Install Claude Code, Step by Step

Heads up before you start: Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan. There's no free tier. The entry-level Pro plan is around $20 a month, and any paid plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise) works. If you don't have one yet, sign up at claude.ai first, then come back.

Ready? Open your terminalsoon, the plain text window where you type commands to your computer. On a Mac, press Cmd and Space together, type "Terminal", and hit Enter. A small window opens with a blinking cursor. That's it.

Now paste this and press Enter:

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

On Windows, open PowerShell instead (that's Windows' built-in command window; find it from the Start menu, type "PowerShell") and paste this:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

You'll see text scroll by for a few seconds. When it stops and hands the cursor back to you, Claude Code is installed.

Next, go to a folder you want to work in. Your Desktop is a fine start:

cd ~/Desktop

Then start Claude Code by typing:

claude

The first time you run it, it opens your web browser and asks you to log in with your Claude account. Click through, approve it, and the browser hands you back to the terminal. You only do this once; after that it remembers you.

You'll know it worked when you see the Claude Code prompt with a cursor waiting for you to type. That's Claude, sitting in your folder, ready to help.

If the install command throws an error, the official troubleshooting guide matches common errors to their fixes.

Prefer clicking to typing? There's a desktop appsoon with the same power and no terminal at all. But the terminal version above is the real thing and worth the ten minutes.

Try this now: with Claude Code running, type what files are in this folder? and press Enter. It'll look around and tell you. You just talked to it.

Where to go next: Your First Chat with Claude Code walks through your first real exchange.