Last updated: September 28, 2026. Official docs: Claude Code Quickstart. New to AI tools in general? Start with our About page.
This Claude Code tutorial walks you from zero to writing real code with Anthropic’s terminal-based AI coding agent. Unlike a chat window where you paste code back and forth, Claude Code reads your project files, edits them directly, runs commands, and asks for your approval before anything risky happens.
If you’ve never used an AI coding agent before, this guide covers installation, login, your first session, and the workflows you’ll use daily — no prior command-line experience required, just patience for the first few steps.
Table of Contents
What Is Claude Code? (The Basics Every Claude Code Tutorial Assumes)
Claude Code is Anthropic’s agentic coding tool, available as a terminal CLI, inside VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, as a desktop app, on the web, and in Slack. It reads your codebase, makes multi-file edits, runs tests, and handles Git operations through plain-English requests. This Claude Code tutorial focuses on the terminal CLI, the most common starting point.
It’s different from our Claude review, which covers the Claude.ai chat assistant — Claude Code is a separate, developer-focused product that uses the same underlying models but works directly inside your project folder.
What You Need Before Starting This Claude Code Tutorial
- A terminal (macOS, Linux, WSL, or Windows 11)
- A project folder to work in (even an empty one is fine)
- A Claude subscription — Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise — or a Claude Console account with prepaid API credits
One thing this Claude Code tutorial can’t skip: cost. As of this writing, Claude Code is bundled into the Pro plan ($20/month, or $17/month billed annually) and both Max tiers ($100/month for 5x the usage, $200/month for 20x). It is not included on the free Claude tier. Claude Code shares the same usage pool as your regular Claude chats, and usage resets on a rolling five-hour window with a weekly cap on paid plans. Team plans start at 5 seats. Always check the official pricing page since limits and tiers do change.
Step 1: Install Claude Code
Every Claude Code tutorial starts here. Anthropic recommends the native installer for automatic updates. Open a terminal and run the command for your system.
macOS, Linux, or 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
“`
Homebrew (`brew install –cask claude-code`) and WinGet (`winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode`) are also supported, along with apt, dnf, and apk on Linux, but those don’t auto-update — you’ll need to run the upgrade command yourself periodically.
Once it finishes, open a new terminal and confirm it worked:
“`
claude –version
“`
You should see a version number. If the shell says `claude` isn’t recognized, the install directory likely isn’t on your PATH yet — the official troubleshooting guide covers the fix for each OS.
Step 2: Log In
Run `claude` from any folder to start your first session. You’ll be prompted to log in through your browser using your Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Console account. After that first login, your credentials are saved, so you won’t need to sign in again. If you ever need to switch accounts, type `/login` inside a running session.
Step 3: Start Your First Session (The Core of Any Claude Code Tutorial)
Navigate to a project folder and launch Claude Code:
“`
cd /path/to/your/project
claude
“`
You’ll land in an interactive prompt showing the current model and working directory. From here you talk to Claude Code the same way you’d talk to a colleague sitting next to you.
Good first questions to get oriented:
- “what does this project do?”
- “what technologies does this project use?”
- “explain the folder structure”
Claude Code reads your files automatically as needed — you don’t have to paste code in manually.
Step 4: Make Your First Edit (Where Most Claude Code Tutorials Get Interesting)
Try something small and concrete, like “add a hello world function to the main file.” Claude Code will locate the right file, propose the change, and — depending on your permission mode — either apply it automatically or ask you to approve it first. In recent versions, an “auto mode” reviews routine edits and commands for you so you’re not confirming every small step, though you can still switch modes anytime with Shift+Tab.
Step 5: Use Git Conversationally
Claude Code can handle Git without you memorizing commands:
- “what files have I changed?”
- “commit my changes with a descriptive message”
- “create a new branch called feature/login-fix”
- “help me resolve merge conflicts”
Step 6: Real Workflows Every Claude Code Tutorial Should Cover
Once you’re comfortable, these are the requests that make Claude Code genuinely useful day to day:
- Debugging: “there’s a bug where users can submit empty forms — fix it”
- Refactoring: “refactor the authentication module to use async/await instead of callbacks”
- Testing: “write unit tests for the calculator functions”
- Documentation: “update the README with installation instructions”
- Code review: “review my changes and suggest improvements”
Essential Commands Reference for This Claude Code Tutorial
| Command | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| `claude` | Terminal | Start an interactive session |
| `claude “task”` | Terminal | Start with an initial prompt |
| `claude -p “query”` | Terminal | Run a one-off query and exit |
| `claude -c` | Terminal | Continue the most recent conversation |
| `claude -r` | Terminal | Resume a previous conversation |
| `/help` | In-session | List available commands |
| `/clear` | In-session | Clear conversation history |
| `/login` | In-session | Switch or re-authenticate accounts |
| `/exit` | In-session | Quit Claude Code |
Claude Code Tutorial Tips and Common Mistakes
- Be specific. “Fix the bug” gets vague results. “Fix the login bug where users see a blank screen after entering wrong credentials” gets a targeted fix. Our guide on writing better AI prompts applies directly here.
- Let it explore first. Ask Claude Code to analyze your schema or architecture before requesting changes — it writes better code when it has context.
- Break big tasks into numbered steps rather than one giant request; it’s easier to review each piece.
- Always review diffs, especially early on — Claude Code is capable, but you’re still the one who understands your product requirements.
- Don’t skip the login step’s approval prompts for anything touching production data or deployment — treat Claude Code like a fast junior engineer who still needs sign-off on risky changes.
How It Compares to Using ChatGPT or Gemini for Coding
If you’ve only used a chat window to get coding help, the biggest lesson from this Claude Code tutorial is that it operates directly on your files and terminal rather than requiring you to copy-paste. For a broader look at how AI coding tools stack up, see our comparison of the best AI coding assistants, which covers Claude Code alongside GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Codex — useful context to have before you commit fully to the workflow in this Claude Code tutorial.
FAQ
Is Claude Code free?
No. It requires a paid Claude Pro ($20/month), Max ($100 or $200/month), Team, or Enterprise plan, or a Console account billed by API usage. It is not available on the free Claude tier.
Does Claude Code work on Windows?
Yes, natively through PowerShell or CMD, or inside WSL. Installing Git for Windows is recommended so Claude Code can use its Bash tool; without it, Claude Code falls back to PowerShell.
Can Claude Code use my existing Claude subscription?
Yes — Claude Code draws from the same usage pool as your regular Claude.ai conversations if you’re on Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise.
Does Claude Code make changes without asking?
It depends on the permission mode. Newer versions default to an “auto mode” that applies routine edits automatically while still asking before higher-risk actions; you can switch modes at any time with Shift+Tab.
Is this Claude Code tutorial still accurate after new releases?
The install commands and core workflow are stable, but always confirm current pricing and permission defaults on the official docs since Anthropic ships updates frequently.
Is Claude Code the same as the Claude chatbot?
No. The Claude chatbot (covered in our Claude review) is a general assistant for chat and documents. Claude Code is a separate agentic tool built specifically to work inside codebases from your terminal or IDE.
What if I get stuck?
Type `/help` inside a session, or check the official Claude Code documentation for troubleshooting and advanced workflows.
Do I need to redo this Claude Code tutorial after an update?
No. Claude Code updates itself automatically if you used the native installer, and the core workflow in this Claude Code tutorial — install, log in, start a session, ask and edit — has stayed consistent across recent releases. Only the permission-mode defaults have shifted over time.