Claude is an artificial intelligence assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest.
Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic, and one of the main alternatives to ChatGPT and Google Gemini. You can use it to write and edit text, answer questions, search the web, analyze documents, build small apps, and write code.
This beginner's guide shows you how to use Claude step by step: how to sign up, how to write good prompts, which features are worth learning, and what the free and paid plans include. The guide is updated for October 2026.
Quick answer: how to use Claude
- Go to claude.ai or download the Claude app for your computer or phone.
- Sign up for a free account with your email address or Google account.
- Type your question or request in the chat box and press Enter.
- Add files, use web search, or create a Project when you need Claude to work with more information.
What Is Claude AI?
Claude is a family of AI models and the chat assistant built on them. It's developed by Anthropic, an AI safety company founded in 2021. You talk to Claude in plain language, just like you would with a colleague, and it answers, writes, analyzes, or builds what you ask for.
You can use Claude in three ways:
- On the web at claude.ai
- In the desktop app for Mac and Windows
- In the mobile app for iPhone and Android
Claude is available in more than 180 countries and regions, including the US, the UK, and the whole EU. It understands and writes many languages, so you can use it in your own language too.
How to Get Started with Claude, Step by Step
Step 1: Create a Free Account
Go to claude.ai and sign up with your email address or your Google account. Depending on your account, you may also be asked to verify your phone number. The free plan doesn't require a credit card.
Step 2: Get to Know the Interface
After you log in, you'll see a chat box in the middle of the screen. These are the parts you'll use most:
- The chat box, where you type your requests
- The + button next to the chat box, for adding files and turning on tools like web search
- The model menu, where you can choose which Claude model answers
- The sidebar, where you'll find your earlier chats, your Projects, and the New chat button
Step 3: Write Your First Prompt
Type what you want Claude to do and press Enter. You don't need special commands. Write as you would to a smart assistant who doesn't know your situation yet.
Example prompt: "I run a small online store that sells handmade candles. Write three short Instagram captions for our new autumn scents. Keep the tone warm and casual."
Step 4: Refine the Answer
The first answer is rarely the final one. Ask follow-up questions in the same chat, for example "make it shorter" or "give me two more options". If you want a completely different answer, use the Retry button below the response. When you change to a new topic, start a New chat, so the old conversation doesn't steer the answers.
How to Write Better Prompts for Claude
The quality of Claude's answers depends a lot on how you ask. These habits make the biggest difference:
- Explain the goal and the context. Tell Claude who the text is for and why you need it.
- Be specific about the format. Ask for a list, a table, a short email, or a 500-word article.
- Give examples. If you have a text you like, paste it in and ask Claude to follow its style.
- Share the source material. Upload the document or paste the text instead of describing it from memory.
- Break big tasks into steps. Ask for an outline first, then write one section at a time.
- Let Claude ask questions. End your prompt with "Ask me questions if anything is unclear."
Compare these two prompts:
- Vague: "Write an email about the meeting."
- Specific: "Write a short, friendly email to my team about moving Thursday's planning meeting to Friday at 10 am. Mention that the agenda stays the same."
The second prompt gives Claude everything it needs, so you'll usually get a usable answer on the first try.
Claude's Most Useful Features
Web Search
Claude can search the web, and web search is included in every plan, including the free one. When you ask about recent events, prices, or anything that changes often, Claude looks it up and shows links to its sources. You can also paste a link and ask Claude to summarize the page. If the page is behind a login or a paywall, paste the text instead.
Example prompt: "What changed in the EU's AI rules this year? Summarize the main points and list your sources."
Files and Images
Click the + button to add PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, or images, and ask Claude to summarize them, compare them, or answer questions about them. Claude can also create files for you, such as a Word document, a spreadsheet, or a slide deck that you can download.
Example prompt: "Here are three supplier quotes. Compare the prices, delivery times, and payment terms in a table and recommend one."
Projects
A Project is a workspace with its own files and instructions. Everything you add to a Project is available in every chat inside it, so you don't have to upload the same documents or explain the same background again. Projects are great for ongoing work, like a website, a course, or a client account. The free plan includes up to five Projects, and paid plans have unlimited Projects.
Artifacts
When you ask Claude to create something standalone, like a document, a small web app, a chart, or a diagram, it opens in a separate panel next to the chat. These are called Artifacts. You can keep improving them in the chat and then share or download the result. Artifacts are available on every plan.
Example prompt: "Build a simple loan calculator where I can enter the amount, interest rate, and loan term."
Memory
Claude can remember useful context from your earlier chats, such as your role or the projects you're working on, so you don't have to repeat yourself. You can view, edit, or turn off memory in the settings.
Research
Research is for questions that need more than a quick search. Claude runs a longer, multi-step search across many sources and writes a report with citations. Research is included in the paid plans.
Claude Code
Claude Code is Anthropic's coding tool. It can read your codebase, write and edit code, run commands, and fix bugs, either in the terminal, in your code editor, or in the desktop app. It's included in the paid plans and is one of the main reasons developers choose Claude.
