Overview
Claude Code is a terminal-based interface for Claude that runs on Mac (Terminal) and Windows (PowerShell). It is not a separate product — it uses the same $20/month Pro plan and the same Claude model. The difference is capability: the browser version is a chatbot; Claude Code is an operating system for AI work, with plugins, scheduled agents, MCPs, and file-aware projects.
Installation
Visit claude.com/claude-code, hit install, and follow the prompts. The interface runs in your terminal. You do not need to learn terminal commands — Claude does the typing. You interact with it in plain English.
The Four Modes
Claude Code has four modes. Most users stop at the wrong one. The recommendation from experienced users: live in Claude Code and treat the other modes as accessories. The browser Chat and Projects modes are useful but limited.
Slash Commands: Stop Retyping the Same Prompt
If you type the same setup prompt repeatedly, you can build it once and save it as a slash command. On Mac, use System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements. Type a short trigger like ;script and your full prompt appears.
Example slash command file (.claude/commands/script.md):
You are writing a 60-second Instagram reel script for me, Marc. Use my voice: direct, no fluff, real talk. Hook in the first 2 seconds. End with one specific action the viewer can take today. Topic: $ARGUMENTS
Typing /script how to use claude then produces a full reel script in your voice.
Managed Agents: Make It Run Without You
Managed Agents are scheduled tasks that Anthropic runs on its servers. Your laptop can be closed — the agent still works and delivers results.
Example: A Slack message every morning at 7am with ad spend, revenue, and cost-per-call. The agent pulls Meta Ads and Stripe data, formats it, and drops it in Slack. Set it once; it runs forever.
Skills: Your Personal Playbook
A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that teaches Claude exactly how you do something. Skills load automatically when relevant — you do not trigger them.
Available free skills on GitHub (all MIT licensed, built for non-technical business owners):
- brand-voice: scrapes your last 25 reels or posts, transcribes them, and builds a voice profile that every other skill reads
- script: daily reel scripts in your voice
- carousel-suite: full slide decks on demand
- repurpose: turn one reel into five
- hook-intel: find what's actually working
- accounting: categorizes receipts and statements
- lead-scraper: pulls leads from anywhere
- cold-outreach: drafts in your voice
- landing-page: full lead magnet system
- ghl-page: for GoHighLevel users only
All available at github.com/tenfoldmarc/ai-builders-free. The advice: pick one skill you actually use and master it before adding the next.
MCPs: Connect Your Tools
MCPs (Model Context Protocol servers) let Claude Code reach into real applications — Slack, Gmail, Notion, Stripe, Drive, GHL, Apify, anything with an API.
To add one: In Claude Code, run /mcp, pick from the catalog or paste a server URL. Claude can then read and write to that tool.
Example: "Pull last week's Stripe revenue and post it in the #wins Slack channel." Without MCPs, that is a 10-minute copy-paste job. With them, 4 seconds.
The Two Files That Run Your AI
Two files replace dozens of prompts:
CLAUDE.md — Drop this in your Claude Code project root. Claude reads it at the start of every session. The author's is 200 lines.
anti-style.md — A list of every phrase Claude must never use. Add to it every time you catch Claude using a phrase that makes you cringe. Within a month, your AI sounds like a human you would trust.
Do not dump 30 random docs in. Two great files beat fifty mediocre ones.
Shared Claude Code: Make It Work for Everyone
Each client or project gets its own Claude Code folder with its own CLAUDE.md. A VA opens the "Hattie" folder and has the same brain, same outputs, zero re-training. No briefing needed — the folder briefs them.
Set up a folder per client/project. Each gets:
- Its own CLAUDE.md
- Its own anti-style.md
- Relevant skills
Anyone on your team opens the folder, Claude knows the context, work happens.
Bottom Line
Claude Code is not a separate product — it is the same Claude you already pay for, but with dramatically more capability. The browser is a chatbot. Claude Code is an operating system for AI work. Installation takes minutes. The rest is configuration.