How to use Claude Code: what it is and how to start

What Claude Code is

Claude Code is a coding agent made by Anthropic, the company behind Claude. An agent is a program that takes a goal, reads what it needs, proposes changes and carries them out, where a chatbot only replies with text. You start it with the claude command inside a project folder, and it works on the files in that folder.

It runs in a terminal, and Anthropic's setup page also lists a desktop app, VS Code and JetBrains, the web, Slack and CI as places it runs. It is not free. It comes with a Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise Claude plan, with a Claude Console account, or through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud or Microsoft Foundry. A free claude.ai account does not include it.

What Claude Code is good for

• Answers about a project: ask what it does, which technologies it uses and where the main entry point is, and Claude reads the files to answer, as the quickstart shows.
• Edits across files: ask for a small change, such as a hello world function in the main file, and it finds the file and shows the change before it writes.
• A first move on an error: start a session with a prompt such as claude "fix the build error" and it begins from that sentence.
• A plan before any edit: plan mode makes it read your code and write a plan, and it changes nothing until you approve.
• One-off answers: claude -p "explain this function" prints one answer and exits, which suits pipes and scripts.
• Your own shortcuts: a skill, a folder with a SKILL.md file, becomes a slash command you type in a session.
• Rules that always run: a hook is a shell command that runs at set points, for example to block an edit to a protected file.

When to use Claude Code, and when to pick another tool

Claude Code earns its place when the work lives in a folder of files. For chat, writing and other jobs that need no folder, a plain assistant is quicker to open.

How to use Claude Code, step by step

Install Claude Code first with the commands in lesson 1. The four pictures below show what the commands printed on a Windows PC, in order.

1. Open a new terminal and run claude --version. A version number followed by (Claude Code) means the install works. The number changes with each release, so yours will differ from this one.

   

2. Run claude --help to see what the command accepts. The text opens with Usage and says Claude Code starts an interactive session by default. Under Options, -c continues the last conversation in this folder, -p prints one answer and exits, and -r resumes an older conversation.

   

3. The same text ends with a Commands list. mcp manages MCP servers, plugin manages plugins, update checks for a new version and doctor checks the health of the auto-updater. A newer release may list more.

   

4. Go to a folder that holds a small README.md and run claude -p "In two sentences, what does this folder hold?". Claude reads the folder, prints one answer and returns you to the prompt. Your reply will word it differently, because it depends on your files and varies from run to run.

   

Real output of Claude Code 2.1.112 on Windows, shown in a terminal frame, taken on 6 November 2026.

To chat instead of asking once, run claude in a project folder and log in when it asks. The tutorials at the top of this page show a session on screen, and the install lesson covers the login.

An example to try

Make a folder called pocket-recipes with a README.md in it, written in any editor and holding a few lines about a made-up project. Then run these two lines from the folder that contains it.

cd pocket-recipes
claude -p "In two sentences, what does this folder hold?"

• The reply names the project from your README and mentions the files that are in the folder.
• It stays within two sentences, since you asked for two.
• It invents no file you do not have. If it does, ask again with the file list in the prompt.

Tips for better results

• Start claude in the project folder, as the quickstart does, so it sees the right files. The terminal guide explains how to move there with cd.
• Ask a question before you ask for an edit. The answer shows whether Claude has understood the project.
• Press Esc to interrupt Claude while it works, Shift+Tab to switch the permission mode and / to list the commands.
• Run claude -c to continue the last conversation in the folder, or claude -r to pick an older one.
• Put standing instructions in a CLAUDE.md file. /init writes a first draft of it, as the commands page describes.
• When it asks to approve the same safe command again and again, allow it once with /permissions. The permission modes page lists the six modes.

Limits to know

• Access costs money or needs a cloud account. The figures sit on Anthropic's pricing page, and plans and limits change.
• The -p flag skips the workspace trust dialog, and the help text says to use it only in directories you trust.
• The permission mode a new session starts in depends on the version. From v2.1.283, the permission modes page says, interactive terminal and VS Code sessions start in auto mode, so check the status bar.
• It acts on your files. Read each proposed edit before you approve it, and keep a project you care about under version control.

Learn more about Claude Code

1. 1Claude Code course for beginners · Lesson 1 of 4How to install Claude Code and run your first sessionInstall Claude Code on macOS, Windows or Linux, check the version, log in and run your first session, with the official commands and fixes for common errors.9 min
2. 2Claude Code course for beginners · Lesson 2 of 4Claude Code plan mode: how to ask for a plan before any editClaude Code plan mode makes Claude read your code and write a plan before it edits anything. Learn Shift+Tab, /plan, the approval choices and permission modes.8 min
3. 3Claude Code course for beginners · Lesson 3 of 4Claude Code slash commands: the built-in ones and how to write your ownLearn the Claude Code slash commands worth knowing, then write a custom command as a skill: where the file goes, arguments, who can run it and how to reload it.8 min
4. 4Claude Code course for beginners · Lesson 4 of 4Claude Code hooks: how to set up your first hook, step by stepClaude Code hooks run your own commands at set points in a session. Add a notification hook, check it with /hooks, then learn matchers, exit codes and blocking.9 min

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Claude Code docs: Quickstart (read November 4, 2026)https://code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart
2. Claude Code docs: Advanced setup (read November 4, 2026)https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup
3. Claude Code docs: Terminal guide for new users (read November 4, 2026)https://code.claude.com/docs/en/terminal-guide
4. Claude Code docs: Commands (read November 4, 2026)https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands
5. Claude Code docs: Choose a permission mode (read November 4, 2026)https://code.claude.com/docs/en/permission-modes
6. Claude Code docs: Extend Claude with skills (read November 4, 2026)https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills
7. Claude Code docs: Automate actions with hooks (read November 4, 2026)https://code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks-guide
8. Ollama Docs: CLI reference (read November 5, 2026)https://docs.ollama.com/cli