How to Set Up Claude Code on Mac and PC

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is a tool made by Anthropic (the company behind Claude AI). It lets you use Claude directly on your computer, instead of just chatting in a browser.

Think of it like this: when you use Claude on claude.ai, you're typing messages back and forth in a chat window. Claude Code is different. It runs on your actual computer, which means it can see your files, create new ones, build websites, write documents, and automate tasks for you.

You talk to it in plain English. You say something like "make me a website about dogs" and it actually builds it, right there on your computer. No coding knowledge required.

What You Need Before You Start

• 1A Claude subscription. Claude Code is included free with any Claude plan. The cheapest is Claude Pro at $20/month. If you don't have one yet, go to claude.ai/pricing and sign up. This is the same subscription you'd use for the regular Claude chatbot.
• 2A Mac or Windows PC. Mac needs to be running macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer. Most Macs from 2018 onwards support this. Windows needs to be Windows 10 or newer. If your computer gets regular updates, you're almost certainly fine.

Quick Jargon Buster

You'll see a few technical-sounding words in this guide. Here's what they actually mean.

• VVS Code. A free app from Microsoft called Visual Studio Code. It's basically a smart text editor with a built-in terminal. This is what I use every day. It lets you see your files, your terminal, and everything Claude is building, all in one window.
• TTerminal. A text window where you type commands instead of clicking buttons. Think of it as texting your computer. You type an instruction, press Enter, and it does it. VS Code has one built in, so you don't need to open a separate app.
• EExtension. A small add-on you install inside VS Code to give it extra features. The Claude Code extension lets you use Claude directly inside VS Code with a nice interface.
• WWorkspace. Just a fancy word for a folder. When you open a folder in VS Code, it becomes your "workspace". Everything Claude builds will go into that folder.

Step 1: Install VS Code

This is the app where you'll do everything. It's free, it's made by Microsoft, and it takes about a minute to install.

• 1Go to code.visualstudio.com in your web browser.
• 2Click the big download button. The website detects whether you're on Mac or Windows and shows you the right version automatically.
• 3Install it:
  
  On Mac: Open the downloaded .zip file. Drag the VS Code app into your Applications folder. Then open it from Applications (or Spotlight: Command + Space, type "Visual Studio Code").
  
  On Windows: Run the downloaded installer. Click "Next" through each screen, accepting the defaults. When it's done, VS Code will open automatically.

Step 2: Install Claude Code (Mac)

Now you'll install Claude Code itself. This is the part that connects Claude AI to your computer. Skip to Section 06 if you're on Windows.

Step 2: Install Claude Code (Windows)

If you're on Mac, you already did this in Section 05. Skip to Section 07. If you're on Windows, follow these steps.

Step 3: Install the Claude Code Extension

Now you'll add the Claude Code extension to VS Code. This gives you a nicer way to use Claude inside the app, instead of just the terminal.

• 1Open VS Code.
• 2Click the Extensions icon in the left sidebar. It looks like four small squares (one detached from the group). On Mac you can also press Command + Shift + X. On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + X.
• 3In the search bar at the top, type: Claude Code
• 4Find "Claude Code" by Anthropic. Make sure it says "Anthropic" underneath the name. This is the official extension from the company that makes Claude.
• 5Click the blue "Install" button. It takes a few seconds. When it's done, the button will change to say "Disable" or show a gear icon. That means it's installed.

Step 4: Create Your Workspace

A workspace is just a folder where you and Claude will work together. Everything Claude creates goes into this folder, so you can always find it.

• 1Create a new folder on your computer. Open Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows). Go somewhere easy to find, like your Desktop or Documents. Right-click and create a new folder. Call it something like my-ai-workspace or whatever you like.
• 2Open that folder in VS Code. In VS Code, click File in the menu bar, then click Open Folder. Find the folder you just created and select it. Your folder name will appear in the left sidebar. It might be empty, and that's fine.

That's your workspace. From now on, when you open VS Code and talk to Claude, it will create files inside this folder. You'll see them appear in the left sidebar in real time as Claude works.

Step 5: Log In and Test It

Last step. You'll connect Claude Code to your Claude account, then try your first prompt to make sure everything works.

Open the terminal in VS Code. Click Terminal in the menu bar, then New Terminal. The terminal panel appears at the bottom.

