How to Install Claude Code (Beginner Step-by-Step Guide)

So you want to try Claude Code and the first hurdle is just getting it onto your computer. Good news: installing Claude Code is one command. You copy it, paste it into a terminal, press Enter, and wait. That is the whole thing. No coding, no complicated setup, no computer science degree.

This guide is for total beginners. We will cover exactly what you need first, the one command for your computer (Mac, Windows, or Linux), how to start your first session, how to confirm it worked, and a two-minute safety note to do before you point it at anything real.

What you need before you install

Three things, and only three:

1. A supported computer. Claude Code runs on macOS 13 or newer, Windows 10 (1809) or newer, and recent Linux like Ubuntu 20.04+. Most machines from the last few years qualify. You want at least 4 GB of RAM and an internet connection.
2. A paid Claude account. This is the one people miss. Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console account. The free Claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code, so if you are on the free tier you will need to upgrade before it works. Sort this out first so the install has something to log into.
3. A terminal. That is the plain text window where you type instructions. Every Mac, Windows, and Linux computer already has one. You do not need to install it, and you do not need to know terminal commands, because after this you mostly talk to Claude in plain English.

Not on the list: prior coding experience, Git, or any other software. If you are wondering about that, we cover it here: Do I Need Git (or to Know How to Code) to Use Claude Code?.

The one command to install Claude Code

Anthropic's recommended way to install is the native installer, which is a single line you paste into your terminal. Pick the one for your computer.

On a Mac, Linux, or WSL, open your terminal and paste:

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

On Windows, open PowerShell (search for it in the Start menu) and paste:

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

Press Enter. The installer downloads Claude Code and sets it up for you. It takes a minute or two. When it finishes, it will tell you.

That really is it. You do not have to understand what the command says. It is a short instruction that means "go get Claude Code and install it," and the terminal does the work.

Prefer clicking to typing?

If the terminal is not your thing yet, there is a softer door. Anthropic ships a Claude Desktop app you download and install like any normal program, no command line involved. It is the friendlier on-ramp for non-technical work. We compare the two plainly here: Claude Cowork vs Claude Code.

Already have Node.js? The npm option

If you are a little more technical and already use Node.js, there is a second official route:

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

As of recent versions this needs Node.js 22 or newer. For a total beginner, the native installer above is simpler because it does not ask you to set up Node first. On a Mac you can also install with Homebrew (brew install --cask claude-code) if you already use it. Any of these gets you the same tool.

Start your first session

Once the install finishes, go to the folder you want to work in and start Claude Code by typing:

claude

The very first time, it walks you through logging in. It opens your browser, you sign in to your paid Claude account, approve the connection, and you land back in the terminal ready to go. You only do this login once.

From here, you just talk to it. Try something tiny and harmless to feel how it works:

"Explain what files are in this folder in plain English."

Claude reads, thinks, and answers. You are in.

Confirm it actually installed

Two quick checks if you want to be sure everything is wired up correctly.

Run this to see the version:

claude --version

If it prints a version number, the install worked. For a deeper check that also flags common setup issues, run:

claude doctor

If either command says command not found, do not panic. The usual fix is simple: close the terminal window and open a fresh one, because your terminal only notices a newly installed command after a restart. Then try claude --version again.

A two-minute safety net before your first real task

One thing worth understanding before you point Claude Code at something you care about: it edits the real files on your computer and runs real commands, live. That is what makes it useful, and it is also why a calm setup pays off.

The reassuring part is that the defaults are already careful. Out of the box, Claude Code starts with read-only permissions, asks you before it edits a file or runs a command that changes anything, and can only write inside the folder where you started it. Anthropic's own security docs confirm those write operations stay confined to that folder and its subfolders. The safe beginner move is to keep those defaults rather than turn them off.

Two habits make your first week worry-free:

• Start in a throwaway folder while you learn. Make an empty practice folder and start Claude Code inside it. A mistake there costs you nothing. Do not aim it at your Desktop, your photos, or your one real project on day one.
• Set up a restore point in plain English. You can literally say: "Set up a checkpoint of this project right now so I have a safe point to return to." Claude does the typing, and you have a plain-English undo button if anything goes sideways.

The fastest way to get this right is the free Claude Code Safety Checklist: the do-this-then-this setup, in plain English, that prevents almost every "the agent deleted my work" story. We will email it to you so it is there when you need it. If you want the fuller picture first, here is the honest answer to Is Claude Code Safe?.

The bottom line

Installing Claude Code is genuinely one command. Make sure you have a paid Claude account, paste the native installer for your computer, type claude to log in and start, and confirm with claude --version. The whole thing takes a few minutes and none of it is coding.

Before your first real task, spend two minutes on the safety net so your first mistake costs you nothing. Then build something small and real. If you can't code, that is fine, Claude Code is built for exactly that: Claude Code for Non-Coders.

Want a guided path instead of poking around alone? Our Claude Code course takes a total beginner from their first command to confident, without assuming you already know the terminal. And grab the free Claude Code Safety Checklist before you start.

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Related reading: Claude Code for Non-Coders · Do I Need Git (or to Know How to Code) to Use Claude Code? · Is Claude Code Safe? · The free Claude Code Safety Checklist · All field notes