⚙️ Installation & Setup

Get Claude Code running on your computer in under 15 minutes — step by step, no assumptions made.

What you'll need

• A computer running Mac, Windows, or Linux
• An internet connection
• An Anthropic account (free to create at console.anthropic.com)
• ~$5–10 to add to your API account (or a Claude Pro subscription for the web option)
• About 15–30 minutes

Option A: Claude Code on the web (easiest)

If you have a Claude.ai Pro, Team, or Max subscription, you can use Claude Code directly in your browser — no installation required.

Option B: Claude Code in your terminal (recommended for power use)

The terminal version of Claude Code requires installing two things:

1. Node.js — a runtime environment that Claude Code needs to run
2. Claude Code itself — installed using npm (a package manager that comes with Node.js)

Installing on Mac

Step 1: Open your Terminal

Press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", and press Enter. You'll see a window with a blinking cursor.

Step 2: Install Node.js

Go to nodejs.org, download the LTS version, and run the installer. Or, if you have Homebrew:

# If you have Homebrew (a Mac package manager)
brew install node

# Check it worked — you should see a version number like "v22.x.x"
node --version

Step 3: Install Claude Code

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

The -g flag means "install globally" — so you can use it anywhere on your computer, not just in one folder.

Step 4: Start Claude Code

# Navigate to your project folder first
cd ~/Documents/my-research-project

# Then start Claude Code
claude

Installing on Windows

Step 1: Enable WSL

Open PowerShell as Administrator (search "PowerShell", right-click → "Run as administrator") and run:

wsl --install

Restart your computer when prompted.

Step 2: Open Ubuntu (WSL)

Search for "Ubuntu" in your Start menu. The first time you open it, set up a username and password.

Step 3: Install Node.js inside WSL

# Install Node.js version manager (nvm)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

# Reload your shell settings
source ~/.bashrc

# Install the latest LTS version of Node.js
nvm install --lts

# Check it worked
node --version

Step 4: Install Claude Code

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

Installing on Linux

# Install Node.js (Ubuntu/Debian)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Install Claude Code
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Verify
claude --version

Connecting Claude Code to your account

Claude Code needs to connect to Anthropic's servers on your behalf. How you do that depends on whether you already have a Claude subscription.

Note: This flow is for researchers without a Max plan — either no subscription or Claude Pro. If you have Claude Max, use claude login instead — you won't see a key prompt.

When you first run claude, it will ask for your API key. Paste it in and press Enter. Claude Code stores it securely — you only need to do this once.

Understanding cost

Claude Code charges per use, measured in tokens (roughly ¾ of a word). You pay for what you use, like a prepaid phone plan. Your exact cost depends on which plan you're on.

Verify your installation

Run these commands to confirm everything is working:

# Check Claude Code is installed
claude --version

# Start a session (creates a test folder first)
mkdir ~/claude-test && cd ~/claude-test
claude

# Claude Code will start and show a prompt like:
> 

If you see the > prompt, you're in! Type "hello" to test it. Claude should respond — and that's Claude Code running on your computer.

To exit Claude Code, type /exit or press Ctrl+C.