Type this and press Enter:

What happens: Claude Code starts for the first time. Since you haven't logged in yet, it will open your web browser automatically with a login page on claude.ai.

• 1Log in with your Claude account in the browser. Use the same email and password you use on claude.ai. If you signed up with Google, click "Sign in with Google".
• 2Click "Allow" when asked to connect Claude Code to your account.
• 3Go back to VS Code. You should see a welcome message in the terminal. You're logged in.

Now let's test it. Type your first prompt:

• !Watch what happens. Claude will create a file called "hello.txt" in your workspace. You'll see it appear in the left sidebar of VS Code. Click on it to open it, and you'll see the quote Claude wrote. That's it. Claude just created a real file on your computer from a plain English instruction.

Troubleshooting

If something didn't work, check this list. These are the most common issues.

What to Build First (With Copy-Paste Prompts)

Don't think of "code" as code. Think of it as: you describe what you want, and Claude builds the solution. Here are five things to try right now, with prompts you can copy and paste straight in.

Build a tool you wish existed. A tracker, a calculator, a dashboard. I've built calendars, trackers, and dashboards this way.

Automate something repetitive. If you do the same task every week, Claude can probably handle it for you.

Analyse a spreadsheet. Drop a CSV into your workspace folder, then ask Claude to make sense of it.

Solve a problem you don't have a solution for yet. Describe the problem. Let Claude suggest what to build.

Make something you've already built look better.

Tips for Getting Better Results

I've been using Claude Code every day for months. Here's what I've learned about getting the best results from it.

• 1Describe the outcome, not the method. Don't say "write me some HTML with a flexbox layout." Say "build me a page that shows three pricing plans side by side." Let Claude figure out the how. You focus on the what.
• 2Be specific about what you want. "Make me an app" is vague. "Make me a daily habit tracker where I can tick off 5 habits and see my streak for each one" is specific. The more detail you give, the closer the first version will be to what you imagined.
• 3Ask Claude to explain as it goes. Add "explain what you're doing in plain English as you build" to any prompt. Claude will walk you through each step. You'll start picking up how things work without even trying.
• 4Iterate out loud. The first version is rarely perfect, and that's fine. Just tell Claude what to change: "make the font bigger", "add a dark mode", "the button colour feels wrong, try something warmer." You can keep refining as many times as you want.
• 5Ask Claude to test its own work. After it builds something, say: "Now test this yourself. Try it as if you were a real user. Find any problems and fix them." Claude will go through the whole thing, find edge cases, and fix them without you having to spot every issue.
• 6Ask Claude to interview you first. For bigger projects, start with: "Before you build anything, interview me. Ask me questions about what I need, the design I want, and anything else that would help you get this right." Claude will ask smart questions and then build something much closer to what you actually want.
• 7Save your progress for next time. If you're working on something big across multiple sessions, ask Claude to: "Write a detailed summary of everything we've built and every decision we've made. Save it as a file called project-notes.md." Next time, you can tell Claude to read that file and pick up where you left off.

Going Further

Once you're comfortable with the basics, here are some things that will take your builds to the next level.

• 1Connect to other apps. Claude Code can connect to tools you already use. Try: "Connect this to my Google Sheets so it saves entries there automatically" or "Send me an email whenever a new entry is added." Claude will walk you through the setup step by step.
• 2Use Plan Mode for bigger projects. Before building, you can ask Claude to plan first. Say: "Don't build anything yet. Plan out how you'd approach this and show me the plan." Review it, give feedback, then tell Claude to go ahead. Measure twice, cut once.
• 3Let Claude work in the background. For bigger tasks, you can tell Claude to work while you keep doing other things. Just say: "Run this in the background and let me know when it's done." Handy for longer builds.
• 4Voice dictate your prompts. You don't have to type everything. On Mac, press the microphone key on your keyboard (or press Fn twice). On Windows, press Windows + H. Just talk naturally and your words appear as text. I do this all the time. It's faster than typing and Claude understands spoken prompts perfectly.
• 5Create custom instructions. If you always want Claude to build things a certain way (a specific colour scheme, a particular style, always explain in plain English), you can save those preferences in a file called CLAUDE.md in your workspace folder. Claude reads it at the start of every session. Ask Claude to help you set it up.