How to set up a Claude account

Open claude.ai. On September 25, 2026 that site stopped on a Cloudflare "Verify you are human" box, so this page does not include a picture of the form. Anthropic's account docs say: select Continue with Google, or enter your email, then follow the prompts. A phone check can show up.

You can start without a credit card. The free plan is enough for a first chat.

Create the account

1. Open claude.ai.
2. Continue with Google, or enter your email.
3. Finish the prompts. A phone check may appear.
4. Stay on the free plan for the first chat.

After one answer

Look for Projects in the sidebar. Make one named Home, or Work. Put three to six lines in it: what you want back, and what it should leave alone. Add only the files for that work.

Leave Claude Code and the terminal alone until a normal chat is already useful.

Cowork, the task runner, is a later step and a paid plan. See How to start a task in Claude Cowork.

Questions

Do I need a credit card for Claude?

No. The free plan covers a first chat.

Why is there no screenshot of the Claude sign-up form?

On September 25, 2026 claude.ai stopped on a Cloudflare check, so the buttons here come from Anthropic's account docs, not from a screen captured that day.

What is the first useful setup after the account exists?

One project with a short instruction, then one saved answer. Coding tools come after that.