Your First Session

By now you have installed Claude Code and signed in with your work account. Starting a session is the short step that follows: you open a folder (in VS Code, or navigate to it in any terminal), and type one word, claude, then press enter. That is what brings Claude Code to life in the folder you are looking at.

The first time you do this, the screen can look a little intimidating: a dark window, a file list on one side, and the terminal at the bottom. Take a breath. There is nothing here you can break by typing, and nothing changes on your computer until you say so.

The most important thing to understand is that terminal at the bottom. Once Claude Code is running there, it is not something you write code into. It is simply where you talk to Claude Code, in the same plain English you would use to brief a junior colleague. You type a request, press enter, and Claude replies. That is the whole conversation.

The one idea to hold on to

Claude Code does not act first and explain later. It reads your request, tells you what it plans to do, and waits for your approval before touching a single file. You are always the one who says “go ahead.” Think of it as an assistant who never moves without a nod from you.

A first session, step by step

You do not need to memorize commands. There is only one to know, claude, to start a session. Everything after that is plain English. The whole flow is six small moments, and Claude walks you through each one.

1. Open your folder in VS Code

   Open a folder on your computer in VS Code (or navigate to it in your own terminal). For a first run, use a throwaway or sample folder with a few practice files in it, not real deal material. This folder is simply the workspace Claude can see.

2. Start Claude Code in the terminal

   Open the terminal (in VS Code, View -> Terminal; otherwise, use your preferred terminal), type claude, and press enter. This starts Claude Code in the folder you just opened. A ready prompt appears, waiting for your first instruction.

   claude

3. Type a small request in plain English

   At that prompt, describe one small thing you want done, the way you would ask a colleague. For example: “Rename these files so the names are clear and consistent.” Keep it small for your first try.

4. Watch Claude propose a short plan

   Instead of acting immediately, Claude replies with a short plan: a numbered list of what it intends to do. Read it. This is your chance to see exactly what will happen before anything happens.

5. Approve it

   If the plan looks right, you approve it (usually by typing “y” for yes). Nothing on your computer changes until this moment. If the plan looks wrong, you can say no and explain what you actually meant.

6. See the result

   Claude carries out the approved plan and reports back plainly: what it did and where. You look at the result, and if you are happy, you move on. If not, you simply ask for a change.

What that first exchange looks like

Here is a complete first conversation. Notice the shape of it: you make a plain request, Claude proposes a plan, you approve, and Claude reports back. The window below is a picture of Claude Code running, with a small practice folder open.

$ claude
Welcome to Claude Code.

> Rename these files so the names are clear and consistent.

Claude Code
Here is my plan:
1. Read the four file names in practice-folder
2. Rename them to a clear, consistent pattern
3. Report the new names back to you

Nothing changes until you approve. Proceed? (y / n)

> y

Done. Renamed 4 files:
doc1 FINAL v2.txt   ->  document-01.txt
doc1 FINAL.txt      ->  document-02.txt
Notes (old).txt     ->  notes.txt
summary DRAFT.txt   ->  summary.txt

That is a full session. You asked for one clear thing, you saw the plan, you approved it, and you saw the result. Nothing was hidden, and nothing happened without your yes.

The takeaway

Your first session is meant to be small and safe. Open a practice folder, type one plain request, read the plan, approve it, and look at what came back. Once that loop feels natural, everything else in this track is just the same rhythm applied to bigger, more useful work. The next page looks closely at that approval loop, because it is the habit that keeps you in control.