Get Started with Claude Code

Use an AI terminal tool to organize your files and save your preferences.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Everyone has a Downloads folder that has become a digital junk drawer. Files pile up with cryptic names, and finding anything takes longer than it should.

In this project, you will install Claude Code, an AI assistant that runs directly in your terminal, and use it to transform your messy Downloads folder into a neatly organized system.

What You'll Build

You'll take your cluttered Downloads folder and sort it into clean subfolders using natural language commands in your terminal.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • Claude Code installed and responding to your commands in the terminal.
  • A neatly organized Downloads folder with subfolders for Documents, Images, Videos, and Misc.
  • A CLAUDE.md file that makes Claude remember your preferences across every future session.
  • Secret Mission: a custom slash command that turns your entire cleanup workflow into a single reusable command.

Are there any prerequisites?

You need a computer running macOS 13+, Windows 10 1809+, or Ubuntu 20.04+/Debian 10+. No coding or terminal experience is required.

Claude Code requires a paid Claude subscription (Pro at $20/month, or Max, Team, or Enterprise). You'll set this up in Step 1.

Install Claude Code

Claude Code is an AI assistant that runs directly in your terminal. Instead of switching between browser windows and your computer, you type what you want done and Claude Code does it right where you're working.

In this step, you'll get a Claude Pro subscription, install Claude Code, and confirm everything works by sending your first message.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Sign up for a Claude Pro subscription.
  • Install Claude Code on your computer.
  • Launch Claude Code and send your first message.
Get a Claude Pro subscription

Claude Code requires a paid Claude subscription to work. The Pro plan costs $20/month and includes access to Claude Code.

  • Open your web browser and go to claude.ai/upgrade.
  • Sign up for the Pro plan ($20/month).
  • Complete the payment process and confirm your subscription is active.

Already have a subscription?

If you already have a Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription, you're good to go. Skip ahead to the next substep.

Install Claude Code using the native installer

The native installer downloads Claude Code and sets it up automatically. It also handles future updates in the background, so you never need to worry about versions.

  • Press Cmd+Space (macOS) or the Windows key (Windows) to open your search bar.
  • Type Terminal (macOS/Linux) or PowerShell (Windows) and press Enter to open it.
  • Install Claude Code by running the command for your operating system below:

macOS / Linux

Your terminal prompt will show a $ or % symbol. Copy and paste this command, then press Enter:

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

You should see progress output followed by a success message confirming Claude Code is installed.

Windows PowerShell

Your prompt should show PS C:\ at the beginning. Copy and paste this command, then press Enter:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

You should see progress output followed by a success message confirming Claude Code is installed.

Seeing 'irm' is not recognized?

If you see 'irm' is not recognized as an internal or external command, you're in CMD, not PowerShell. Close this window and search for PowerShell in the Start menu instead. Look for the PS prefix in your prompt.

help me figure out which terminal I'm using on Windows.

Windows CMD

Your prompt should show C:\ without a PS prefix. Copy and paste this command, then press Enter:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

You should see progress output followed by a success message confirming Claude Code is installed.

Seeing a token error?

If you see The token '&&' is not a valid statement separator, you're in PowerShell, not CMD. Close this window and search for CMD in the Start menu instead. Your prompt should show C:\ without the PS prefix.

help me figure out which terminal I'm using on Windows.

What does this command do?

The install command downloads the Claude Code binary from Anthropic's servers and places it on your computer. No additional tools like Node.js are required.

Native installations auto-update in the background to keep you on the latest version. You'll never need to manually update.

Git for Windows (optional)

Git for Windows is recommended (but optional) so Claude Code can use Bash. If Git for Windows is not installed, Claude Code uses PowerShell as the shell tool instead. Either way works fine for this project.

Command not found after installing?

If you see command not found: claude or 'claude' is not recognized after the installer finishes, close your terminal completely and reopen it. The installer added Claude Code to your PATH, but your current terminal session doesn't know about it yet.

If it still doesn't work after reopening, help me fix the PATH issue for Claude Code.

Launch Claude Code and log in

Now that Claude Code is installed, you'll launch it and connect it to your Claude account.

  • Launch Claude Code by typing this command and pressing Enter:
claude

The first time you run Claude Code, it will prompt you to log in through your browser. A browser window should open automatically.

  • Follow the prompts in your browser to authenticate with your Claude account.
  • Once logged in, switch back to your terminal. You should see the Claude Code welcome screen.

What if the browser doesn't open?

If no browser window appears, look in your terminal for a URL. Copy that URL and paste it into your browser manually to complete the login.

  • Confirm Claude Code is working by typing this test message and pressing Enter:
hello, what can you do?

