Walkthrough

Try Claude Code in your browser

Six steps from install to your first /goal. Nothing runs for real: this is a simulated terminal, so you can see what to type and what comes back before you install anything.

Step 1 of 6: Install Claude Code
```
> curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
> claude --version
```
```
2.1.318 (Claude Code)
```
The native installer works on macOS, Linux and WSL and keeps itself up to date. On Windows PowerShell use irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Open a new terminal before you check the version.

Step 2 of 6: Start Claude in your project

> cd my-project
> claude

Your browser opens so you can sign in.
Signed in. The prompt shows the version, the model (Opus 5.5) and ~/my-project.
Type /help to see the commands you have.

The first time, Claude Code asks you to log in in your browser. After that it remembers you on this machine. Use /login to switch accounts.

Step 3 of 6: Ask it to explore first

> what does this project do?

This is a small Node API for booking classes.
- src/index.ts starts the server
- src/routes/ holds one file per endpoint
- test/ uses the built-in node test runner (npm test)

Let Claude read before it writes. It opens files as it needs them, so you never paste code. Then narrow down: where is the main entry point?

Step 4 of 6: Write a CLAUDE.md
```
> /init
```
```
Read package.json, src/ and test/.
Wrote CLAUDE.md: build and test commands, folder layout, conventions.
```
Claude reads CLAUDE.md at the start of every session. Keep it under 200 lines: commands, gotchas and rules it cannot find in the code. After /init, the work is mostly removing lines.

Step 5 of 6: Plan before it codes

> /plan add a /health endpoint with a test

Plan
1. Add src/routes/health.ts returning { ok: true }
2. Register it in src/index.ts
3. Add test/health.test.ts and run npm test
Approve the plan, or tell me what to change.

Plan mode researches and proposes changes without editing your files. Shift+Tab also cycles to it. Fixing a plan costs a sentence, fixing code costs a rewrite.

Step 6 of 6: Hand it a goal with a check

> /goal npm test exits 0 and the summary line is shown, or stop after 20 turns

Turn 1: wrote src/routes/health.ts and test/health.test.ts
Turn 2: ran npm test, 1 failing, fixed the route path
Turn 3: ran npm test
  tests 14, pass 14, fail 0
Goal met.

A small fast model checks your condition after every turn, using only what Claude showed in the conversation. So name the command, the proof and a turn bound. /goal clear stops it.

Now do it for real

Install Claude Code and run the same six steps on your own project, or let the generator write your setup.

Start here Build my setup