Claude Code overview - Claude Code Docs

Archived from: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code

Retrieved: 2026-03-04T23:31:36Z

Status: HTTP 200 (final URL: https://code.claude.com/docs)

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Store instructions and memories
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Remote Control
Claude Code on the web
Claude Code on desktop
Chrome extension (beta)
Visual Studio Code
JetBrains IDEs
GitHub Actions
GitLab CI/CD
Claude Code in Slack
On this page
Get started
What you can do
Use Claude Code everywhere
Next steps
Claude Code is an AI-powered coding assistant that helps you build features, fix bugs, and automate development tasks. It understands your entire codebase and can work across multiple files and tools to get things done.
​
Get started
Choose your environment to get started. Most surfaces require a
Claude subscription
or
Anthropic Console
account. The Terminal CLI and VS Code also support
third-party providers
.
Terminal
VS Code
Desktop app
Web
JetBrains
The full-featured CLI for working with Claude Code directly in your terminal. Edit files, run commands, and manage your entire project from the command line.
To install Claude Code, use one of the following methods:
Native Install (Recommended)
Homebrew
WinGet
macOS, Linux, WSL:
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curl
-fsSL
https://claude.ai/install.sh
|
bash
Windows PowerShell:
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irm https:
//
claude.ai
/
install.ps1
|
iex
Windows CMD:
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curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd
&&
install.cmd
&&
del
install.cmd
Windows requires
Git for Windows
.
Install it first if you don’t have it.
Native installations automatically update in the background to keep you on the latest version.
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brew
install
--cask
claude-code
Homebrew installations do not auto-update. Run
brew upgrade claude-code
periodically to get the latest features and security fixes.
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winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode
WinGet installations do not auto-update. Run
winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode
periodically to get the latest features and security fixes.
Then start Claude Code in any project:
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cd
your-project
claude
You’ll be prompted to log in on first use. That’s it!
Continue with the Quickstart →
See
advanced setup
for installation options, manual updates, or uninstallation instructions. Visit
troubleshooting
if you hit issues.
The VS Code extension provides inline diffs, @-mentions, plan review, and conversation history directly in your editor.
Install for VS Code
Install for Cursor
Or search for “Claude Code” in the Extensions view (
Cmd+Shift+X
on Mac,
Ctrl+Shift+X
on Windows/Linux). After installing, open the Command Palette (
Cmd+Shift+P
/
Ctrl+Shift+P
), type “Claude Code”, and select
Open in New Tab
.
Get started with VS Code →
A standalone app for running Claude Code outside your IDE or terminal. Review diffs visually, run multiple sessions side by side, and kick off cloud sessions.
Download and install:
macOS
(Intel and Apple Silicon)
Windows
(x64)
Windows ARM64
(remote sessions only)
After installing, launch Claude, sign in, and click the
Code
tab to start coding. A
paid subscription
is required.
Learn more about the desktop app →
Run Claude Code in your browser with no local setup. Kick off long-running tasks and check back when they’re done, work on repos you don’t have locally, or run multiple tasks in parallel. Available on desktop browsers and the Claude iOS app.
Start coding at
claude.ai/code
.
Get started on the web →
A plugin for IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and other JetBrains IDEs with interactive diff viewing and selection context sharing.
Install the
Claude Code plugin
from the JetBrains Marketplace and restart your IDE.
Get started with JetBrains →
​
What you can do
Here are some of the ways you can use Claude Code:
Automate the work you keep putting off
Claude Code handles the tedious tasks that eat up your day: writing tests for untested code, fixing lint errors across a project, resolving merge conflicts, updating dependencies, and writing release notes.
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claude
"write tests for the auth module, run them, and fix any failures"
Build features and fix bugs
Describe what you want in plain language. Claude Code plans the approach, writes the code across multiple files, and verifies it works.
For bugs, paste an error message or describe the symptom. Claude Code traces the issue through your codebase, identifies the root cause, and implements a fix. See
common workflows
for more examples.
Create commits and pull requests
Claude Code works directly with git. It stages changes, writes commit messages, creates branches, and opens pull requests.
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claude
"commit my changes with a descriptive message"
In CI, you can automate code review and issue triage with
GitHub Actions
or
GitLab CI/CD
.
Connect your tools with MCP
The
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
is an open standard for connecting AI tools to external data sources. With MCP, Claude Code can read your design docs in Google Drive, update tickets in Jira, pull data from Slack, or use your own custom tooling.
Customize with instructions, skills, and hooks
CLAUDE.md
is a markdown file you add to your project root that Claude Code reads at the start of every session. Use it to set coding standards, architecture decisions, preferred libraries, and review checklists. Claude also builds
auto memory
as it works, saving learnings like build commands and debugging insights across sessions without you writing anything.
Create
custom commands
to package repeatable workflows your team can share, like
/review-pr
or
/deploy-staging
.
Hooks
let you run shell commands before or after Claude Code actions, like auto-formatting after every file edit or running lint before a commit.
Run agent teams and build custom agents
Spawn
multiple Claude Code agents
that work on different parts of a task simultaneously. A lead agent coordinates the work, assigns subtasks, and merges results.
For fully custom workflows, the
Agent SDK
lets you build your own agents powered by Claude Code’s tools and capabilities, with full control over orchestration, tool access, and permissions.
Pipe, script, and automate with the CLI
Claude Code is composable and follows the Unix philosophy. Pipe logs into it, run it in CI, or chain it with other tools:
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# Monitor logs and get alerted
tail
-f
app.log
|
claude
-p
"Slack me if you see any anomalies"
# Automate translations in CI
claude
-p
"translate new strings into French and raise a PR for review"
# Bulk operations across files
git
diff
main
--name-only
|
claude
-p
"review these changed files for security issues"
See the
CLI reference
for the full set of commands and flags.
Work from anywhere
Sessions aren’t tied to a single surface. Move work between environments as your context changes:
Step away from your desk and keep working from your phone or any browser with
Remote Control
Kick off a long-running task on the
web
or
iOS app
, then pull it into your terminal with
/teleport
Hand off a terminal session to the
Desktop app
with
/desktop
for visual diff review
Route tasks from team chat: mention
@Claude
in
Slack
with a bug report and get a pull request back
​
Use Claude Code everywhere
Each surface connects to the same underlying Claude Code engine, so your CLAUDE.md files, settings, and MCP servers work across all of them.
Beyond the
Terminal
,
VS Code
,
JetBrains
,
Desktop
, and
Web
environments above, Claude Code integrates with CI/CD, chat, and browser workflows:
I want to…
Best option
Continue a local session from my phone or another device
Remote Control
Start a task locally, continue on mobile
Web
or
Claude iOS app
Automate PR reviews and issue triage
GitHub Actions
or
GitLab CI/CD
Route bug reports from Slack to pull requests
Slack
Debug live web applications
Chrome
Build custom agents for your own workflows
Agent SDK
​
Next steps
Once you’ve installed Claude Code, these guides help you go deeper.
Quickstart
: walk through your first real task, from exploring a codebase to committing a fix
Store instructions and memories
: give Claude persistent instructions with CLAUDE.md files and auto memory
Common workflows
and
best practices
: patterns for getting the most out of Claude Code
Settings
: customize Claude Code for your workflow
Troubleshooting
: solutions for common issues
code.claude.com
: demos, pricing, and product details
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