Claude will respond with a summary of its capabilities. If you see a response, everything is connected and working.

Not seeing a response?

Make sure you completed the login step in your browser. If the login expired, type /login inside Claude Code to re-authenticate.

If you see a permissions or subscription error, verify your subscription is active at claude.ai/settings. Help me troubleshoot my Claude Code login.

Your Claude Code setup is complete. Next up, you'll put it to work by organizing your messy Downloads folder with nothing but natural language instructions.

Organize Your Downloads Folder

You have Claude Code installed and running in your terminal. Now it's time to put it to work on a real task.

Your Downloads folder is probably a mess of random files accumulated over weeks or months. In this step, you'll use Claude Code to analyze what's in there and sort everything into neat subfolders.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Ask Claude to analyze your Downloads folder and report what it finds.
  • Have Claude organize your files into subfolders by type.
  • Explore a different organization approach and track your usage.
Ask Claude to analyze your Downloads folder

Before organizing anything, you need to know what you're working with. Let's ask Claude to scan your Downloads folder and give you a summary.

  • In your Claude Code session, type the following prompt and press Enter:

macOS

How many files are in my ~/Downloads folder? What types of files are there, and what's the oldest file?

Linux users: this same command works for you too.

Windows

How many files are in my Downloads folder? What types of files are there, and what's the oldest file?

Windows path handling

Claude Code understands that your Downloads folder is at C:\Users\<YourName>\Downloads. You don't need to type the full path.

When Claude tries to read your Downloads folder, you'll see a permission prompt. This is Claude asking for your approval before it runs a command on your computer.

  • Read what Claude wants to do, then press Enter to allow it.

What is a permission prompt?

Claude Code asks for your explicit permission before running commands on your system. You control whether to approve each action.

For read-only commands like listing files, it's safe to approve. You'll see exactly what Claude wants to run before you allow it.

macOS folder access dialog

On macOS, you may see a system-level dialog asking to grant Terminal access to your Downloads folder. This is separate from Claude Code's own permission prompt. Click Allow if this appears. Windows and Linux do not show this extra dialog.

Claude responds with a summary of your Downloads folder, including file count, file types, and the oldest file.

Claude didn't find your Downloads folder?

Make sure you typed the path correctly. On macOS/Linux, use ~/Downloads with the tilde character. On Windows, just say "my Downloads folder" and Claude will resolve the path automatically.

If you denied the permission prompt by accident, just retype the same message and approve it this time.

Help me figure out why Claude can't access my Downloads folder.

Tell Claude to organize files into subfolders

Now that you know what's in your Downloads folder, you can give Claude a specific instruction to organize it. The key is asking Claude to show you a plan before making changes.

  • Type the following prompt into Claude Code and press Enter:

macOS

Organize my ~/Downloads folder into subfolders: Documents (PDFs, Word docs, text files), Images (PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG), Videos (MP4, MOV, AVI), and Misc (everything else). Show me your plan before making any changes.

Linux users: this same prompt works for you too.

Windows

Organize my Downloads folder into subfolders: Documents (PDFs, Word docs, text files), Images (PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG), Videos (MP4, MOV, AVI), and Misc (everything else). Show me your plan before making any changes.

Why ask Claude to show the plan first?

Asking Claude to show a plan before acting gives you a chance to review which files go where. If something looks wrong, you can tell Claude to adjust before it moves anything.

This is a good habit for any AI tool. The more specific your prompt, the better the result.

Claude presents a plan showing which files will move to which subfolders. When Claude asks permission to create folders and move files, you'll see more permission prompts.

  • Review the plan Claude shows you.
  • Approve the permission prompts by pressing Enter to let Claude create the subfolders and move your files.
  • Open your Downloads folder in Finder (macOS), File Explorer (Windows), or your file manager (Linux).
  • You should see new subfolders: Documents, Images, Videos, and Misc.

Don't see the subfolders?

Check that you approved all the permission prompts. If you accidentally denied one, ask Claude to try again.

If Claude said it moved files but your folder looks the same, try refreshing the file manager window.

Help me figure out why my Downloads folder wasn't organized.

Refine and compare approaches

Sometimes Claude puts files in the wrong place. Follow-up prompts let you refine the result without starting over.

  • Check your subfolders. If any files ended up in the wrong place, tell Claude to fix it by typing something like:
Actually, move those PDFs that ended up in Misc back into Documents.

What does this teach you?

Follow-up prompts refine results without starting over. Claude remembers the context of your conversation, so you can give corrections naturally.

Now try a completely different organization approach to see how prompt specificity changes the result.

  • Type /clear and press Enter to start a fresh conversation.

What does /clear do?

The /clear command clears conversation history and starts a new session. Claude forgets everything from the previous conversation, giving you a clean slate.

