Installing Claude Code

Level 1 Guide

✔ Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following before you begin.

📅

Operating System

macOS 13+ | Windows 10+

💼

Node.js

Version 18 or higher required

🌐

Internet

Stable connection required

🕑

Subscription

Claude Pro

📄 Choose Your OS

Select your operating system to see the matching instructions.

🌱 macOS

📱 Windows

🌱

macOS Installation via npm

Open Terminal
Press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, and press Enter.

Check your Node.js version
Run the command below. You need version 18 or higher.

bash

node --version

ℸ If the command is not found or the version is below 18, download Node.js from nodejs.org and install it first. Version 20 LTS or later is recommended.

Install Claude Code globally via npm

bash

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

⚠ Do not use sudo with this command. Using sudo npm install -g can cause permission issues and security risks.

Authenticate

Run claude for the first time. It will open your browser for a one-time sign-in.

Verify the installation

bash

claude doctor

💡 claude doctor checks your installation type, version, and connectivity. All items should show green.

Launch Claude Code in your project

bash

cd your-project-folder
claude

📱

Windows Installation via Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt
Press Win, type cmd, and click Open.

Check your Node.js version
You need version 18 or higher.

cmd

node --version

ℸ If the command is not found or the version is below 18, download Node.js from nodejs.org and install it first. Version 20 LTS or later is recommended.

Install Claude Code globally via npm

cmd

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

⚠ Do not run Command Prompt as Administrator for the npm command. It can cause permission issues and security risks.

Authenticate

Run claude for the first time. Your default browser will open for sign-in.

Verify the installation

cmd

claude doctor

💡 claude doctor checks your installation type, version, and connectivity. All items should show green.

Launch Claude Code in your project

cmd

cd your-project-folder
claude

⚠ Claude Code on native Windows requires Git for Windows to be installed. Claude Code uses Git Bash internally.

💻 What You'll See

After running claude, your terminal will display the Claude Code interface.

📄 Quick Reference

Useful commands after installation.

Command	What it does
`claude`	Start Claude Code in the current directory
`claude doctor`	Check installation health and version
`claude update`	Manually update to the latest version
`claude --help`	Show all available options
`/help`	In-session help (after claude is running)