Get Claude Code running on your Mac today. How to install Claude Code on Mac step by step.

To install Claude Code on a Mac, open Terminal, paste Anthropic's one-line installer and press Return. Then open a new window, type claude in a project folder and log in through your browser. These are Anthropic's current steps, plus the safe set-up I teach when owners learn Claude Code with me.

How do you install Claude Code on a Mac?

You install Claude Code on a Mac with one Terminal command, then run claude and sign in. Anthropic's setup page lists curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash as the recommended native install. Copy the command from that page, not from an old video.

Plenty of people feel nervous at this step. A Reddit user on r/ClaudeAI wrote, "I want to make sure I'm setting things up safely before I go any further."

That's the right instinct. The same poster wrote, "I have a MacBook Air and I'm not super tech-savvy."

What you need before you install Claude Code

You don't need to be technical, and starting Claude Code inside one folder keeps its work in one place. Check these first, per Anthropic's system requirements:

• macOS 13.0 or later, on an Intel or Apple silicon Mac.

• At least 4 GB of RAM and an internet connection.

• A Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise plan, or a Claude Console account. The free plan doesn't include Claude Code.

• An empty project folder, such as one for the site you'll build with Claude Code.

• No Node.js. The native installer doesn't need it, and Git is optional.

Install Claude Code on Mac with the native installer

1. Open Terminal. Press Cmd + Space, type Terminal and press Return.
2. Paste curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash with Cmd + V and press Return.
3. Wait. The installer shows no progress while it downloads, so leave the window open until it says Claude Code is installed.
4. Open a new Terminal window with Cmd + N, so your Mac picks up the new command.
5. Type claude --version and press Return. A working install prints a version number followed by (Claude Code).
6. Run claude doctor if you want a read-only check of your install and settings.

Keep Claude Code inside one project folder

A Reddit user on r/ClaudeAI asked what every careful owner asks: "How do I set clear boundaries around that?"

1. Make one folder per project and start Claude Code from inside it, never from your home folder.
2. Keep personal files and passwords out of that folder and out of your chats. Copy in only what the job needs.
3. Turn on manual mode while you learn. New sessions on recent versions start in auto mode, so press Shift+Tab until the status bar shows manual mode on.
4. Make manual mode your default by setting permissions.defaultMode to "default" in ~/.claude/settings.json, per Anthropic's permission modes page.
5. Put the folder under git so you can undo changes. Ask Claude Code to set it up.
6. Skip extra plugins and Claude Code skills until a real job needs them.

Sign in and start your first Claude Code session

In Terminal, move into your folder with cd ~/Documents/my-website, then type claude. The first time, Claude Code opens your browser so you can log in.

Per Anthropic's quickstart, your credentials are stored after that first login. The prompt then shows the version, the current model and your working directory.

Type /init to create a starting CLAUDE.md file. My Claude Code tutorial for business owners walks through the rest of that first session.

Fix the command not found error for Claude Code

A common Mac problem is zsh: command not found: claude right after the install. Per Anthropic's troubleshooting page, the install folder isn't on your PATH yet. For Zsh, the default Mac shell, Anthropic's terminal guide gives these two lines:

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

Open a new Terminal window and run claude --version again. If it still fails, follow the Setup notes the installer printed, or work through Anthropic's troubleshooting page.

Install Claude Code on a Mac with Homebrew

If you already use Homebrew, run brew install --cask claude-code. That cask follows Anthropic's stable channel, which the setup docs say is typically about a week behind.

Homebrew installs don't update themselves. Run brew upgrade claude-code now and then, or use the native installer, which updates in the background.

Skip old guides that start with npm and Node.js. Anthropic's GitHub README now says "Installation via npm is deprecated."

Choose a window for Claude Code on your Mac

Mac Terminal

Terminal comes with every Mac, and it's where Anthropic's quickstart starts. It's all text, so you type, press Return and use the arrow keys instead of clicking.

An editor such as Google Antigravity

My course uses Google Antigravity, an editor from Google, and runs Claude Code in its terminal. Anthropic says the CLI works in any terminal. VS Code also has an official extension.

The Claude desktop app

Prefer buttons? Anthropic's desktop app puts Claude Code in its Code tab on paid plans. It's one build for Intel and Apple silicon Macs.

Update or uninstall Claude Code on macOS

Native installs update themselves in the background, and claude update updates now, per Anthropic's setup docs. Codex installs in a similar way, as my Claude Code vs Codex comparison shows.

To remove a native install, run rm -f ~/.local/bin/claude and then rm -rf ~/.local/share/claude. For Homebrew, run brew uninstall --cask claude-code.

Your settings and history stay in ~/.claude and ~/.claude.json until you delete them too. Deleting it erases every setting, so back it up first.

Learn Claude Code from install to your first real job

My Claude Code training starts with this install and moves straight into real SEO and website jobs. You also get ready-made skills, so you can do the work yourself.

Get my Claude Code training

• Next step: Claude Code tutorial for business owners.
• Read how: Claude Code for SEO.
• Decide: Claude Code vs Codex.