Claude in Chrome and Connectors
Claude in Chrome is a browser extension that lets Claude help you with tasks on websites, such as filling in forms or collecting information from several pages. It's available on paid plans. With connectors, you can also give Claude access to apps you already use, such as Google Drive, so it can work with your own files.
What Can You Use Claude For?
Here are some of the most common ways people use Claude:
- Writing and editing: emails, blog posts, product descriptions, and proofreading
- Summarizing: long reports, contracts, research papers, and meeting notes
- Learning: explaining difficult topics step by step, or quizzing you on a subject
- Research: finding and comparing information from the web with sources
- Data analysis: finding trends in spreadsheets and turning them into charts
- Coding: writing, explaining, and debugging code
- Brainstorming: ideas for business names, content, gifts, or trips
Claude Plans and Pricing (October 2026)
Claude has a free plan and several paid plans. Prices are in US dollars per month:
- Free ($0): chat on web, desktop, and mobile, web search, memory, Artifacts, and up to five Projects. Uses the Sonnet and Haiku models.
- Pro ($20, or $17 per month billed annually): more usage, Opus and more models, Research, Claude Code, Claude in Chrome, and unlimited Projects.
- Max (from $100): 5 or 20 times the usage of Pro, plus early access to new features and priority access when traffic is high.
- Team (from $20 per seat billed annually, or $25 monthly): for teams of 2 to 150, with central billing and more usage than Pro.
- Enterprise: custom pricing for large organizations.
All plans have usage limits that reset on a rolling five-hour window, and paid plans also have weekly limits. If you use Claude for a few questions a day, the free plan is often enough. If you use it for work every day, Pro is the usual starting point.
Which Claude Model Should You Use?
Anthropic offers several Claude models. In October 2026, the current ones are:
- Claude Haiku 5.5: the fastest and lightest model, good for quick, simple tasks
- Claude Sonnet 5.5: the everyday all-rounder for most writing, analysis, and coding
- Claude Opus 5.5: for complex, demanding work
- Claude Fable 5.1: Anthropic's most capable widely released model
The free plan uses Sonnet and Haiku, and paid plans add Opus and more models. For most everyday tasks, the default model is a good choice. Switch to a more capable model when a task needs deeper reasoning or the answer isn't good enough.
Claude vs. ChatGPT
Claude and ChatGPT are both excellent general-purpose AI assistants, and they've become more similar over time: both can search the web, work with files, and help with code. Claude is especially popular for writing, for working with long documents, and for software development with Claude Code. Anthropic also puts a strong emphasis on safety through its Constitutional AI approach.
The best choice depends on what you use it for. Both have free plans, so the easiest way to decide is to give the same tasks to both and compare the answers.
Claude Pros and Cons
Pros
- Natural, high-quality writing
- Excellent with long documents and files
- Strong coding tools, especially Claude Code
- Projects and Artifacts make it easy to organize work and build documents and small apps
- Strong focus on safety and clean, easy-to-use apps
Cons
- Usage limits, even on paid plans
- Research, Claude Code, and Claude in Chrome require a paid plan
- Like any AI, Claude can make mistakes, so important facts should be checked
Tips for Using Claude Safely
- Don't paste passwords, payment details, or other sensitive personal information into the chat.
- Check important facts, numbers, and quotes against the sources, especially for health, legal, or financial questions.
- Review the privacy settings, where you can choose whether your chats may be used to improve Claude.
- Treat Claude's answers as a strong first draft, and add your own judgment and expertise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude free to use?
Yes. Claude has a free plan that includes chat on web, desktop, and mobile, web search, memory, Artifacts, and up to five Projects. Paid plans start at $20 per month.
Can Claude access the internet?
Yes. Web search is available on all plans, including the free one. Claude searches the web when it needs current information and shows the sources it used.
Is Claude good for coding?
Yes. Claude is widely used for coding. It can write, explain, and debug code in the chat, and Claude Code, included in the paid plans, can work directly in your software projects.
Does Claude work in other languages than English?
Yes. Claude understands and writes many languages, including Finnish, Swedish, German, French, and Spanish, so you can chat with it in your own language.
Can I use Claude on my phone?
Yes. The Claude app is available for iPhone and Android, and your chats sync between the mobile app, the desktop app, and the web.
What is Constitutional AI?
Constitutional AI is Anthropic's approach to training Claude with a written set of principles, a constitution, that guides how it behaves. The goal is an assistant that is helpful while avoiding harmful or misleading answers.
Final Thoughts
Claude has grown from a simple chatbot into a versatile assistant for writing, research, analysis, and coding. The best way to learn it is to use it for a real task: start with the free plan, give Claude clear and specific instructions, and try Projects and Artifacts once you're comfortable with the basics.
Sign up for a free account at claude.ai or download the desktop or mobile app to get started.
