This guide walks you through installing Claude Code on your machine and authenticating so you can start using it.
Choose your operating system:
| OS | Guide |
|---|---|
| Windows | windows.md |
| Linux | linux.md |
| macOS | mac.md |
Follow the guide for your OS, then come back here for authentication.
After following your OS-specific guide, confirm everything is working:
node --version # Should show v18.x or higher
claude --version # Should show the installed Claude Code versionRun claude in your terminal. On first launch, it will ask you to choose a login method.
- Select Claude.ai account
- Browser opens — sign in and authorize
- Return to terminal, you're logged in
Your team admin invites you from the Anthropic dashboard.
- You receive an invite email — accept it and create your Anthropic account
- Run
claudein your terminal - Select Anthropic API Key
- Your key is auto-generated on the dashboard — no manual setup needed
- Claude Code starts working immediately
If someone shared the key with you (via Slack, email, etc.) or you created your own:
- Run
claudein your terminal - Select Anthropic API Key
- Paste your key (starts with
sk-ant-) - The key is stored permanently — you won't be asked again