  • Try a date-based organization approach by typing the following prompt:

macOS

Organize my ~/Downloads folder by date instead — create subfolders for each month (like 2024-01, 2024-02). Show me the plan first.

Linux users: this same prompt works for you too.

Windows

Organize my Downloads folder by date instead — create subfolders for each month (like 2024-01, 2024-02). Show me the plan first.
  • Review the plan Claude presents and approve the permission prompts.
  • Compare this result with the file-type approach from earlier. Notice how a more specific prompt produced a different result.

Finally, check how much of your Claude Pro usage this session consumed.

  • Type /cost and press Enter to see your usage breakdown.

What does /cost show?

The /cost command shows token usage and cost breakdown during a session. For subscription users, it displays your usage breakdown and rate limit status.

Your Downloads folder is organized and you've seen how specific prompts produce better results. Next up, you'll teach Claude to remember your preferences so you never have to repeat yourself.

Make Claude Remember Your Preferences

Your Downloads folder is tidy. But here's the catch: every time you start a new Claude Code session (or use /clear), Claude starts fresh with zero memory of your preferences.

If you always want Claude to show a plan before making changes, or never delete files without asking, you'd have to repeat yourself every single time. The solution is a file called CLAUDE.md that Claude reads at the start of every session.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Understand why Claude forgets between sessions.
  • Create a CLAUDE.md file using the /init command.
  • Test that your preferences survive fresh sessions and full restarts.
Understand the problem

Think about the last step. You told Claude exactly how to sort your files. You told it to show a plan before acting. If you opened a new session right now, all that context would be gone.

What is CLAUDE.md?

CLAUDE.md is a special file that Claude Code reads at the start of every conversation. It contains your personal rules and preferences, so Claude always knows how you like things done.

Think of it like a sticky note on your desk that Claude checks before doing anything. You write it once, and Claude follows it forever.

Create your CLAUDE.md with /init

The /init command tells Claude Code to analyze your environment and generate a starting CLAUDE.md file automatically. You'll run it from your home directory so the file is created in the right place.

  • Confirm you're in your home directory by running this command in your terminal:

macOS

cd ~

Windows

cd %USERPROFILE%
  • Start Claude Code by running:
claude

You should see the Claude Code welcome screen appear in your terminal.

Claude command not found?

If your terminal says the command is not recognized, try closing and reopening your terminal. The installer needs a fresh terminal session to pick up the new path.

help me troubleshoot why my terminal can't find the claude command

  • Inside Claude Code, type this command and press Enter:
/init

Claude will analyze your environment and create a CLAUDE.md file. It may ask you some questions about your preferences.

  • When Claude interviews you about your preferences, tell it these things:
  • Always show a plan before making file changes.
  • Never delete files without explicit permission.
  • When organizing files, default to sorting by file type.
  • Use clear, simple language in responses.
  • After completing file operations, report what was changed.

What does /init do?

/init generates a starting CLAUDE.md automatically. Claude analyzes your environment and creates a file with the instructions and conventions it discovers, plus whatever preferences you provide during the interview.

The file gets created at ~/CLAUDE.md on macOS/Linux or %USERPROFILE%\CLAUDE.md on Windows. Claude loads it at the start of every conversation going forward.

  • Verify the file was created by asking Claude directly:
Show me the contents of my CLAUDE.md file

Claude should display a file containing your preferences. If any of the rules listed above are missing, tell Claude to add them.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Great. Make sure you see all five preference rules saved in the file.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the full code

Your CLAUDE.md should contain something like this:

# My Preferences

- Always show a plan before making any file changes
- Never delete files without explicit permission from me
- When organizing files, default to sorting by file type into: Documents, Images, Videos, Misc
- Use clear, simple language in responses
- After completing file operations, report what was changed

Your exact wording may differ slightly since Claude generates this file based on your conversation. The important thing is that all five rules are present. If any are missing, tell Claude to add them.

Test that your preferences persist

The whole point of CLAUDE.md is that it works without you re-explaining yourself. Let's prove it.

  • Type /clear to start a fresh session inside Claude Code:
/clear

This wipes the conversation history, simulating a brand new session. But your CLAUDE.md is still on disk.

  • Without mentioning your preferences, ask Claude to organize a folder:

macOS

Organize my ~/Desktop into folders.

Windows

Organize my Desktop into folders.

Claude should automatically show you a plan first, without you asking for it. That's your CLAUDE.md working in the background.

What should I see?

Claude should present a plan listing which files it wants to move and where, then wait for your approval before acting. If it just starts moving files without showing a plan, your CLAUDE.md may not have loaded correctly.

