What is Claude Code?
Claude, but with hands on your computer.
Claude Code is a free tool from Anthropic that runs Claude inside your terminal. Instead of copy-pasting code back and forth, Claude can read files in a folder you choose, write new ones, run commands, and build things end-to-end — while you watch and approve each step.
You don't need to be a developer. You just need to be able to open a terminal window and type the prompts in this guide.
Best for thinking
Claude in the browser
- Chat back and forth — you copy/paste code yourself
- Can't touch files on your computer
- Great for ideas, drafting, and Q&A
Best for building
Claude Code (terminal)
- Reads, writes, and runs files in a folder you pick
- Builds real tools you can double-click and use
- Runs the commands itself — you approve them
Why bother with the terminal
The leap from "ideas" to "tools you actually use."
Chatting with Claude in the browser is great for advice. Claude Code is what turns those ideas into a script, a dashboard, a converter, or a small app that lives on your computer and runs whenever you want it to. Same Claude. Different superpower.
One-Time Setup
Four steps. You'll be running it before your coffee's cold.
Open Terminal (Mac), PowerShell (Windows), or your shell of choice and run these in order.
Step 01
Install Node.js (one-time)
Claude Code runs through Node. If you've never installed it, grab the LTS version from nodejs.org and click through the installer.
# Verify it installed (Mac/Linux Terminal or Windows PowerShell):
node -v
npm -vStep 02
Install Claude Code
One command in your terminal. This is the official installer from Anthropic.
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-codeStep 03
Log in with your Claude account
Run it once and follow the prompt. It opens a browser to sign in — no API key needed if you have Claude Pro or Max.
claudeStep 04
Point it at a folder and start building
Make a new empty folder for your project, cd into it, then launch Claude. Tell it what you want in plain English.
mkdir my-first-tool
cd my-first-tool
claude
# Now type something like:
# "Build me a simple HTML page that shows today's weather for Salt Lake City."Prompts that work
Copy these. Replace the brackets.
The trick with Claude Code is being specific about what you want and asking it to explain along the way. These three prompts cover 90% of what a non-developer needs.
Starter prompt
I'm new to coding. Walk me through this step by step and explain what each command does before you run it. Build a simple [thing you want] inside this folder.
When something breaks
That didn't work — here's the error: [paste error]. Diagnose it and fix it, then explain in plain English what went wrong.
Make it shareable
Package this so a non-technical friend could double-click and run it on their computer. Write me a short README too.
What to build first
Real things real people build with it.
- Build a personal dashboard that runs on your TV
- Convert messy PDFs and spreadsheets into clean Markdown
- Spin up a tiny website for a side project — no Squarespace needed
- Write a script that renames or organizes 1,000 files at once
- Pull data out of bank statements into a budget tracker
- Automate the boring parts of your weekly work routine
Want a worked example? See the MarkItDown setup or the Family Dashboard build — both were made with Claude Code.