Installation

Time: 10 minutes. Install once per machine, then log in.

What You Need

A terminal
A Claude account (Pro, Max, or a Console API key)

macOS / Linux

Terminal


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

Restart your terminal when it finishes.

Windows

PowerShell


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

Restart PowerShell when it finishes.

Using WSL? Run the macOS/Linux command above inside your WSL terminal instead.

npm (any OS)

Needs Node.js 18+ already installed:

Terminal


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

Log In

Run this from any project folder:

Terminal


claude

It opens a browser to log in. Pick your account type (Claude subscription or Console API key), approve, and you’re in. This only happens once — credentials refresh automatically after that.

Verify It Works

Terminal


claude --version
claude doctor

--version shows a version number. doctor checks your setup and login, and tells you if anything is wrong.

Common Problems

claude: command not found — restart your terminal. Still failing? The install folder isn’t in your PATH; add it manually.

Browser doesn’t open — Claude Code prints a URL instead. Open it in any browser, even on another device.

Corporate SSO / proxy — if your company uses Bedrock, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Foundry for AI access, ask your IT team for their setup steps instead.

Next → Your First Session