Never written a line of code? No problem. This guide will walk you through Claude Code — Anthropic's AI coding tool — one simple step at a time.
Understanding the tool before you use it
Claude Code is an AI assistant made by Anthropic that lives in your computer's terminal (a text-based window where you type commands). Instead of clicking buttons, you just talk to it in plain English and it writes, edits, or explains code for you.
Here's what Claude Code can do for you:
Getting it onto your computer — takes about 5 minutes
Before you can use Claude Code, you need to install two things: Node.js (a tool that lets your computer run JavaScript programs) and then Claude Code itself.
Step 1 — Install Node.js
Go to nodejs.org and download the version marked "LTS" (Long Term Support). Run the installer just like any other app.
Step 2 — Open your Terminal
Step 3 — Install Claude Code
Type this into your terminal and press Enter:
$ npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
npm is Node's package manager — it downloads and installs programs. install -g means "install globally" (so it works from anywhere). @anthropic-ai/claude-code is the name of the program.
Step 4 — Verify it worked
Type this and press Enter:
$ claude --version
If you see a version number (like 1.x.x), you're all set!
How to open it and what you'll see
To start Claude Code, open your terminal, navigate to a folder you want to work in, and type:
$ claude
That's it! Just the word claude. You'll see a welcome screen and a prompt where you can start talking to it.
Navigating to a folder
Use the cd command ("change directory") to move around:
$ cd Desktop # go to your Desktop $ cd my-project # go into a folder called my-project $ cd .. # go back up one level
Open your terminal, type claude, and press Enter. Once you see the Claude Code prompt, type: "Hello! What can you help me with?" — just like a text message.
To exit Claude Code at any time, type /exit and press Enter, or press Ctrl + C.
The most useful things you can type
Inside Claude Code, you can do two kinds of things: chat naturally (just type what you want) or use slash commands (special shortcuts that start with /).
Slash Commands — Quick Reference
/help
Shows a list of all available commands. Great when you're stuck.
/clear
Clears the current conversation and starts fresh. Like a clean slate.
/exit
Closes Claude Code and returns you to the normal terminal.
/compact
Summarizes the conversation to free up memory during long sessions.
/status
Shows info about your current session — what model, usage, etc.
/vim
Switches to a vim-style editor mode for more advanced text editing.
You can also start Claude Code directly with a question using the -p flag, without entering the interactive mode:
$ claude -p "What does this error mean: Cannot read properties of undefined"
-p flag ("print") is great when you just have a quick question. Claude answers and you're back at the terminal immediately.
Getting better answers with better questions
Claude Code is smart, but the clearer you are, the better results you'll get. Here are the most important things to know:
✅ Be specific about what you want
Make a website
Create a single HTML file for a personal portfolio page.
It should have my name at the top, a short bio section,
and a list of 3 projects with links. Keep it simple and clean.
✅ Tell it the language or tool if you know it
If you want Python, say "in Python." If you want it to use React, say so. If you don't know, just say "whatever's simplest."
✅ Ask follow-up questions
You don't have to get it right in one message. Say things like:
"Can you make the button blue instead?"
"Add a search bar to the top."
"Explain what that last piece of code does."
"That didn't work — here's the error: ..."
Start Claude Code and ask it: "Create a simple Python script that asks me for my name and then says hello to me." Watch it write the whole thing for you!
Build something from scratch with Claude Code
Let's put it all together. Follow these steps to build a real, working app with Claude Code — even if you've never written code before.
Step 1 — Create a project folder
$ mkdir my-first-app # creates a new folder $ cd my-first-app # moves into that folder $ claude # starts Claude Code
Step 2 — Ask Claude to build something
Try one of these beginner-friendly prompts:
"Build a simple to-do list app using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
It should let me type a task, press Enter to add it, and click
a task to mark it as done. Save everything in one file called index.html."
Step 3 — Review and approve
Claude will show you what it plans to create. Read through it and type yes (or press Enter) to let it proceed.
Step 4 — Open your app!
Once Claude is done, open the index.html file in your browser — just double-click it in Finder or File Explorer. You built an app!
What to try next:
You now know how to install Claude Code, navigate the terminal, use basic commands, write good prompts, and build your first app. That's huge.
claude — start Claude Codeclaude -p "question" — quick one-off question/help — see all commands/clear — start fresh/exit — quit