How to set up Claude Code as your personal assistant - Part 1

Claude Code can be much more than a tool for developers. Set up properly, it can also work as a personal assistant that knows you, connects to your tools, and can actually do tasks for you.

This guide is written for beginners. It walks through the setup in a simple, practical way, without assuming you've used Claude Code or spent time in a terminal before.

What Claude Code actually is

Claude Code is a terminal-based version of Claude that works directly in folders and files on your machine. So it's not just a chat you type into in the browser. It's a working tool that can read files, create files, edit content, and use various integrations.

It's also worth knowing that Claude Code is not the same as Claude in the browser. Even though you log in with the same account, the memory doesn't behave the same way. Claude Code inherits no memories from what you've done in the regular chat; it starts from scratch. That means you have to give Claude Code context about you in a different way if it's going to be a good personal assistant.

What you need before starting

Before you start, you'll need:

• a Mac, Windows, or Linux machine

• a Claude account with a Pro subscription or higher

• some idea of what you want to use the assistant for

For most people the subscription is the natural choice. It's usually simpler and a lot cheaper than paying via the API.

Note: Anthropic recently made some changes to the Pro subscription where some new customers don't have access to Claude Code. The only way to find out if this applies to you is to test it.

Step 1: Install Claude Code

You install Claude Code from the terminal on your machine. What's the terminal, you might ask?

The terminal is a text-based window on your machine where you type commands instead of clicking. On Mac the program is called Terminal, on Windows you use PowerShell or Windows Terminal. In practice you just need to copy the commands from the guide below and press enter.

Pick your operating system below.

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc

Step 2: Log in and pick the recommended settings

1. Start Claude Code by typing claude in the Terminal and pressing enter.

2. Pick your visual theme (e.g. Light mode or Dark mode) with the arrow keys.

3. You'll be asked to log in. Pick the option "Primary: Claude account with subscription".

4. Your browser will open automatically. Approve the login (Authorize).

5. Close the browser window and go back to the Terminal. Press Enter to accept the security warnings and recommended settings.