Claude Code Setup Guide

Claude Code Setup Guide

Set up Claude Code on your computer — step by step, for Windows and Mac.

What you'll have at the end

A working Claude Code installation with your own project folder and a personal CLAUDE.md file — ready for your first real conversation with your AI companion.

What you need

Step 1: Open your terminal

The terminal is where you type commands. Claude Code runs here.

Windows

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog
  2. Type cmd and press Enter
  3. The Command Prompt opens — a black window with a blinking cursor

Mac

  1. Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight
  2. Type Terminal and press Enter
  3. The Terminal opens — a white or black window with a blinking cursor

Step 2: Install Claude Code

Windows

First, install Git for Windows — Claude Code requires it. Download, run the installer, and accept the default settings.

Then, in the Command Prompt, paste this command and press Enter:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

Mac

In the Terminal, paste this command and press Enter:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Success

You should see output similar to:

√ Claude Code successfully installed!

Step 3: Set PATH

After installation, your system needs to know where to find Claude Code. This is called setting the PATH.

Windows

1. The installer may show a message like:

C:\Users\YourName\.local\bin is not in your PATH

2. Open System Properties:

3. Under User variables, find Path and click Edit

4. Click New and add:

C:\Users\YourName\.local\bin

(Replace YourName with your actual Windows username)

5. Click OK on all dialogs

6. Close and reopen your Command Prompt for the change to take effect

Mac

The installer usually sets the PATH automatically. If the claude command is not found after installation, run:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc

Note: Modern Macs use zsh as the default shell. If you have an older setup using bash, replace ~/.zshrc with ~/.bashrc in the command above.

Verify

Open a new terminal window and type:

claude --version

You should see a version number (e.g., 2.1.37). If you see "command not found", revisit the PATH steps above.

Step 4: Create your project folder

This is where Claude Code will work — your personal system lives here.

Windows

mkdir %USERPROFILE%\claude

Mac

mkdir ~/claude

Navigate into the folder:

Windows

cd %USERPROFILE%\claude

Mac

cd ~/claude

Step 5: Create your first CLAUDE.md

CLAUDE.md is the file that tells Claude Code who you are and how you work. It's the foundation of your personal system.

Create the file in your project folder. You can use any text editor — even Notepad or TextEdit.

Windows

notepad CLAUDE.md

Mac

nano CLAUDE.md, Finder → Open CLAUDE.md

Template

Paste this starter template. Replace every [name] with your actual first name (e.g., Sarah):

# [name]'s Global Claude Code Preferences

## How [name] and Claude Work Together

### Writing Convention for CLAUDE.md Files:
- Always use "[name]" (or "the human") and "Claude" instead of pronouns
- Never use "it", "you", "me", "my", "your" in CLAUDE.md files
- This avoids ambiguity about who "it" or "you" refers to
- Example: "[name] writes, Claude edits" (not "I write, you edit")

### Planning Protocol
- Always plan before implementation
- Discuss overall strategy before writing code or making changes
- Ask clarifying questions one at a time so [name] can give complete answers
- Get approval on the approach before implementation
- Focus on understanding requirements and flow first
- **Multi-level planning**
  - Plan at the high level (overall project goals and flow)
  - Then plan at the task level (specific file or feature details)
  - Implement the plan only after both levels are planned and approved
- **Check understanding**
  - After completing each task, ask if [name] has questions about what was just done
  - Important that [name] understands all the changes made together

### When Claude Gives [name] Feedback
- **Direct and specific**
  - Give clear, direct feedback and critiques
  - No need for gentle suggestions or hedging
  - Specific examples better than vague advice
  - Example: "Cut the Kizik story" vs "make it shorter"
- **Format preferences**
  - Use bullet-points for feedback and summaries

Save the file:

Step 6: Start Claude Code and verify

Make sure you are in your project folder (from Step 4), then start Claude Code:

claude

First launch

On your first launch, Claude Code will ask you to log in:

  1. It opens a browser window pointing to claude.ai
  2. Log in with your Claude Pro account
  3. Authorize Claude Code
  4. Return to your terminal — you should see the Claude Code welcome screen

Trust the folder

Claude Code will ask you to trust the current folder. Confirm — this is your working environment.

Verify everything works

Type your first message:

What do you know about me?

Claude Code should read your CLAUDE.md and respond with the information you entered. If it does — you're set up.

Step 7 (optional): Set up Wispr Flow voice dictation

Claude Code is a terminal — you type commands and messages. Wispr Flow lets you dictate instead of type. It works system-wide and transcribes your voice directly into any text field, including the terminal. Super helpful.

  1. Download Wispr Flow from wisprflow.ai
  2. Install and follow the setup instructions
  3. Use the keyboard shortcut to start dictating into Claude Code

This is especially useful for longer prompts and conversations — talk to Claude Code like you'd talk to a colleague. When you use the provided affiliate link, we both get a month of free usage. For occasional use, the free version is sufficient.

Step 8 (optional): Set up a Markdown editor or IDE

CLAUDE.md and other files in your system are written in Markdown. A good editor makes working with them much easier.

Recommended options:

EditorPlatformWhy
Visual Studio CodeWindows, MacFree, Markdown preview, Claude Code extension available
AntigravityWindows, MacLightweight editor designed for Claude Code
CursorWindows, MacAI-native code editor, built on VS Code
One MarkdownMacClean, native Markdown editor with live preview and PDF export
Markdown MonsterWindowsFull-featured Markdown editor with live preview

Any editor that can open .md files will work. You don't need a special tool.

Step 9 (optional): Set up a GitHub repository

GitHub gives you version control and portability — a history of every change you make to your system.

  1. Create a free GitHub account if you don't have one
  2. Create a new private repository on GitHub
  3. In your project folder, create a .env file for sensitive data (API keys, passwords) and a .gitignore to keep it out of GitHub:

Windows

echo. > .env
echo .env > .gitignore

Mac

touch .env
echo ".env" > .gitignore

4. Initialize and push:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial setup"
git remote add origin https://github.com/YourUsername/YourRepo.git
git push -u origin main

(Replace YourUsername and YourRepo with your actual GitHub username and repository name.)

Optional: Install GitHub Desktop for a visual interface instead of terminal Git commands.

We will cover this together in your first session if you're interested.

Step 10 (if available): Connect your Obsidian vault

If you use Obsidian for notes or personal knowledge management, you can connect your vault to Claude Code. This gives Claude access to your existing notes, ideas, and references.

In your CLAUDE.md, add the path to your Obsidian vault:

## Obsidian Vault

My notes are located at: [path to your vault]

Claude Code can then read and reference your notes during conversations — connecting your personal knowledge with your AI companion.

Next steps

Your Claude Code setup is complete. Here's what comes next:

Welcome to Mikata.

Alex Hardt · alex@alexhardt23.com · LinkedIn