Prerequisites: Node.js 18+, a terminal (macOS/Linux/WSL), and an Anthropic subscription (Pro $20/mo or Max $200/mo). Familiarity with the command line is assumed.

Claude Code is a terminal-based AI coding agent from Anthropic. It reads your codebase, edits files, runs tests, and commits -- all autonomously.

Install

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

CLAUDE.md -- Your project's AI brain

Create a CLAUDE.md in your project root. This file tells Claude Code about your project:

# My Project

## Stack
Next.js 16 + Convex + Clerk + Tailwind CSS v4

## Key Directories
- src/app/ -- Pages and layouts
- src/components/ -- React components
- convex/ -- Backend functions

## Commands
- npm run dev -- Start dev server
- npx convex dev -- Start backend

Agent prompt

Copy this prompt to get started:

Read the CLAUDE.md file and understand the project structure. You are an expert in the stack described. Follow the conventions in CLAUDE.md for all code changes.

MCP Servers

Connect external tools to Claude Code via MCP:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "devdigest": {
      "command": "dd",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Sub-agents

Claude Code can spawn sub-agents for parallel work:

Use the Task tool to spawn agents for:
- Research tasks
- Independent file edits
- Running tests in parallel

Tips

Keep CLAUDE.md under 200 lines -- concise beats comprehensive
Use memory files in .claude/ for session-specific context
Run claude --dangerously-skip-permissions for fully autonomous mode (use with caution)