Getting Started with Claude

Getting Started with Claude is the hands-on capstone of the Introduction to Claude learning path. Instead of reading about the tools, you'll use three of Claude's primary access points — the Claude.ai web app, Claude Desktop with Cowork, and the Claude Code CLI — to complete tasks that mirror real IT work, and learn which tool to reach for when.

What you'll do

Across four guided exercises, you'll:

• Run a multi-turn conversation in Claude.ai and refine the responses
• Build a Project with persistent custom instructions and an uploaded document
• Delegate a file task to Claude Desktop's Cowork — review the plan, approve it, and collect the finished result
• Use Claude Code to explore a codebase and surface a bug, with no manual file selection

What you'll learn

By the end you'll understand what makes each access point distinct and how to match the right Claude tool to the work in front of you. No prior experience needed — Exercises 1–2 run on the Free Claude plan; Exercises 3–4 require a paid plan.

The goal of this lab is to give you direct, hands-on experience with Claude across three of its primary access points — Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code — so you can choose and use the right tool for the task in front of you.

By the end of this lab, you will be able to:

• Start and refine a multi-turn conversation in Claude.ai
• Create a Claude.ai Project with persistent custom instructions and an uploaded document
• Use Claude Desktop's Cowork to delegate a task, approve the plan, and verify the output file it produces
• Start a Claude Code session in a terminal and have Claude analyze a codebase and flag issues
• Recognize which Claude access point fits which type of work

• Windows 11
• Claude Desktop
• Claude Code CLI