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Install Node & Git
Two quick installs give Claude Code the power to actually build: Node (the engine that runs the tools you’ll build) and Git (your undo button and backup). These let Claude run programs and save your work safely.
Node — the engine
Runs the tools Claude builds, right on your computer.
Git — the undo button
Saves snapshots so any experiment can be reversed.
Install Node.js
- Go to
nodejs.org. - Click the big “LTS” button (it detects Mac or Windows).
- Open the downloaded file and click Next/Continue through the defaults. When it finishes, you’re done — you’ll never open Node yourself; Claude uses it for you.
Install Git
- Windows: go to
git-scm.com/download/win, run the installer, and click Next through every screen (accept all defaults). - Mac: open Terminal, type
git --version; if it offers to install “command line developer tools,” click Install.
On Windows, once Git is installed, fully close and reopen the Claude Code app. It needs this one-time restart to be able to use Git and run commands. (On Mac you can skip this.)
Node lets Claude run the tools you build right on your computer, so you can use them the moment they’re done. Git lets Claude save snapshots of your work — so you can experiment fearlessly, because anything can be undone. Both run quietly in the background; there’s nothing to “open.”
On Windows, if a security pop-up appears during install, click Yes / Allow — that’s expected for official installers.
Watch this step
Installing Node feels abstract on paper — this two-minute screen-walkthrough shows exactly what you'll see (the Git half is covered in the GitHub lesson's video). It’s from an independent creator — credited below, so go give them a follow.
How to Run Node.js in Visual Studio Code | SetUp Node.js in VSCode On Windows 11
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