  • Now test a full restart. Press Ctrl+D to exit Claude Code completely.
  • Relaunch Claude Code by running:
claude
  • Ask Claude to do something that should trigger your rules:

macOS

Move all the .png files from my ~/Desktop into a new folder called Screenshots.

Windows

Move all the .png files from my Desktop into a new folder called Screenshots.

Claude should still show a plan before acting. Your preferences survived a complete exit and relaunch.

Claude not following your rules?

Make sure your CLAUDE.md file is saved at the root of your home directory (~/CLAUDE.md on macOS/Linux, %USERPROFILE%\CLAUDE.md on Windows). If it ended up in a subfolder, Claude won't find it.

Also confirm you launched Claude Code from your home directory. Claude reads CLAUDE.md from the directory where you started it.

help me figure out why Claude Code isn't loading my CLAUDE.md preferences

You now have a personal memory system for Claude Code. Every future session starts with Claude already knowing your rules. Next up, you'll turn your entire cleanup workflow into a reusable command.

Secret mission

Make It a One-Command Habit

You've organized your Downloads folder once. But what about next week, when new files pile up again? Turn your entire cleanup workflow into a reusable slash command you can run anytime with a single word.

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. Your Claude Pro subscription costs $20/month, so consider whether you want to keep it active.

Cost warning

Your Claude Pro subscription bills at $20/month. If you no longer plan to use Claude Code or claude.ai, cancel before your next billing date to avoid charges. Claude Code itself is free to keep installed, but it requires an active subscription to function.

Resources you used:

  • Claude Pro subscription ($20/month recurring charge).
  • Claude Code (installed on your computer via the native installer).
  • Local files: ~/CLAUDE.md and ~/.claude/commands/tidy.md.
  • Downloads subfolders: Documents, Images, Videos, Misc.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to keep using Claude Code for file organization or other tasks.

  • Your Claude Pro subscription continues at $20/month.
  • Claude Code stays installed and auto-updates in the background.
  • Your CLAUDE.md preferences and /tidy command remain ready to use anytime.
  • Your organized Downloads subfolders stay in place.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Keep your local files and Claude Code installed, but cancel the subscription to stop billing. You can re-subscribe anytime to resume.

  • Cancel your Claude Pro subscription to stop the $20/month charge. Go to claude.ai, click your initials in the lower left corner, then select Settings. Navigate to Billing and click Cancel.
  • Leave Claude Code installed on your computer. It will remain on your machine but will not work without an active subscription.
  • Leave your CLAUDE.md and ~/.claude/commands/tidy.md files in place. They will be ready when you re-subscribe.
  • Leave your Downloads subfolders as they are.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and cancel your subscription for a complete teardown.

  • Cancel your Claude Pro subscription. Go to claude.ai, click your initials in the lower left corner, then select Settings. Navigate to Billing and click Cancel.
  • Remove your CLAUDE.md file and Claude Code configuration by running the commands below for your operating system.

macOS

rm -f ~/CLAUDE.md
rm -rf ~/.claude
rm -f ~/.claude.json

This removes your preferences file, your custom commands directory (including tidy.md), and all Claude Code session data.

Windows

Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\CLAUDE.md" -Force
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude" -Recurse -Force
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude.json" -Force

This removes your preferences file, your custom commands directory (including tidy.md), and all Claude Code session data.

Linux

rm -f ~/CLAUDE.md
rm -rf ~/.claude
rm -f ~/.claude.json

This removes your preferences file, your custom commands directory (including tidy.md), and all Claude Code session data.

  • Uninstall Claude Code itself by running the commands below for your operating system.

macOS

rm -f ~/.local/bin/claude
rm -rf ~/.local/share/claude

This removes the Claude Code binary and its version files.

Windows

Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\claude.exe" -Force
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\share\claude" -Recurse -Force

This removes the Claude Code binary and its version files.

Linux

rm -f ~/.local/bin/claude
rm -rf ~/.local/share/claude

This removes the Claude Code binary and its version files.

  • Your organized Downloads subfolders (Documents, Images, Videos, Misc) contain your personal files. Delete them only if you want to undo the organization and move files back manually.

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

You just went from never having used a terminal AI tool to having a fully configured Claude Code setup that remembers your preferences and runs custom workflows.

Here's what you accomplished:

  • Installed Claude Code and used natural language to analyze and organize your Downloads folder into Documents, Images, Videos, and Misc subfolders.
  • Created a CLAUDE.md file that persists your preferences across every Claude Code session, so Claude always remembers your rules.
  • Learned how permission prompts keep your system safe and how specific prompts produce better results than vague ones.
  • Built a custom /tidy slash command that turns weekly Downloads cleanup into a single command.

Ready to quiz yourself?