Quick Start Guide

Get started with Claude AI in 15 minutes or less. This guide covers the essential setup steps to begin using Claude's API and tools.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      CLAUDE QUICK START FLOW                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                      │
│   [1] Get API Key  ──►  [2] Install SDK  ──►  [3] First Call      │
│          │                     │                     │              │
│          ▼                     ▼                     ▼              │
│    console.anthropic     pip/npm install      Test connection       │
│                                                                      │
│   [4] Choose Model  ──►  [5] Build App  ──►  [6] Deploy           │
│          │                     │                    │               │
│          ▼                     ▼                    ▼               │
│     Opus/Sonnet/Haiku    Implement logic     Production ready       │
│                                                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Prerequisites

• [ ] Valid email address for Anthropic account
• [ ] Python 3.8+ or Node.js 16+ installed
• [ ] Basic programming knowledge
• [ ] Terminal/command line access

Step 1: Create Anthropic Account

1. Navigate to console.anthropic.com
2. Click "Sign Up" and complete registration
3. Verify your email address
4. Complete any required verification steps

Step 2: Generate API Key

# Once logged in:
1. Go to Settings → API Keys
2. Click "Create API Key"
3. Name your key (e.g., "development")
4. Copy and save securely

WARNING

Never commit API keys to version control. Use environment variables.

Step 3: Install Claude SDK

Python Installation

pip install anthropic

Node.js Installation

npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk

Other Languages

# Go
go get github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-go

# Ruby
gem install anthropic

# PHP
composer require anthropic-ai/sdk

Step 4: Set Environment Variable

Linux/Mac

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY='your-api-key-here'

Windows

$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY='your-api-key-here'

.env File (Recommended)

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

Step 5: First API Call

Python Example

from anthropic import Anthropic

client = Anthropic()

message = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
    max_tokens=1024,
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "Hello, Claude! What can you help me with today?"
        }
    ]
)

print(message.content[0].text)

JavaScript Example

import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';

const client = new Anthropic();

const message = await client.messages.create({
    model: 'claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022',
    max_tokens: 1024,
    messages: [
        {
            role: 'user',
            content: 'Hello, Claude! What can you help me with today?'
        }
    ]
});

console.log(message.content[0].text);

Step 6: Choose Your Model

Model	Best For	Speed	Intelligence
Claude Opus 4.5	Complex tasks, coding, analysis	Slower	Highest
Claude Sonnet 4.5	General use, balanced needs	Medium	High
Claude Haiku 4.5	Quick responses, simple tasks	Fastest	Good

Step 7: Install Claude Code (Optional)

For agentic coding assistance:

# Installation varies by platform
# Check latest instructions at anthropic.com/claude-code

Step 8: Test Your Setup

Run this verification script:

# test_claude.py
import os
from anthropic import Anthropic

def test_claude_connection():
    """Verify Claude API connection"""
    try:
        client = Anthropic()
        
        response = client.messages.create(
            model="claude-3-5-haiku-20241022",
            max_tokens=100,
            messages=[
                {"role": "user", "content": "Respond with 'Connection successful!'"}
            ]
        )
        
        print("✅ Claude API connected successfully!")
        print(f"Response: {response.content[0].text}")
        return True
        
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"❌ Connection failed: {str(e)}")
        return False

if __name__ == "__main__":
    test_claude_connection()

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue: API Key Not Found

# Solution: Ensure environment variable is set
echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY  # Should display your key

Issue: Rate Limit Exceeded

# Solution: Implement exponential backoff
import time

def retry_with_backoff(func, max_retries=3):
    for i in range(max_retries):
        try:
            return func()
        except Exception as e:
            if i == max_retries - 1:
                raise
            time.sleep(2 ** i)

Issue: Model Not Available

# Solution: Use available model list
models = [
    "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
    "claude-3-5-haiku-20241022",
    "claude-3-opus-20240229"
]

Next Steps

✅ Setup Complete! You're ready to build with Claude.

Recommended Reading:

1. 📋 SOP: API Setup Details
2. 🔄 Workflow: Prompt Engineering
3. ⚡ Quick Ref: API Commands

Start Building:

• Simple Chatbot: Use the messages API for conversations
• Content Generation: Create articles, summaries, translations
• Code Assistant: Leverage Claude for code review and generation
• Data Analysis: Process and analyze structured data

Verification Checklist

• [ ] Anthropic account created
• [ ] API key generated and saved
• [ ] SDK installed (Python/Node.js)
• [ ] Environment variable configured
• [ ] First API call successful
• [ ] Model selected for use case
• [ ] Test script runs without errors

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INFO

Need Help? Check our Troubleshooting Guide or review the complete API documentation.

Ready for more? Explore our Standard Operating Procedures for detailed guidance on every aspect of Claude AI.