A complete guide to install Claude Code in 2025

AI coding assistants are popping up everywhere, and they’re quickly changing how developers work. One of the most interesting ones is Claude Code, an AI assistant from Anthropic that works right from your terminal. The idea is pretty cool: it gets to know your entire codebase and acts like a pair programmer, helping with everything from writing functions to handling your git workflow.

But let’s be honest, getting these kinds of tools set up can sometimes be a headache. This guide is here to walk you through how to install Claude Code step-by-step, without the confusing jargon. We’ll cover what your system needs, how to handle platform-specific quirks, and what you need to know about pricing before you jump in.

What is Claude Code?

So, what exactly is Claude Code? Think of it as an AI-powered coding assistant that you chat with in your command line. It’s not just another autocomplete tool. Claude Code is designed to have a conversation about your project. You can ask it to do things, explain bits of code, or squash bugs using plain English.

It works by reading your project files, figuring out the context, and then running commands or editing code to get the job done. It’s built on Anthropic’s powerful language models, which means it can think through tasks that have multiple steps. It’s less of a suggestion box and more of a hands-on teammate who can make changes directly in your development environment.

A view of Claude Code operating within a developer's terminal, ready to receive commands.

Key features and use cases

Before you go ahead and install Claude Code, it’s worth knowing what it can do for you on a typical day. It’s more than just a code generator; it digs into the whole development process.

Code generation and refactoring

One of the first things you’ll probably try is getting it to write code for you. You can ask it to spin up new functions, add the boilerplate for a new component, or even write some unit tests. For instance, instead of manually typing out a data-fetching function, you could just tell it, "Create an async function that fetches user data from the ‘/api/users’ endpoint." It’s also great for sprucing up existing code by refactoring clunky functions to make them easier to read or run faster.

An example of the Claude Code assistant integrated into the Visual Studio Code IDE, helping with code generation.::

Debugging and code explanation

We’ve all been there, staring at a bug we just can’t seem to find. Claude Code can act as a fresh pair of eyes. You can describe the error you’re getting, and it’ll look through the relevant files to figure out what’s wrong and suggest a fix. This is a huge help when you’re getting a new team member up to speed or trying to make sense of a legacy codebase. You can just ask it to explain what a specific module does and save yourself hours of reading through old code.

Git workflow automation

Managing version control is another place where Claude Code can save you some time. It can make common Git operations easier with simple, natural language commands. Instead of typing out git commands yourself, you could just say, "Commit my latest changes with a descriptive message," or "Create a new branch called ‘feature/user-profile-page’." It can even give you a hand with trickier tasks, like sorting out merge conflicts.

A demonstration of Claude Code's integration with GitHub for automating version control tasks.::

Here’s a quick comparison of how things change:

How to install Claude Code: A step-by-step guide

Alright, let’s get into the main event. This section will guide you through the whole process to install Claude Code, from checking your setup to getting your account authenticated.

System requirements and prerequisites

First things first, let’s make sure your machine is ready. This is where a lot of people hit their first snag, so it pays to double-check.

• Operating System: You’ll need macOS 10.15+, Ubuntu 20.04+, or Windows 10+ with the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) turned on.

• Software: This one is a biggie. You must have Node.js version 18 or higher and npm (Node Package Manager) installed. An old version of Node.js is probably the most common reason an installation fails.

• Dependencies: For the best experience, it’s also a good idea to have "git" and "ripgrep" installed on your system.

The core installation process

Once you’ve got all your prerequisites sorted, the actual installation is just a single command. Open up your terminal (or WSL if you’re on Windows) and type this in:

"`bash

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

"`

The installation command for Claude Code being run in a terminal window.::

One quick note: Try to avoid using "sudo" with this command. Running npm with "sudo" can mess with file permissions later on. If you run into a permission error, it’s usually better to fix your npm permissions instead.

