How to install Claude Code and start building with it. VS Code, Terminal, or the Desktop App. 10 ready-to-use prompts to build websites, create apps, automate tasks, and more. No coding experience required.
What Is Claude Code?
Claude Code is a coding assistant built by Anthropic. You tell it what you want to build in plain English and it writes the code for you. It is not autocomplete that suggests one line at a time. It is an agent that can build entire features, create full websites, write apps from scratch, fix bugs, and automate repetitive tasks.
You do not need to be an expert programmer to use it. If you can describe what you want, Claude Code can build it.
Three Ways to Access It
- VS Code - Install the extension and use it right inside your code editor. Best for beginners.
- Terminal - Type claude in your command line. Most powerful option.
- Claude Desktop App - Download from claude.com/download. Use the Code tab, or hand longer background tasks to Cowork. You can also check on cloud sessions at claude.ai/code or in the Claude mobile app.
Not sure how Code fits with the rest of Claude? My Claude Chat, Cowork, Code and Design guide lays it all out.
Who Can Use It
You need a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription at claude.com. You can also use it with an Anthropic API account with credits. The free plan does not include Claude Code.
Installing Claude Code
The fastest way - open your terminal and run one command:
Mac / Linux / WSL:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell):
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Check that it worked:
claude --version
Other install options: Homebrew (brew install --cask claude-code), WinGet (winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode), or npm (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code, needs Node.js 22 or later). The one-command installer keeps itself updated. Homebrew and WinGet need manual updates.
10 Things You Can Build
1. Build a Personal Website
claude "Build me a personal portfolio website. Include a homepage with my name and bio, an About page, a Projects page with 4 placeholder cards, and a Contact page with a form. Make it look modern and clean. Use dark mode. Make sure it looks good on phones too."
2. Create a Full Web App with a Database
claude "Create a simple to-do list app using React for the frontend and a local SQLite database. Users should be able to add tasks, mark them complete, delete them, and filter by status. Add some nice animations when tasks are completed."
3. Build a Landing Page for Your Business
claude "Build a landing page for my online tutoring business called BrightMind. Include a hero section with a headline and signup button, a section showing 3 features with icons, a testimonials section with 3 placeholder reviews I'll replace with real ones, a pricing table with 3 tiers, and a footer. Make it professional and colorful."
4. Automate Boring File Tasks
claude "Write a Python script that goes through a folder of photos, reads the date each photo was taken from the metadata, and organizes them into subfolders by year and month. Like Photos/2025/March/. Run it on my Downloads folder."
Rather skip the code? Organize Files With Claude does the same job with Cowork.
5. Create a Chrome Extension
claude "Build a Chrome extension that lets me save any highlighted text on a webpage to a list. When I click the extension icon it should show all my saved highlights with the URL they came from. Add a button to copy all highlights to clipboard and a button to clear the list."
6. Build a Mobile App
claude "Create a React Native app for tracking daily habits. It should have a home screen that shows today's habits with checkboxes, a screen to add new habits, and a stats screen that shows a weekly streak calendar. Use a clean minimal design with soft colors."
7. Turn a Screenshot Into Code
claude "Look at this screenshot I'm sharing. Recreate this exact design as a responsive HTML page. Match the layout, colors, fonts, and spacing as closely as possible. Make all the buttons and links functional."
8. Automate Emails and Notifications
claude "Write a Python script that checks a list of URLs every morning and sends me an email summary of which ones are down or returning errors. Use smtplib for email. Include instructions for setting it up with Gmail."
9. Create an API or Backend Service
claude "Build a REST API using Node.js and Express for a simple blog. It should have endpoints to create, read, update, and delete blog posts. Store posts in a SQLite database. Add basic input validation and error handling. Include a README with setup instructions."
10. Fix Bugs and Errors
claude "I'm getting this error when I try to run my app: [paste your error message here]. Explain what is going wrong in simple terms and fix it for me."
Essential Commands Cheat Sheet
- claude - Start a session in your current project folder
- claude "task" - Run a quick one-time task
- claude --continue - Pick up where you left off last time
- claude --resume - Choose from a list of past sessions
- claude --version - Check which version you have installed
- /help - See all available commands (type inside a session)
- /compact - Shrink a long conversation so you can keep going
Pro Tip: CLAUDE.md
Create a file called CLAUDE.md in your project folder. Write instructions like "always use TypeScript" or "use Tailwind CSS for styling" and Claude will follow them automatically every session. Think of it as a settings file for your AI assistant. Then give it new abilities with Claude skills worth installing.
Get the Full Guide
Download the PDF below for the complete setup guide with screenshots, detailed installation steps for every platform, and all 10 use cases with copy-paste prompts.
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