How to Install Claude Code on mac

Installing Claude Code on macOS allows developers to access powerful AI-assisted coding directly from their terminal, improving productivity, debugging speed, and code quality. This guide is SEO-friendly, beginner-friendly, and fully practical, with clear steps and minimal commands so both users and search engines can understand it easily.

STEP 1: Install Claude Code Using npm

Before installing Claude Code on macOS, make sure Node.js is correctly installed and your system is ready so the installation process runs smoothly without errors and provides the best performance.

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

Verify installation:

claude --version

STEP 2: Authenticate Claude Code

To securely access Claude services and enable full functionality, you need to authenticate your account using the official login process.

claude auth login
claude auth status

STEP 3: Run Claude Code from Terminal

After successful installation and authentication, you can instantly start using Claude Code directly from the macOS terminal to generate, debug, and optimize code efficiently

claude

Example usage:

claude "write a bash script to backup folders"

STEP 4: Use Claude Code Inside Projects

Running Claude Code inside your project directory allows you to generate context-aware solutions and automate development tasks more effectively.

cd my-project

Run Claude to generate or edit code:

claude "optimize this node.js project

STEP 5: Update Claude Code

Keeping Claude Code updated ensures access to the latest features, security improvements, and performance enhancements provided by Anthropic.

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

To keep Claude Code secure and up to date:

claude --version

STEP 6: Uninstall Claude Code

If you no longer need Claude Code or want to reinstall it cleanly, you can safely remove it using the npm package manager.

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

If you want to remove Claude Code:

which claude

STEP 7: Fix Common Installation Issues

In case you face permission errors or command not found issues, these commands help quickly resolve the most common installation problems on macOS.

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

Add npm to PATH:

export PATH="$HOME/.npm-global/bin:$PATH"