> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://edgeful.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# how to set up Claude Code | VS Code

> from nothing installed to Claude Code running in VS Code on Mac or Windows, about 5 minutes. then connect the edgeful API.

already have Claude Code running? skip this page and go straight to [set up API with your AI agent](/getting-started/set-it-up-with-ai) to paste the prompt.

<Note>
  two ways to run Claude Code: **in VS Code** (this guide), or **in the Claude desktop app** with no editor at all. prefer the app? see [how to set up Claude Code | Claude app](/getting-started/setup-claude-app).
</Note>

<Warning>
  this is the part a chat window can't do. claude.ai in your browser can only chat, it can't run commands or call the API on your computer. Claude Code is the same AI running on your machine, so it can actually do the work. that's what you're installing here.
</Warning>

first, the one thing you must have: a **paid Claude plan** — Pro or Max, the same login you use for claude.ai. a free account won't work and there's no trial. everything you install below (VS Code and the Claude Code extension) is free.

<Steps>
  <Step title="install VS Code (your workspace)">
    VS Code is a free app from Microsoft. think of it as the window Claude Code lives in — you'll do everything inside it, so you never have to hunt around your computer.

    1. go to <a href="https://code.visualstudio.com/download" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">code.visualstudio.com/download</a>.
    2. download the version for your computer. on a Mac, if you're unsure which to pick, choose **Universal**. on Windows, click the blue **Windows** button.
    3. **on Mac:** open the downloaded file, then drag the **Visual Studio Code** icon into your **Applications** folder. open it from there.
    4. **on Windows:** open the downloaded installer and click through it, the default options are fine. launch VS Code when it's done.
  </Step>

  <Step title="add the Claude Code extension">
    the extension is the whole install — Claude Code comes bundled inside it, so there's nothing to type into a terminal.

    1. click the **Extensions** icon in the left bar (four small squares), or press `Cmd+Shift+X` on Mac / `Ctrl+Shift+X` on Windows.
    2. in the search box, type `Claude Code` and install the one published by **Anthropic**.
    3. if VS Code asks, click **Reload**. a Claude ✱ icon now appears in the left bar.

    <Note>
      Windows only — also install Git from <a href="https://git-scm.com/downloads/win" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">git-scm.com/downloads/win</a> (the default options are fine), then restart VS Code. Claude uses it to run commands. most Macs already have it, so Mac users can skip this.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="open a project folder">
    Claude works inside one folder at a time. give it an empty one. click **File → Open Folder**, then create or pick an empty folder (name it `edgeful`). VS Code reopens with that folder.
  </Step>

  <Step title="open Claude and sign in">
    click the Claude ✱ icon in the left bar to open the panel, then click **Sign in**. your browser opens — log in with your Claude Pro or Max account and you'll be sent back to VS Code automatically.

    <Note>being logged into claude.ai in your browser isn't enough — Claude Code has its own sign-in. you only do this once.</Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="you're ready">
    Claude Code is now running on your machine. head to [set up API with your AI agent](/getting-started/set-it-up-with-ai) and paste the prompt — it connects the edgeful API, installs the dashboard skill, and makes a verified first call.
  </Step>
</Steps>