From zero to your first real conversation. No coding experience needed, just you and your computer.
After this module: Claude Code is installed on your machine and you have had your first real conversation with it. It feels different from anything you have tried before.
Available April 7, 2026You will get an email the moment it is live.
What the terminal is
The terminal is a text-based way to talk to your computer. Instead of clicking through menus and buttons, you type commands. It does exactly what you ask.
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Mac: Press Cmd+Space to open Spotlight, type "Terminal", press Enter.
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Windows: Press the Windows key, type "PowerShell", press Enter.
That blank screen with the blinking cursor is normal. It looks empty, but it is ready and waiting for you.
Why does Claude Code use the terminal? Because from here, Claude can read your files, create new ones, organize your folders, and actually do things on your computer. A chat window like ChatGPT can only talk. The terminal can act.
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You do not have to type everything. Use voice-to-text tools like WhisperFlow or Superwhisper to speak your instructions. Talk to Claude the way you would talk to an assistant.
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You can show it things. Drag a screenshot into the terminal and Claude will see it. Want it to match a design? Show it. Want it to fix something on screen? Screenshot it and drag it in.
You will not break anything. The commands we use in this course are simple and safe. If something ever goes wrong, Claude Code itself can help you fix it. You are in good hands.
Installation step by step
Five steps, about 15 minutes. You will have Claude Code running on your machine by the end.
1
Get Claude Pro. Go to claude.ai and sign up for a Pro subscription ($20/month). This gives you access to Claude Code. Already have it? Skip this.
2
Install Node.js. Go to nodejs.org. Click the big green "LTS" button. Download, run the installer, click Next through everything. About 2 minutes.
3
Open your terminal. Mac: Cmd+Space, type "Terminal". Windows: Windows key, type "PowerShell".
4
Install Claude Code. Type this exactly and press Enter: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code Wait 30 to 60 seconds. Text will scroll by. When you see your cursor again, it is done.
5
Test it. Type claude and press Enter. If you see Claude's welcome message, you are done.
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If step 5 did not work: Close the terminal completely, open a fresh one, and type claude again. This fixes the problem almost every time. The Claude Code Starter Guide has screenshots for every step.
The files Claude reads
Before you start talking to Claude, you need to understand the one file type you will use every day: .md files. The "md" stands for Markdown.
A markdown file is just a plain text file. No special software needed. No formatting toolbars, no drag-and-drop builders. You type words, and you use a few simple symbols to organize them. That is it.
Why does Claude use markdown? Because Claude reads and writes files on your computer. It needs a format that is simple, universal, and easy to edit. Markdown is all three. When Claude creates your root file (CLAUDE.md), your daily logs, your templates, your business notes, it writes them as .md files. No logins, no dashboards, no cloud apps. Just files on your computer.
You do not need to learn markdown. Claude writes it for you. You just tell it what you want, in plain language, by typing or speaking. "Create a file with my services and prices." "Add a section about my coaching philosophy." "Update my daily log with today's notes." Claude handles the formatting. You can also share a link to your website or paste in text from anywhere, and ask Claude to turn it into a structured .md file.
If you want to see what is in a file, you can ask Claude to show it to you right there in the terminal. If you want to change something, tell Claude what to change. You never have to open the file yourself unless you want to. And in Part 2, you will learn how Claude can turn these same files into a website you can actually see in your browser.
Here is what a markdown file looks like, so you can recognize one when you see it:
# My Business
I am a leadership coach for women in tech.
## What I offer
- 1:1 coaching ($3,000 for 3 months)
- Group program ($500 per person)
- Free monthly webinar
## My voice
Warm but direct. I do not sugarcoat.
I use **bold** for emphasis, never all caps.
That is a real file. The # creates a heading. The - creates a bullet point. The ** around a word makes it bold. You do not need to remember any of this. Claude writes it all. You just need to recognize what you are looking at when you open one.
To open and edit .md files, you need a text editor. A text editor is an app for reading and editing plain text files. Here are the most common ones:
VS CodeFree. Made by Microsoft. The most popular text editor in the world. Works on Mac and Windows. If you are unsure which to pick, pick this one.
CursorFree plan available. Built on VS Code but with AI features built in. Feels the same as VS Code. Good if you want AI help inside your editor too.
ObsidianFree. Designed specifically for .md files. Feels more like a notes app than a code editor. Great if you want a beautiful reading experience.
TextEdit / NotepadAlready on your computer. TextEdit on Mac, Notepad on Windows. Basic, but works in a pinch. No install needed.
You do not need to pick the perfect editor. You just need one that lets you open a file, read it, and change the text. That is all a text editor does. Install one before the next lesson. You will use it every day.
What can go wrong
Errors are not a sign that you did something wrong. They are a normal part of working with any software. Here are the most common ones and how to fix them.
command not found: claude
Your terminal does not know where Claude Code is. Close the terminal completely, open a fresh one, and type claude again. If it still does not work, reinstall Node.js from nodejs.org.
permission denied
Happens on Mac sometimes. Add sudo before the command: sudo npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code. It will ask for your password. Type it (nothing shows on screen, that is normal) and press Enter.
Your internet connection dropped during installation. Check your wifi, then run the install command again.
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The #1 fix for any terminal problem: Close the terminal window completely and open a fresh one. This solves more issues than you would expect.
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When in doubt, ask Claude itself. Type claude, describe your error in plain language. It can usually tell you exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.
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Claude works on your actual computer. This is the most important thing to understand. When you tell Claude to create a file, it creates a real file. When you tell it to move something to the trash, it actually moves it to the trash. This is what makes it powerful, but it also means you should pay attention to what it is doing.
The good news: Claude always asks for your permission first. Before it creates, edits, moves, or deletes anything, it will show you what it wants to do and wait for you to say yes. Read what it is asking before you approve. If you are not sure, say no. You can always ask it to explain what it wants to do and why.