Special considerations for Windows users

If you’re a Windows user, you can’t just run Claude Code in the standard Command Prompt or PowerShell. You have to use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

1. Install WSL: If you don’t have it set up yet, open PowerShell as an administrator and run "wsl ---install". This command handles installing WSL and the default Ubuntu distribution for you.

2. Install Prerequisites in WSL: After WSL is ready, open your Linux terminal (like Ubuntu) and make sure you install Node.js and npm inside of it. A common mistake that trips people up is having Node.js on their Windows machine but not in their WSL environment.

This video provides a helpful, beginner-friendly tutorial on how to properly install Claude Code on a Windows machine using WSL.

Authentication and initial setup

After the installation is finished, open your terminal, navigate to your project’s main folder, and run the command "claude". The very first time you do this, it will ask you to log in. This will open a browser window where you can authenticate your Anthropic account. You’ll need one of these to continue:

• A paid Claude Pro or Max subscription.

• An Anthropic Console account with billing enabled.

Understanding pricing and limitations

Claude Code is a premium tool, so it’s good to know the costs and potential downsides before you bake it into your daily routine.

Pricing plans explained

You can’t use Claude Code for free. Access is tied to Anthropic’s paid plans or its API.

• Claude Pro: This is the starting plan you’ll need. It gives you more usage than the free version of Claude you might have used on the web.

• Claude Max: This is a higher-tier plan with a lot more usage, priority access during busy times, and a first look at new features.

• API Usage: You also have the option to authenticate through the Anthropic Console and pay as you go. Just be aware that API costs for a tool that’s constantly running can add up fast and be a bit unpredictable.

Common challenges and limitations

As useful as Claude Code is, it’s not perfect. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Installation Can Be Tricky: As you’ve seen, the process to install Claude Code has a few steps, like managing Node.js versions and setting up WSL on Windows. It isn’t a simple "download and run" app.

• It’s a Tool for Developers: Claude Code was built for people who are comfortable in a terminal. It’s not really designed for folks on your support, marketing, or HR teams.

• It Only Knows Your Code: The tool is designed to work with a local codebase on your machine. It can’t tap into your company’s other knowledge hubs like your help center, internal wiki, or past customer support tickets. This means its context is limited to just the code, not the business reasons or customer issues behind it.

Beyond the terminal: When you need more than a coding assistant

Claude Code is a fantastic AI pair programmer, but its usefulness stays inside the developer’s terminal. What about when your support team needs quick, accurate answers from your knowledge base, or when the IT department wants to automate how they handle tickets? That’s when you need something more than just a coding tool.

While Claude Code takes a bit of technical work to set up, solutions like eesel AI are designed to be simple and help the whole business. You can get it running in minutes, not months, with easy integrations for helpdesks like Zendesk and knowledge bases like Confluence. No complicated installation or developer time needed.

Where Claude Code understands your local code, eesel AI connects all of your company’s knowledge, from past support tickets and macros to Google Docs and Slack conversations. This allows it to do a bunch of things a coding-only tool can’t, such as:

• AI Agents that can solve customer tickets on their own.

• AI Copilots that help your support agents write replies.

• Internal Chat that answers employee questions right in Slack or MS Teams.

For businesses that need AI that’s easy to deploy and can help out the entire organization, a platform approach makes a lot more sense.

Should you install Claude Code?

Claude Code is definitely a powerful tool that brings some impressive AI capabilities right into a developer’s workflow. In this guide, we’ve walked through exactly how to install Claude Code, handle its requirements, and get a feel for its features and pricing. For anyone who lives in the command line, it’s great for speeding up coding tasks.

But its technical setup and focus on developers highlights an important point: it’s a tool for writing code, not a platform for automating a business. For teams that want to use AI for customer support, IT service management, and internal knowledge without a big technical project, a more complete solution is the way to go.

If you’re curious to see how AI can help automate work for your whole team, not just the developers, give eesel AI a try today.