Task	Action
Install / first run	See Install below
Update	See Update below
Auth / login issues	See Auth below
Configure CLAUDE.md	See Configuration below
Permissions & tools	See Permissions below
MCP servers	See MCP below
Non-interactive / scripting	See Scripting below
Troubleshooting	See Troubleshooting below
Advanced / docs lookup	Use claude-cli-docs skill

Quick Start

claude --version || claude doctor
claude auth status --text
claude update
claude -p "summarize this repository"

If the task asks for exact flags or evolving behavior, switch to claude-cli-docs and verify the current docs before answering.

Install

# macOS / Linux / WSL (recommended — auto-updates)
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell (auto-updates)
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

# Windows CMD (auto-updates)
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

# Homebrew (does NOT auto-update)
brew install --cask claude-code

# Homebrew latest channel (does NOT auto-update)
brew install --cask claude-code@latest

# WinGet (does NOT auto-update)
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Native Windows works in PowerShell or CMD. Git for Windows is recommended so the Bash tool is available; WSL2 is better when Linux-native tooling or sandboxing is required.

First run:

cd your-project
claude          # prompts for login on first use

Update

Native installs (curl/PowerShell) auto-update in the background. Manual update:

# Native installer
claude update

# Homebrew
brew upgrade claude-code
brew upgrade claude-code@latest

# WinGet
winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode

# Check current version
claude --version
claude doctor

Auth

claude auth login            # opens browser to log in
claude auth login --console  # Anthropic Console billing/API usage
claude auth login --sso      # force SSO flow
claude auth logout           # sign out
claude auth status           # JSON status; add --text for human-readable output

For long-lived CI tokens:

claude setup-token

For API-key, Bedrock, Vertex, or Microsoft Foundry setup, use claude-cli-docs.

Configuration

CLAUDE.md

CLAUDE.md at the project root (or ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md for global defaults) is read at the start of every session. Put coding standards, build commands, and conventions here.

# My Project

## Commands
- Build: `npm run build`
- Test: `npm test`

## Conventions
- TypeScript strict mode
- Tests required for all public APIs

Claude walks up from the current directory to find CLAUDE.md files.

Settings file

~/.claude/settings.json controls global defaults (model, permissions, hooks, etc.). For the full settings schema, use claude-cli-docs or visit https://code.claude.com/docs/en/settings.

Permissions

claude --permission-mode acceptEdits    # auto-approve file edits, prompt for commands
claude --permission-mode auto           # auto mode classifier
claude --permission-mode dontAsk        # avoid interactive permission prompts
claude --permission-mode bypassPermissions  # skip all prompts (use with care)
claude --permission-mode plan           # plan mode: propose changes, don't apply

Restrict or expand which tools are available:

claude --allowedTools Bash,Read,Write
claude --disallowedTools Bash

MCP

Add an MCP server interactively:

claude mcp add <name> -- <command> [args...]
# Example: local stdio server
claude mcp add my-server -- node /path/to/server.js

# Add from npm
claude mcp add filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp

List / remove servers:

claude mcp list
claude mcp remove <name>

For full MCP configuration options, use claude-cli-docs.

Scripting

Non-interactive (CI/automation) usage:

# Print mode — outputs to stdout, no interaction
claude -p "explain this function"

# Pipe input
echo "what does this do?" | claude -p
git diff main | claude -p "summarize these changes"

# Limit agentic turns
claude -p --max-turns 5 "fix the failing tests"

# Output as JSON
claude -p --output-format json "list all API endpoints"

# Resume a session
claude --continue                    # resume most recent
claude --resume <session-id>         # resume by ID

# Faster scripted call: skip auto-discovery of hooks, skills, plugins, MCP, memory
claude --bare -p "summarize this repo"

# One-off extra instructions while preserving built-in behavior
claude -p --append-system-prompt "Use terse bullet points" "review this diff"

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
`command not found: claude`	Re-run the install script; check `$PATH`
Login loop / auth fails	`claude auth logout` then `claude auth login`
Slow / no response	Check internet connection; try `--verbose`
Model not available	Verify subscription tier; use `--model` to override
Wrong CLAUDE.md loaded	Run `claude --verbose` to see which files are loaded
MCP server not connecting	`claude mcp list`; check server logs with `--verbose`
Permission denied on files	Check `--allowedTools` / `--disallowedTools` flags
Hooks not firing	Verify settings with `/hooks`; use `--debug "hooks"`

Enable verbose logging for any issue:

claude --verbose "your task here"
claude --debug "api,mcp,hooks" "your task here"

Official troubleshooting page: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/troubleshooting

For issues not covered here, use the claude-cli-docs skill to look up the relevant documentation page.

claude-cli

Claude CLI

Intent Router