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.
To install Claude Code, use one of the following methods:
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. Use the PowerShell command above instead. Your prompt shows PS C:\ when you're in PowerShell.
Windows requires Git for Windows. Install it first if you don't have it.
brew install --cask claude-code
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode
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
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.
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.
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?
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
Make the edit
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
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
/clear
Clear conversation history
/clear
/help
Show available commands
/help
exit or Ctrl+D
Exit Claude Code
exit
See the CLI reference for a complete list of commands.
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:
623* A terminal or command prompt open623* A terminal or command prompt open
624 * If you've never used the terminal before, check out the [terminal guide](/en/terminal-guide)624 * If you've never used the terminal before, check out the [terminal guide](/en/terminal-guide)
625* A code project to work with625* A code project to work with
626* A [Claude subscription](https://claude.com/pricing?utm_source=claude_code\&utm_medium=docs\&utm_content=quickstart_prereq) (Pro, Max, Teams, or Enterprise), [Claude Console](https://console.anthropic.com/) account, or access through a [supported cloud provider](/en/third-party-integrations)626* A [Claude subscription](https://claude.com/pricing?utm_source=claude_code\&utm_medium=docs\&utm_content=quickstart_prereq) (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise), [Claude Console](https://console.anthropic.com/) account, or access through a [supported cloud provider](/en/third-party-integrations)
627627
628<Note>628<Note>
629 This guide covers the terminal CLI. Claude Code is also available on the [web](https://claude.ai/code), as a [desktop app](/en/desktop), in [VS Code](/en/vs-code) and [JetBrains IDEs](/en/jetbrains), in [Slack](/en/slack), and in CI/CD with [GitHub Actions](/en/github-actions) and [GitLab](/en/gitlab-ci-cd). See [all interfaces](/en/overview#use-claude-code-everywhere).629 This guide covers the terminal CLI. Claude Code is also available on the [web](https://claude.ai/code), as a [desktop app](/en/desktop), in [VS Code](/en/vs-code) and [JetBrains IDEs](/en/jetbrains), in [Slack](/en/slack), and in CI/CD with [GitHub Actions](/en/github-actions) and [GitLab](/en/gitlab-ci-cd). See [all interfaces](/en/overview#use-claude-code-everywhere).
699699
700You can log in using any of these account types:700You can log in using any of these account types:
701701
702* [Claude Pro, Max, Teams, or Enterprise](https://claude.com/pricing?utm_source=claude_code\&utm_medium=docs\&utm_content=quickstart_login) (recommended)702* [Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise](https://claude.com/pricing?utm_source=claude_code\&utm_medium=docs\&utm_content=quickstart_login) (recommended)
703* [Claude Console](https://console.anthropic.com/) (API access with pre-paid credits). On first login, a "Claude Code" workspace is automatically created in the Console for centralized cost tracking.703* [Claude Console](https://console.anthropic.com/) (API access with pre-paid credits). On first login, a "Claude Code" workspace is automatically created in the Console for centralized cost tracking.
704* [Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry](/en/third-party-integrations) (enterprise cloud providers)704* [Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry](/en/third-party-integrations) (enterprise cloud providers)
705705
871| `claude -p "query"` | Run one-off query, then exit | `claude -p "explain this function"` |871| `claude -p "query"` | Run one-off query, then exit | `claude -p "explain this function"` |
872| `claude -c` | Continue most recent conversation in current directory | `claude -c` |872| `claude -c` | Continue most recent conversation in current directory | `claude -c` |
875| `/clear` | Clear conversation history | `/clear` |874| `/clear` | Clear conversation history | `/clear` |
876| `/help` | Show available commands | `/help` |875| `/help` | Show available commands | `/help` |
877| `exit` or Ctrl+C | Exit Claude Code | `exit` |876| `exit` or Ctrl+D | Exit Claude Code | `exit` |
878877
879See the [CLI reference](/en/cli-reference) for a complete list of commands.878See the [CLI reference](/en/cli-reference) for a complete list of commands.
