Quickstart

Welcome to Claude Code!

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, Teams, or Enterprise), Claude Console account, or access through a supported cloud provider

INFO

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)

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

Windows requires Git for Windows. Install it first if you don't have it.

INFO

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

Homebrew

brew install --cask claude-code

INFO

Homebrew installations do not auto-update. Run brew upgrade claude-code periodically to get the latest features and security fixes.

WinGet

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

INFO

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

Step 2: Log in to your account

Claude Code requires an account to use. When you start an interactive session with the claude command, you'll need to log in:

claude
# You'll be prompted to log in on first use

/login
# Follow the prompts to log in with your account

You can log in using any of these account types:

• Claude Pro, Max, Teams, 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 Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry (enterprise cloud providers)

Once logged in, your credentials are stored and you won't need to log in again. To switch accounts later, use the /login command.

Step 3: Start your first session

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

cd /path/to/your/project
claude

You'll see the Claude Code welcome screen with your session information, recent conversations, and latest updates. Type /help for available commands or /resume to continue a previous conversation.

TIP

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?

INFO

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:

1. Find the appropriate file
2. Show you the proposed changes
3. Ask for your approval
4. Make the edit

INFO

Claude Code always asks for permission before modifying files. You can approve individual changes or enable "Accept all" mode for a session.

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

TIP

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:

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
claude commit	Create a Git commit	claude commit
/clear	Clear conversation history	/clear
/help	Show available commands	/help
exit or Ctrl+C	Exit Claude Code	exit

See the CLI reference for a complete list of 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:

1. create a new database table for user profiles
2. create an API endpoint to get and update user profiles
3. 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

• Press ? to see all available keyboard shortcuts
• Use Tab for command completion
• Press ↑ for command history
• Type / to see all commands and skills

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