda-29683c67/TXgc_5FN8574WLab/images/platform/migrated/outerbounds-projects.mp4?fit=max&auto=format&n=TXgc_5FN8574WLab&q=85&s=9b103d1ec069ff493106adb628da6774" style={{ "width": "100%" }} data-path="images/platform/migrated/outerbounds-projects.mp4" />
</Frame>

## The default project

Work that does not belong to a project lives in the **default project**, a space for quick experiments and exploratory work. Use the context picker in the header to switch between the default project and any project you create. The default project shows all runs, workflows, and deployments, regardless of whether they belong to a project.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/anaconda-29683c67/VD0yQ0tXYWIdTsBU/images/platform/plat_projects_context_picker.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=VD0yQ0tXYWIdTsBU&q=85&s=d705e8c2fb6bfd0edde133900ca94a7a" alt="The context picker in the header showing the default project and available projects" width="1866" height="808" data-path="images/platform/plat_projects_context_picker.png" />
</Frame>

<Note>
  Features specific to projects, such as the project overview page, evaluations, and assets, are not available in the default project.
</Note>

## When to set up a project

Projects are quick to create and inexpensive to keep, so you don't need to set a high bar for making one. For instructions, see [Setting up a new project](/docs/platform/guides/projects/setting-up-a-new-project).