claude-code setup tools

Claude Code Setup Guide

Get Claude Code installed and configured on your machine. A step-by-step guide to setting up Anthropic's official CLI for AI-assisted development.

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Claude Code Setup Guide

Claude Code is Anthropic’s official CLI tool for AI-assisted software development. It runs in your terminal and gives you a powerful conversational interface for building, debugging, and exploring code.

This guide will get you up and running in minutes.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

  • Node.js 18+ installed (download here)
  • A terminal (Terminal.app on Mac, any terminal on Linux, or Windows Terminal)
  • An Anthropic API key or Claude subscription

Installation

Open your terminal and run:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

This installs Claude Code globally, making the claude command available everywhere.

Verify the installation:

claude --version

You should see the version number printed.

Authentication

Claude Code needs to authenticate with Anthropic. Run:

claude login

This will open a browser window where you can sign in with your Anthropic account. Once authenticated, you’re ready to go.

Alternatively, if you have an API key, you can set it as an environment variable:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key-here

Add this to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc) to persist it.

Your First Session

Navigate to a project directory (or create a new one):

mkdir my-project && cd my-project

Start Claude Code:

claude

You’ll see a prompt where you can start chatting. Try something simple:

Create a Python script that prints "Hello, World!"

Claude Code will:

  1. Write the code
  2. Create the file
  3. Show you what it did

You can run the script directly:

python hello.py

Key Commands

While in a Claude Code session:

CommandWhat it does
Type naturallyChat with Claude about your code
Ctrl+CCancel current operation
Ctrl+D or exitEnd the session
/helpShow available commands
/clearClear conversation history

Working with Existing Code

Claude Code works best when it has context. Navigate to an existing project:

cd ~/your-project
claude

Then ask questions about the codebase:

  • “What does this project do?”
  • “Find where user authentication is handled”
  • “Explain the main function in app.py”

Claude Code will read your files and give you informed answers.

Making Changes

Ask Claude Code to modify your code:

  • “Add error handling to the login function”
  • “Refactor this to use async/await”
  • “Add tests for the User class”

It will show you the proposed changes and ask for confirmation before writing to files.

Tips for Effective Use

1. Be in the right directory

Claude Code uses your current directory as context. Make sure you’re in your project root.

2. Describe intent, not implementation

Say “I need to validate email addresses” instead of “Write a regex for emails.”

3. Iterate

If the first result isn’t quite right, explain what needs to change. Claude Code remembers the conversation.

4. Review changes

Always look at what Claude Code proposes before accepting. You’re still in charge.

5. Use it for exploration

Ask “How would I…” questions. Claude Code is great for learning new patterns.

Common Use Cases

Starting a new project

I want to create a REST API in Python using FastAPI.
Set up the basic project structure with a health check endpoint.

Debugging

This function is returning None when I expect a list.
Here's the error I'm seeing: [paste error]

Refactoring

This file is too long. Help me split it into smaller modules.

Documentation

Add docstrings to all the public functions in utils.py

Configuration

Claude Code can be configured with a .claude/settings.json file in your project or home directory:

{
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "autoConfirm": false
}

See the Claude Code documentation for all options.

Troubleshooting

”Command not found: claude”

Make sure npm’s global bin directory is in your PATH:

export PATH="$PATH:$(npm bin -g)"

Authentication issues

Try logging out and back in:

claude logout
claude login

Rate limits

If you hit rate limits, wait a moment and try again. Consider upgrading your plan for higher limits.

Next Steps

Now that you’re set up:

Happy building!