Quickstart

This quickstart guide will have you using AI-powered coding assistance in a few minutes. By the end, you’ll understand how to use Claude Code for common development tasks.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

A terminal or command prompt open
- If you’ve never used the terminal before, check out the terminal guide
A code project to work with
A Claude subscription (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise), Claude Console account, or access through a supported cloud provider

This guide covers the terminal CLI. Claude Code is also available on the web, as a desktop app, in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, in Slack, and in CI/CD with GitHub Actions and GitLab. See all interfaces.

Step 1: Install Claude Code

To install Claude Code, use one of the following methods:

Native Install (Recommended)
Homebrew
WinGet

macOS, Linux, WSL:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows PowerShell:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Windows CMD:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

If you see The token '&&' is not a valid statement separator, you’re in PowerShell, not CMD. If you see 'irm' is not recognized as an internal or external command, you’re in CMD, not PowerShell. Your prompt shows PS C:\ when you’re in PowerShell and C:\ without the PS when you’re in CMD.If the install command fails with syntax error near unexpected token '<', a 403, or another curl error, see Troubleshoot installation to match the error to a fix and for alternative install methods.Git for Windows is recommended on native Windows so Claude Code can use the Bash tool. If Git for Windows is not installed, Claude Code uses PowerShell as the shell tool instead. WSL setups do not need Git for Windows.

Native installations automatically update in the background to keep you on the latest version.

brew install --cask claude-code

Homebrew offers two casks. claude-code tracks the stable release channel, which is typically about a week behind and skips releases with major regressions. claude-code@latest tracks the latest channel and receives new versions as soon as they ship.

Homebrew installations do not auto-update. Run brew upgrade claude-code or brew upgrade claude-code@latest, depending on which cask you installed, to get the latest features and security fixes.

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

WinGet installations do not auto-update. Run winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode periodically to get the latest features and security fixes.

You can also install with apt, dnf, or apk on Debian, Fedora, RHEL, and Alpine. To confirm the installation worked, run:

claude --version

The command prints a version number followed by (Claude Code).

Step 2: Log in to your account

Claude Code requires an account to use. Start an interactive session with the claude command and you’ll be prompted to log in on first use:

claude

For Claude subscription or Console accounts, follow the prompts to complete authentication in your browser. To switch accounts later or re-authenticate, type /login inside the running session:

/login

You can log in using any of these account types:

Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise (recommended)
Claude Console (API access with pre-paid credits). On first login, a “Claude Code” workspace is automatically created in the Console for centralized cost tracking.
Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud’s Agent Platform, or Microsoft Foundry (enterprise cloud providers)
A self-hosted Claude apps gateway, if your organization runs one: your admin pre-configures the gateway URL, and /login opens directly on the Cloud gateway screen for you to sign in with corporate SSO

Once logged in, your credentials are stored and you won’t need to log in again.

Step 3: Start your first session

Open your terminal in any project directory and start Claude Code:

cd /path/to/your/project
claude

Replace /path/to/your/project with the path to the project you want to work on. You’ll see the Claude Code prompt with the version, current model, and working directory shown above it. Type /help for available commands or /resume to continue a previous conversation.

After logging in (Step 2), your credentials are stored on your system. Learn more in Credential Management.

Step 4: Ask your first question

Let’s start with understanding your codebase. Try one of these commands:

what does this project do?

Claude will analyze your files and provide a summary. You can also ask more specific questions:

what technologies does this project use?

where is the main entry point?

explain the folder structure

You can also ask Claude about its own capabilities:

what can Claude Code do?

how do I create custom skills in Claude Code?

can Claude Code work with Docker?

Claude Code reads your project files as needed. You don’t have to manually add context.

Step 5: Make your first code change

Now let’s make Claude Code do some actual coding. Try a simple task:

add a hello world function to the main file

Claude Code will:

Find the appropriate file
Show you the proposed changes
Ask for your approval before changing files, depending on your permission mode
Make the edit

Whether Claude Code asks before changing files depends on your permission mode. In default mode, Claude asks for approval before each change. Press Shift+Tab to cycle through modes: acceptEdits auto-approves file edits, and plan lets Claude propose changes without editing. Some accounts also have an auto mode that runs a background safety check and blocks risky actions, returning to prompts only after repeated blocks.

