Before you start
Claude Code runs in your computer's terminal — the text window where you type commands. You'll also need a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max); the free plan doesn't include Claude Code.
The good news: with the official installer you do not need to install Node.js. It's a single command.
One thing to do first if you're on Windows: Claude Code needs a free tool called Git for Windows to work (it uses it in the background — you won't need to learn or use Git yourself). If you're on Windows and don't already have it, install it before you continue:
Go to git-scm.com/downloads/win and download the installer.
Run the installer. Click Next on each screen to accept the default settings — you don't need to change anything, even though there are several screens.
If it asks which editor to use, leave the default and click Next.
When you reach the screen titled "Adjusting your PATH environment," keep the option that's already selected.
Not sure whether you have Git? Install it anyway — reinstalling causes no problems. Mac users can skip this; nothing extra is needed.
Step 1 — Open your terminal
Open the terminal on your computer. The way you do this depends on your system:
Windows 10: Press the Windows key + R, type
cmd, and press Enter. The Command Prompt will open.Windows 11: Click the Search bar in the taskbar (or press the Windows key), type
Terminal, and click Terminal in the results. Alternatively, right-click the Start button and select Terminal.Mac: Press Cmd + Spacebar to open Spotlight, type
Terminal, and press Enter.
A window with a blank line where you can type will appear. This is where all the commands below go.
Step 2 — Run the installer
Copy the command for your system, paste it into the terminal, and press Enter.
Mac:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Windows 11 (and Windows 10 using Terminal/PowerShell):
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Windows 10 (if you opened the Command Prompt with cmd in Step 1):
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd
You'll see some text scroll by while it works. When it's finished, you'll see a message confirming that Claude Code was installed successfully. If you see an error instead, check the Troubleshooting section at the bottom.
Step 3 — Open a new terminal window
This step is easy to skip, but it matters. Close your terminal window completely and open a new one (using the same method from Step 1).
The installer adds Claude Code to your system, but your terminal only notices the change when you start a fresh window. Skipping this is the most common reason the next step seems to "not work".
Step 4 — Start Claude Code and log in
In your new terminal window, type:
claude
The first time you run it, it will ask how you want to log in. Choose to log in with your Claude account (not with an API key). A browser window will open where you sign in to your Claude account. Once you've signed in, you can return to the terminal — your Pro or Max subscription now works in Claude Code.
That's it. You can now type questions or requests directly in the terminal.
Troubleshooting
The installation steps are the same on every system, but if something goes wrong, the fix can differ depending on what you're using. Here are the most common issues.
"claude is not recognized" or "command not found" after installing
This almost always means you skipped Step 3. Close the terminal completely, open a brand-new window, and type claude again. The terminal only picks up newly installed commands when you start a fresh session.
Windows: "irm is not recognized" (you're in the Command Prompt, not PowerShell)
If the irm command gives an error like "is not recognized as an internal or external command", you're in the Command Prompt (CMD) rather than PowerShell. You can tell which one you're in by looking at the start of the line: PowerShell shows PS C:\... while the Command Prompt shows just C:\....
Use the Command Prompt version of the command instead:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd
Windows 10: "Could not create SSL/TLS secure channel"
This can happen on older Windows 10 systems. In PowerShell, run the line below first, then run the installer command again:
[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12 irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Windows: "Claude Code on Windows requires git-bash"
This means Git for Windows isn't installed (or Claude Code can't find it). Go back to the "Before you start" section above and install Git for Windows, then close your terminal, open a new one, and run claude again.
Mac: a security or "permission" message
Because the official installer puts Claude Code in a folder you own (inside your own home directory), the permission errors that older installation methods caused don't happen here. If your Mac shows a security pop-up the first time you run claude saying it couldn't verify the app, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down to the message about claude, and click Allow Anyway. Then run claude again in the terminal.
Still stuck?
After installing, you can run this command to have Claude Code check itself and point out what's wrong:
claude doctor
It looks at your installation and common settings and usually tells you exactly what to fix.