How to use Claude Code: install, first session and good habits
Updated Oct 26, 2026 · Sources listed at the end
To use Claude Code: install it, open a terminal in your project folder, run claude, and describe the task in plain English. Claude Code reads the codebase, edits files and runs commands, asking for permission as it goes.12 You need a paid Claude plan or API access; Claude’s Free plan does not include Claude Code (see the plan table below).
1. Install
On macOS, Linux or WSL the quickstart’s native installer is:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Claude Code is also available in IDEs (VS Code, JetBrains), a desktop app and the browser.1
2. Give it project context
Run /init in your first session. Claude analyses the repo and writes a CLAUDE.md with build commands, tests and conventions it found.3
3. Work in small, verifiable steps
Anthropic’s best-practices guide frames control in three parts: what the agent knows (CLAUDE.md, skills), what it can touch (permission modes, deny rules, sandbox) and how it shows it is done (tests, type checks, hooks, CI).4 A simple habit from the guide: tell it which tests to run and to keep going until they pass.4
4. Extend it
Add tools with MCP servers and packaged workflows with plugins.
Footnotes
Claude Code plans (from Anthropic's pricing page)
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20 | $17 | Claude Code included; shared usage limits with Claude |
| Max 5x | $100 | — | 5x Pro usage |
| Max 20x | $200 | — | 20x Pro usage |
| Team (standard seat) | $25 /seat | $20 | 2-150 seats |
| Team (premium seat) | $125 /seat | $100 | 5x standard-seat usage |
| Enterprise | — | $20 | Seat fee plus usage at API rates; 20-seat minimum, billed annually |
Checked Oct 26, 2026. Pay-as-you-go API usage via a Console account is an alternative for heavy coding. Full details: Claude Code pricing.
Tools mentioned
- Claude Code: paid from $20/mo