13 — Bootstrap & Install

Get Claude Code running, point it at a project, and add what's actually useful Day 1. That's it.

1. Install Claude Code

You need Node 18+ and an Anthropic API key.

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Verify:

claude --version

Set your key (or export it in your shell profile):

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

2. Start a session

Inside any project directory:

claude

Claude reads the directory structure on first load. No extra config required to start.

3. Add a CLAUDE.md

Drop a CLAUDE.md at your project root. Claude reads it at session start — use it to give context Claude can't infer from code alone.

Minimal template:

# Project

[One sentence: what this project is and what it does.]

## Stack

- [Language / framework]
- [Key libraries]
- [Database or API dependencies]

## Conventions

- [Naming conventions, folder structure notes]
- [Anything Claude should not change without asking]

## Commands

- `npm run dev` — start dev server
- `npm run build` — production build
- `npm test` — run tests

Keep it short. Update it when the project changes. A stale CLAUDE.md is worse than none.

4. Connect context7 (recommended MCP)

context7 gives Claude live documentation for any library instead of relying on training data. Worth adding early — it prevents hallucinated API calls.

claude mcp add context7 -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcp

Once added, Claude will use it when you ask about library-specific behaviour.

5. Explore the plugin marketplace

The Claude Code plugin marketplace has agents, skills, commands, and hooks for specific workflows. Browse it when you hit a repeating task that feels like something others have solved.

claude plugins list

Don't install everything up front. Add plugins when you have a specific need — it keeps the system legible.

What next

Set up your ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md for global preferences that apply across all projects
Read the agents section to understand how Claude delegates work
When a workflow gets repetitive, look at custom commands

That's the minimum viable setup. Build from here.