Setup Guide

Set up Claude Code
in VS Code

By Dan Donovan, @askdandonovan

No coding experience needed. No terminal, no commands to memorise. You'll install one free app, add Claude to it, and start building, all in about 5 minutes.

4 Steps
~5 min Setup time
0 Lines of code
$20 Pro plan /mo

Claude Code is an AI tool by Anthropic that builds things on your computer. You tell it what you want in plain English, and it makes it. Websites, automations, apps, workflows. No programming knowledge required.

The easiest way to use it is inside VS Code, a free app from Microsoft that gives Claude a clean window to work in. You'll see its changes side by side, click to approve them, and never touch a scary black terminal. That's what this guide sets up.

What you'll have after this
VS Code installed
The free app Claude works inside
Claude Code added
Official extension, right in the sidebar
Signed in
Connected to your Claude account
Ready to build
Ask it to make anything in plain English
Before you start: You'll need a Claude Pro plan ($20/month) or higher. If you don't have one, sign up at claude.ai and upgrade to Pro. Claude Code isn't available on the free plan, but the same $20 gets you Claude Code and the regular Claude app.
1

Download VS Code (it's free)

Open your browser and go to code.visualstudio.com. Click the big download button. It automatically picks the right version for your Mac or Windows.

Open the file you downloaded and install it like any other app. On Mac, drag it into your Applications folder. On Windows, click through the installer. Then open VS Code.

What is VS Code? It's a free app from Microsoft that millions of people use to work with files and projects. You won't be writing code in it. It's just the window Claude works inside. Think of it as Claude's desk.
2

Add the Claude Code extension

Inside VS Code, open the Extensions panel. Click the icon that looks like four little squares on the left edge of the window, or use the shortcut:

Open Extensions: Mac 
Cmd + Shift + X
Open Extensions: Windows 
Ctrl + Shift + X

In the search box at the top, type Claude Code. The official one is published by Anthropic (it'll have millions of installs). Click Install.

That's the whole install. No terminal, no commands, no Node.js. The extension brings everything it needs with it.
3

Open Claude and sign in

Look for the ✱ Claude Code button in the bottom-right corner of the window, or the sparkle (✱) icon in the top-right of the editor. Click it to open the Claude panel.

A Sign in screen appears the first time. Click it, and your browser opens to log in with your Claude account. Approve it, come back to VS Code, and Claude is ready.

No API keys, no billing setup. You sign in with the same account as your $20 Pro plan. If nothing happens after you click, close and reopen VS Code and try again.
4

Ask it to build something

You're in. Type what you want into the Claude panel, in plain English, and press Enter. Try this one to see it work:

Type this into the Claude panel 
Build me a simple one-page website that welcomes visitors to my business. Make it look clean and modern, then open it so I can see it.

When Claude wants to create or change a file, it shows you the change side by side and asks permission. Read it, click Accept, and watch it build.

It's no more complicated than that. Install VS Code, add the extension, sign in, ask. Done.

What now? Scroll down. I've got a few things you can try right now to see what it can do.
?

What to try first

Once you're in, type any of these to see what Claude Code can do. Just copy, paste, and hit Enter.

Try this 
Build me a landing page for my business with a hero section, testimonials, and an email signup form
Try this 
Build a pricing calculator where I enter my hourly rate and it generates a quote for clients
Try this 
Create a personal budget dashboard that tracks income, expenses, and savings by month
Try this 
Build me a portfolio website that showcases my work with project cards and a contact form
Tip: Be specific. "Build me a landing page" is good. "Build me a landing page for my dog grooming business with a booking form and testimonials" is better. The more context you give, the better the result.
Built without writing code

Landing pages, client dashboards, quote calculators, portfolio sites, expense trackers, and full booking systems. None of these people wrote a single line of code. They just described what they wanted.