Skip to main content

Claude Account Setup

Claude is the AI assistant made by Anthropic that will help us write code. To use Claude Code (the terminal-based coding tool), you need a Claude account with an active subscription.

Step 1: Create an Anthropic account​

  1. Go to claude.ai
  2. Click Sign up
  3. You can sign up with your Google account, or use an email and password
  4. Complete any verification steps

Step 2: Subscribe to a plan​

Claude Code requires a Pro or Max subscription to use. Here's how to subscribe:

  1. Log in at claude.ai
  2. Click on your profile icon in the bottom-left corner
  3. Select Upgrade Plan or go to Settings > Billing
  4. Choose the Pro plan (or Max if you want higher usage limits)
  5. Enter your payment information and confirm
Why do I need a paid plan?

Claude Code makes many API calls as it reads, writes, and runs your code. The free tier doesn't include enough usage for this kind of workflow. The Pro plan gives you enough capacity to work through this entire guide comfortably.

Step 3: Verify your account​

Make sure you can:

  1. Go to claude.ai and log in
  2. Start a new conversation and send a message
  3. Get a response from Claude

If all three work, your account is ready.

What's next?​

Now that you have a Claude account, let's install Claude Code — the command-line tool that lets Claude directly read and write files in your project.