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How to Install Claude Code

Install Anthropic's terminal coding agent, sign in, and run it on your first project.

10 min read Technical Reviewed 2026-10

Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool. It runs in your terminal, understands your codebase, and can edit files and run commands with your approval.

This guide covers the installation methods documented by Anthropic, signing in, and a safe first session. Installation options change over time, so always compare with the official documentation.

What you need

  • macOS 10.15 or newer, Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 10+, or Windows 10+ (using WSL or Git for Windows)
  • At least 4 GB of RAM
  • An internet connection
  • A Claude subscription that includes Claude Code, or an Anthropic Console account with billing
  • For the npm installation method: Node.js 18 or newer

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Option A: use the native installer

    Anthropic provides a native installer. On macOS, Linux, or WSL, run the following in your terminal. Check the official setup page for the current command and for Windows PowerShell instructions.

    curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
  2. 2

    Option B: install with npm

    If you prefer npm, first confirm Node.js 18 or newer is installed, then install Claude Code globally.

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

    Do not use sudo with npm install -g. If you get permission errors, fix your npm global directory permissions instead (see Common errors).

  3. 3

    Open your project

    Navigate to the folder of the project you want to work on, then start Claude Code.

    cd path/to/your-project
claude
  4. 4

    Sign in

    On first launch, Claude Code asks you to log in. Choose your Claude account or Anthropic Console, and complete the sign-in in your browser.

  5. 5

    Check the installation

    Run the built-in diagnostic to confirm your installation type and health.

    claude doctor
  6. 6

    Create a project memory file

    Inside a Claude Code session, the /init command creates a CLAUDE.md file describing your project. Claude reads it in future sessions. Type /help to see all commands.

    /init
  7. 7

    Try a safe first task

    Ask Claude to explain your project structure, then ask for a small change. Claude Code asks for permission before editing files or running commands. Review every change before approving it.

Common errors

EACCES permission errors during npm install

Avoid sudo. Use the native installer instead, or configure npm to use a user-owned global directory as described in Anthropic's troubleshooting docs.

"command not found: claude"

The install location is not on your PATH. Open a new terminal window, then check the PATH instructions shown by the installer or in the official docs.

The browser does not open for sign-in

Copy the sign-in URL shown in the terminal and open it manually in your browser.

Problems on Windows

Use WSL or Git for Windows as described in the official setup guide. Run Claude Code from the environment where your project lives.

Tips

  • Commit your work to Git before larger AI-assisted changes so you can easily undo them.
  • Keep secrets out of your repository and out of prompts.
  • Use CLAUDE.md to record commands, conventions, and things Claude should know.

Official resources

FAQ

AI Setup Studio is an independent technical services company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Cursor, Ollama, n8n, Make, or any other AI tool vendor unless expressly stated. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to describe compatibility.

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