Claude Code for Beginners: Setup and Your First Project
Par Miguel Torrez, fondateur de Genial Agency
By the end you will have Claude Code running in the Claude desktop app, will have used it to open and edit files on your own computer in plain English, and will have built a small Game of Life simulation from a single prompt.
Three ways to run Claude Code
| Who it suits | What you need | |
|---|---|---|
| Claude desktop app | Everyone, and the easiest way in. Stick with it if you are not a developer. | The Claude desktop app on Mac or Windows. Click the button that switches to code mode. |
| Terminal | Developers: Claude Code first ran there | A terminal on your computer |
| Editor extension | People who already work in a code editor | An editor such as Antigravity, which is free to download |
Claude desktop app
- Who it suits
Everyone, and the easiest way in. Stick with it if you are not a developer.
- What you need
The Claude desktop app on Mac or Windows. Click the button that switches to code mode.
Terminal
- Who it suits
Developers: Claude Code first ran there
- What you need
A terminal on your computer
Editor extension
- Who it suits
People who already work in a code editor
- What you need
An editor such as Antigravity, which is free to download
Ce qu'il vous faut
The Claude desktop app from Anthropic (claude.ai)
A computer running Mac or Windows
Optional: a terminal or the Antigravity editor if you prefer those over the desktop app
Étape par étape
Open Claude Code in the desktop app
Download the Claude desktop app from Anthropic, the easiest of the three ways in. Open it: you start in the standard chat mode. Click the button that toggles code mode to switch to the Claude Code window. It looks almost identical to the chat, but it works very differently.
Download pagehttps://claude.ai
Know the other two ways in
Claude Code was built for developers, so it first ran in the terminal. You can also run it as an extension inside an editor such as Antigravity, which is free to download. If you are not a developer, stick with the desktop app.
Antigravity editorhttps://antigravity.google/
Ask it to open a file on your computer
Type the same request in the standard chat and in Claude Code. The chat can't help. Claude Code searches your computer, finds the file and opens it. It can read CSV files, text files and images. When it asks for permission, click Allow once.
PromptOpen a file that's inside of my computer
Change something in plain English
Open something Claude Code built (I use a YouTube dashboard it made) and tell it what to change. Claude Code updates the file itself and shows you the result. Websites and most of what you do on a computer are code, so it can change them.
PromptI just like the color. Make it pink.
Describe the tool or report you want
You code in English. Describe the result, not the code: a tool that handles a task for you, or a report built from information on your computer. For bigger jobs, run several Claude Code sessions in parallel, each doing something different.
Prompt patternHey, I would love to have a tool that does this for me.
Prompt patternI would love you to create a report with this information that is inside of my computer.
Pick a model, add files, connect apps
All the standard Claude features are still there: web browsing, weather questions, file generation. Choose a model (Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5, or Opus 4.6, which I recommend). Attach files or photos directly if you don't want it browsing your computer. Connect apps from the list, such as Notion and Drive.
Build a game from one prompt
Paste the prompt below. You can also say it out loud: voice input works on Mac and Windows. Claude Code reads the instruction and writes the file.
PromptHey, Claude, can you create a Game of Life simulation for me as an HTML file, and then you can open it as well. Thank you.
Open the result and keep iterating
When it finishes writing the file, click the Open button to see your game. Ask for changes in the same conversation, for example adding an explanation of what the game is.
Points d'attention
Asking the standard Claude chat (or ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok) to open a file on your computer won't work. Switch to code mode first.
Claude Code asks for permission before it opens files. Click Allow once to let it continue.
Big files take a while to edit. Run several Claude Code sessions in parallel so you aren't waiting on one.
Connecting an outside account (like the YouTube dashboard in the video) needs API keys. Ask Claude Code for the steps and follow them before it builds the tool.
Questions fréquentes
Do I need to know how to code to use Claude Code?
No. You code in English: describe the result you want, such as a tool that handles a task or a report built from information on your computer, and Claude Code writes and edits the files.
What can Claude Code do that the normal Claude chat cannot?
It can find, open and edit files on your own computer, including CSV files, text files and images. Asking the standard chat (or ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok) to open a file on your computer does not work.
Is Claude Code free?
No. On claude.com/pricing (checked October 25, 2026), Claude Code is not part of the Free plan. It is included from Pro ($20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly).
Why does Claude Code ask for permission?
It asks before it opens files on your computer. Click Allow once to let it continue.
Can Claude Code connect to my other accounts?
Yes. You can connect apps from its list, such as Notion and Drive. Connecting an outside account that is not on the list needs an API key: ask Claude Code for the steps and follow them first.