Step 6: Use Git with Claude Code

Claude Code makes Git operations conversational:

what files have I changed?

commit my changes with a descriptive message

You can also prompt for more complex Git operations:

create a new branch called feature/quickstart

show me the last 5 commits

help me resolve merge conflicts

Step 7: Fix a bug or add a feature

Claude is proficient at debugging and feature implementation. Describe what you want in natural language:

add input validation to the user registration form

Or fix existing issues:

there's a bug where users can submit empty forms - fix it

Claude Code will:

Locate the relevant code
Understand the context
Implement a solution
Run tests if available

Step 8: Test out other common workflows

There are a number of ways to work with Claude: Refactor code

refactor the authentication module to use async/await instead of callbacks

Write tests

write unit tests for the calculator functions

Update documentation

update the README with installation instructions

Code review

review my changes and suggest improvements

Talk to Claude like you would a helpful colleague. Describe what you want to achieve, and it will help you get there.

Essential commands

Here are the most important commands for daily use. Shell commands run from your terminal to start or resume Claude Code. Session commands run inside Claude Code after it starts. Shell commands

Command	What it does	Example
`claude`	Start interactive mode	`claude`
`claude "task"`	Run a one-time task	`claude "fix the build error"`
`claude -p "query"`	Run one-off query, then exit	`claude -p "explain this function"`
`claude -c`	Continue most recent conversation in current directory	`claude -c`
`claude -r`	Resume a previous conversation	`claude -r`

Session commands

Command	What it does	Example
`/clear`	Clear conversation history	`/clear`
`/help`	Show available commands	`/help`
`/exit` or Ctrl+D twice	Exit Claude Code	`/exit`

See the CLI reference for the complete list of shell commands and the commands reference for the complete list of session commands.

Pro tips for beginners

For more, see best practices and common workflows.

Be specific with your requests

Instead of: “fix the bug”Try: “fix the login bug where users see a blank screen after entering wrong credentials”

Use step-by-step instructions

Break complex tasks into steps:

create a new database table for user profiles
create an API endpoint to get and update user profiles
build a webpage that allows users to see and edit their information

Let Claude explore first

Before making changes, let Claude understand your code:

analyze the database schema

build a dashboard showing products that are most frequently returned by our UK customers

Save time with shortcuts

Type / to see all commands and skills
Use Tab for command completion
Press ↑ for command history
Press Shift+Tab to cycle permission modes

What’s next?

Now that you’ve learned the basics, explore more advanced features:

How Claude Code works

Understand the agentic loop, built-in tools, and how Claude Code interacts with your project

Best practices

Get better results with effective prompting and project setup

Common workflows

Step-by-step guides for common tasks

Extend Claude Code

Customize with CLAUDE.md, skills, hooks, MCP, and more

Getting help

In Claude Code: Type /help or ask “how do I…”
Documentation: You’re here! Browse other guides
Community: Join our Discord for tips and support

Getting started

Core concepts

Use Claude Code

Platforms and integrations

Before you begin

Step 1: Install Claude Code

Step 2: Log in to your account

Step 3: Start your first session

Step 4: Ask your first question

Step 5: Make your first code change

Step 6: Use Git with Claude Code

Step 7: Fix a bug or add a feature

Step 8: Test out other common workflows

Essential commands

Pro tips for beginners

What’s next?

How Claude Code works

Best practices

Common workflows

Extend Claude Code

Getting help

​Before you begin

​Step 1: Install Claude Code

​Step 2: Log in to your account

​Step 3: Start your first session

​Step 4: Ask your first question

​Step 5: Make your first code change

​Step 6: Use Git with Claude Code

​Step 7: Fix a bug or add a feature

​Step 8: Test out other common workflows

​Essential commands

​Pro tips for beginners

​What’s next?

How Claude Code works

Best practices

Common workflows

Extend Claude Code

​Getting help

Before you begin

Step 1: Install Claude Code

Step 2: Log in to your account

Step 3: Start your first session

Step 4: Ask your first question

Step 5: Make your first code change

Step 6: Use Git with Claude Code

Step 7: Fix a bug or add a feature

Step 8: Test out other common workflows

Essential commands

Pro tips for beginners

What’s next?

Getting help