What is Claude Code?

Updated April 14, 2026 · 10 min read

Claude Code is an AI-powered coding agent made by Anthropic. Unlike autocomplete tools that suggest the next line, Claude Code reads your entire codebase, understands what needs to be done, writes and edits files, runs tests, executes commands, and integrates with Git — all from your terminal.

🔄 How Claude Code Works

Claude Code operates as an agentic loop:

1. You describe a task — in plain English, like "add user authentication" or "fix the failing tests"
2. Claude explores your codebase — reads files, understands structure, identifies relevant code
3. Claude plans the solution — in Plan Mode, it outlines what it will do before touching any code
4. Claude implements changes — edits files, runs commands, installs packages
5. Claude verifies the result — runs tests, checks for errors, iterates until working
6. You review and approve — every change is visible, reversible via Git checkpoints

⭐ Key Features

📥 How to Install Claude Code

You'll be prompted to log in on first use. That's it — no complex configuration needed to get started.

💰 Pricing

🚀 Your First Session

Here's how to get the most out of your first Claude Code session:

1. Create a CLAUDE.md — Tell Claude about your project. Include: tech stack, test commands, directory structure, coding conventions.
2. Start with Plan Mode — Press Shift+Tab twice. Let Claude explore before it edits anything.
3. Give specific tasks — "Add a /health endpoint to the Express server in src/routes/" works better than "improve the server".
4. Review before accepting — Claude shows you every change. Read it. You're the pilot.
5. Use /compact — At 50% context, compact to keep Claude sharp. Beyond 70%, performance degrades.

🎯 Who Should Use Claude Code?

• ✅ Developers who want to ship 10x faster on large codebases
• ✅ Founders who want to build products without a dev team
• ✅ Teams who want autonomous PR generation from issues
• ✅ Anyone comfortable with the terminal

🔄 Alternatives

❓ FAQ