Getting Started with Claude Code: Anthropic's Agentic CLI
Learn how to install, configure, and use Claude Code—an autonomous terminal assistant that can edit files, run tests, and manage git workflows directly in your project.
What is Claude Code?
Claude Code is an agentic command-line interface (CLI) tool developed by Anthropic. Unlike traditional AI autocomplete extensions that suggest the next line of code as you type, Claude Code operates at the project level. It reads your entire codebase, plans an approach, edits files, runs tests, and can even create git commits—all autonomously from your terminal.
Installation and Prerequisites
Before installing Claude Code, you need Node.js (version 18 or higher), npm, and Git installed on your machine. Once your environment is ready, open your terminal and run the global installation command:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-codeYour First Session
- 1Navigate to your existing project folder in the terminal using
cd your-project-name. - 2Type
claudeand press Enter to start the interactive session. - 3Follow the on-screen prompts to authenticate your Anthropic API Console or Claude Pro account.
- 4Ask Claude Code to perform a task using natural language, such as: "Find the memory leak in the auth module, fix it, and run the test suite."
Automating Workflows with CLI Flags
You can also use Claude Code in non-interactive mode (-p flag) to pipe commands, making it perfect for CI/CD pipelines or automated shell scripts. Here is an example of piping changed files into Claude for a quick security review:
git diff main --name-only | claude -p "review these changed files for security issues"Best Practices
- 1Use CLAUDE.md: Create a
CLAUDE.mdfile in the root of your project. Claude reads this at the start of every session to understand your architecture, coding standards, and preferred libraries. - 2Control Autonomy: Use the
--allowedToolsflag in automated environments to restrict Claude Code to read-only operations, preventing accidental deletions. - 3Review AI Commits: While Claude Code is capable of writing and committing code on its own, you remain in the driver's seat. Always review the diffs and test locally before pushing to production.