How to Set Up Claude Code on Mac (Step by Step)

Claude Code is the AI coding tool I use to build everything. It runs in your terminal (the text-based app where you type commands on your computer) and lets you describe what you want in plain English — it writes, edits, and runs the code for you.

I came from Windows — I was comfortable with CMD and PowerShell but had never built anything with code. After hearing Leo Laporte and his guests talk about Claude Code on multiple podcasts, I finally jumped in. I picked up a Mac Mini specifically for building with it, went to Anthropic’s website, and followed the install instructions. The setup took about 20-30 minutes.

Here’s how to do the same thing.

Installing Claude Code

Anthropic keeps their install docs up to date, so rather than repeat steps that might change, head to the official guide:

Claude Code Installation Guide

Follow their instructions for macOS. When I set up my Mac Mini, I installed Homebrew (a tool that makes it easy to install software on Mac through the terminal) first and the rest followed from there. The whole process took about 20 minutes.

Heads up if you’re on Windows: I actually tried setting up Claude Code on Windows first and ran into issues with environment variables (settings that tell your computer where to find installed programs). The Mac setup was much smoother since I already knew what to expect from the Windows attempt. If you’re on Windows, just be ready to spend a little extra time on that part.

Once it’s installed, open your terminal, go to a folder where you want to work, and type:

claude

The first time, it will ask you to log in with your Anthropic account. Follow the prompts and you’re in.

Just Start Talking to It

This is the part that surprised me. I didn’t do any research on how to use Claude Code before jumping in. I had an idea — a backup tool for Minecraft worlds — and I just described it. Plain English. And it understood. I wouldn’t have even known where to start building something like that on my own.

You don’t need a tutorial on how to talk to it. Just tell it what you want to build:

“I want to build a tool that backs up Minecraft save files to a separate folder automatically.”

Claude Code will start creating files, writing code, and explaining what it’s doing. If something isn’t right, just tell it what to change.

What I noticed quickly was that my troubleshooting instincts kicked in. I’d think “what if the folder doesn’t exist?” or “what if the backup fails?” — and I’d just ask Claude Code to handle those cases. The project grew from a simple script (a small program that does one thing) into something with real features, just from asking “what if” questions.

Tips from My Experience

Set up a CLAUDE.md file early. I went my first two weeks without one — I only learned about it from reading tips on Twitter and Reddit. A CLAUDE.md file is a simple text file that tells Claude Code your preferences, project context, and decisions you’ve already made. It reads this file at the start of every session, so you don’t have to repeat yourself. You can create a global one (one that applies to everything you do) at ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md — that ~ just means your home folder on your computer. I also create a separate CLAUDE.md in each project folder so each project has its own context. Set these up on day one — I wish I had.

Use the “remember” trick. Whenever you want Claude Code to do something a certain way going forward, just tell it to “remember” it. It saves these notes to memory files that stick around between sessions (every time you close and reopen Claude Code). This means you don’t have to repeat yourself.

Be specific when something isn’t right. “Make it look better” doesn’t help. “Make the heading larger and add more space below it” does. The more specific you are, the better the output.

Don’t just use it for building. I learned pretty quickly that Claude Code isn’t only for creating new things. I use it at work for PowerShell (a command-line tool built into Windows) scripting, troubleshooting problems, and automating tasks. It’s a problem-solving tool, not just a coding tool.

If something breaks, paste the error. When you see an error message, just tell Claude Code “I got this error:” and paste it. It will fix it. You don’t need to understand the error yourself. If the error is too vague or Claude Code gives you a generic fix that doesn’t work, ask it to go command by command with you to find exactly where the problem is. For example, with PowerShell scripts, I’ll say “give me the script one step at a time so we can find where it breaks.” This has saved me a lot of time — instead of guessing at a big fix, you isolate exactly which part is causing the issue.

What It Costs

You have a few options:

Claude Pro ($20/month) — includes Claude Code usage, but I hit the token limits frequently. Tokens are how AI measures usage — think of them like minutes on a phone plan. If you’re building a lot, you’ll run out and have to wait a few hours to use it again.
Claude Max ($100/month) — what I switched to after two weeks on Pro. Much higher limits, and I’ve only hit the cap once.
API usage plan — pay-per-use, good for automated tasks like running a blog. I use this for my automated projects, not for daily building.

One tip that saved me: Claude Code can use different AI models (think of them as different engines — some are more powerful but use more tokens, others are lighter and faster). I hit my limit once before I learned you could switch between them. Now I tell Claude Code in my CLAUDE.md to use the faster model for simple tasks and save the powerful one for complex work. That alone made my limits last much longer.

If you’re just starting out, try Pro first and see if you hit the limits. If you do, upgrade to Max.

Next Steps

Once you’re comfortable:

Build something real — a personal site, a small tool, something you’d actually use
Set up your CLAUDE.md and memory files right away
Read the vibe coding guide for the bigger picture
Check out our other guides for more step-by-step walkthroughs

The first session is the hardest. After that, it just clicks.