Book a call
← All insights
AI & Emerging TechGuides

Installing Claude Code Prerequisites

October 30, 20256 min readMichael Franklin

Before you can start building AI-powered applications with Claude Code, you need a working local development environment. This guide covers every dependency and walks through installation on both Mac and Windows. Estimated completion time: one hour for beginners.

What you are installing and why

| Tool | Purpose | |---|---| | Node.js + npm | JavaScript runtime for web projects and the npm package registry | | VS Code | Code editor with Claude Code integration | | Git | Version control, required by Claude Code internally | | GitHub account | Remote repository storage and collaboration | | Claude account | Authentication for Claude Code (paid tier required) |

Node.js and npm

Node.js is required for any JavaScript or TypeScript web project. npm is included and provides access to hundreds of thousands of packages.

Mac

Two installation methods:

Option A — Official installer (recommended for beginners)

Download the LTS installer from nodejs.org and run it. Accept all defaults.

Option B — Homebrew (recommended for developers)

bash
brew install node

Verify:

bash
node --version
npm --version

Windows

Download the LTS installer from nodejs.org. Run it and accept defaults. Node will add itself to your PATH automatically.

Verify in PowerShell:

powershell
node --version
npm --version

Visual Studio Code

VS Code is the editor Claude Code integrates with most deeply. The Claude Code extension gives you inline AI assistance inside your editor.

Mac

Download from code.visualstudio.com and move VS Code to your Applications folder.

Windows

Download the user installer from code.visualstudio.com. Run it and accept defaults, making sure "Add to PATH" is checked.

Recommended extensions

Install these after opening VS Code:

  • ES7+ React/Redux Snippets — shorthand for common React patterns
  • Tailwind CSS IntelliSense — autocomplete for Tailwind class names
  • Prettier — auto-format on save
  • TypeScript Vue Plugin — if you are working with Vue

Open the Extensions panel with Ctrl+Shift+X (Win) or Cmd+Shift+X (Mac) and search by name.

Git

Claude Code uses Git internally, even if your project is not using version control. Without Git installed, Claude Code will fail at runtime.

Mac

Git is pre-installed on most Macs. Verify:

bash
git --version

If not installed, macOS will prompt you to install the Xcode Command Line Tools. Accept.

Or install via Homebrew:

bash
brew install git

Windows

Download the 64-bit installer from git-scm.com/downloads/win. On the PATH screen, select the middle option: "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software."

Verify:

powershell
git --version

Configure your identity

After installation, tell Git who you are:

bash
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

These details appear in commit history. Use your professional email if this is work code.

GitHub account

GitHub is where your code lives remotely. You will push local repositories here and clone repositories from here.

  1. Go to github.com and create an account
  2. Choose a username that is professional and memorable — it is part of your public identity as a developer
  3. Verify your email address

You do not need to set up SSH keys right now. HTTPS authentication is sufficient for getting started.

Claude account

Claude Code requires a paid Anthropic account. Free accounts will not work.

Accepted account types:

  • Claude Pro ($20/month)
  • Claude Max ($100-$200/month)
  • Claude Team or Enterprise
  • Anthropic Console with API credits

Sign in or create an account at claude.ai.

Install Claude Code

With all prerequisites in place, install Claude Code.

Mac and Linux

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

Verify:

bash
claude --version

Windows

On Windows, use the native installer rather than npm. Follow the Windows Installation Guide for the complete process including the PATH remediation step.

Verify everything works

Run through this checklist before starting your first project:

  • [ ] node --version returns a version number
  • [ ] npm --version returns a version number
  • [ ] git --version returns a version number
  • [ ] VS Code opens without errors
  • [ ] claude --version returns a version number
  • [ ] claude doctor shows all green

Common issues:

| Symptom | Fix | |---|---| | command not found: node | Close terminal, reopen, try again. If still failing, reinstall Node | | command not found: git | Install Git per instructions above | | command not found: claude | PATH not set — follow the PATH fix in the Windows guide, or re-run the Claude Code installer | | VS Code cannot find Git | Set git.path in VS Code settings to the Git binary location |

Next steps

With prerequisites installed, you are ready to start building. Open a terminal, navigate to a new project directory, and run claude to authenticate and start your first session.

For more on Claude Code: Claude Code documentation

← All insightsBook a call