103 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
103 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
> ## Documentation Index
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> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vineetagarwal-code-claude-code.mintlify.app/llms.txt
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> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
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# Introduction
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> Claude Code is an AI coding agent that runs in your terminal — reading, editing, and executing code across your entire codebase.
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Claude Code is a terminal-based AI agent built on Claude. It has direct access to your filesystem, shell, and tools, so you can describe a task in plain language and Claude handles the implementation end-to-end — no copy-pasting, no context switching.
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## What Claude Code can do
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Read and edit files" icon="file-code" href="/reference/tools/file-operations">
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Claude reads source files, writes new content, and makes targeted edits. It shows diffs before applying changes so you stay in control.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Run shell commands" icon="square-terminal" href="/reference/tools/bash">
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Execute tests, build scripts, git operations, and any shell command — with configurable permission controls to keep you safe.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Search your codebase" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/reference/tools/search">
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Find files by glob pattern, search content with regular expressions, and navigate large codebases without reading every file manually.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Fetch from the web" icon="globe" href="/reference/tools/web">
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Pull documentation, read API specs, or search the web — all without leaving your terminal session.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Spawn sub-agents" icon="sitemap" href="/guides/multi-agent">
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Break complex tasks into parallel workstreams. Claude can spin up and coordinate multiple agents to work on different parts of a problem simultaneously.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Connect MCP servers" icon="plug" href="/guides/mcp-servers">
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Extend Claude's capabilities with Model Context Protocol servers for databases, APIs, internal tools, and more.
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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## Permission system
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Every tool use in Claude Code goes through a permission check. You control how much autonomy Claude has.
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| Mode | Behavior |
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| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| `default` | Claude asks before running shell commands and making edits. You approve or deny each action. |
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| `acceptEdits` | File edits are applied automatically. Shell commands still require approval. |
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| `plan` | Claude produces a plan and asks for your sign-off before taking any action. Good for reviewing large changes before they happen. |
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| `bypassPermissions` | All actions run without prompts. Intended for automated pipelines in sandboxed environments — not for interactive use. |
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<Warning>
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`bypassPermissions` mode disables all confirmation prompts. Only use it in isolated environments (Docker containers, CI sandboxes) where Claude cannot affect systems outside the task.
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</Warning>
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Set your permission mode with the `--permission-mode` flag when starting Claude, or change it with `/permissions` which also lets you manage allow/deny rules for specific tools:
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```bash theme={null}
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claude --permission-mode acceptEdits
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```
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## CLAUDE.md memory system
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Claude Code reads `CLAUDE.md` files from your repository at the start of every session. These files let you encode project-specific knowledge — build commands, coding conventions, architecture notes, required environment variables — so Claude doesn't need to re-discover them from scratch every time.
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There are three scopes:
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* **Project** (`CLAUDE.md` at the repo root) — shared by everyone on the team, checked into source control.
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* **Personal** (`CLAUDE.local.md` at the repo root) — your private preferences for this project, gitignored.
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* **Subdirectory** (`CLAUDE.md` inside a subdirectory) — loaded automatically when Claude works in that directory. Useful for monorepos with distinct modules.
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Run `/init` inside any Claude Code session to generate a `CLAUDE.md` for your project automatically. Claude analyzes your codebase and produces a file with the commands and context that matter most.
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```bash theme={null}
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# Inside a Claude Code session
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/init
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```
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<Tip>
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Keep `CLAUDE.md` concise. Every line should pass this test: "Would removing this cause Claude to make mistakes?" If not, cut it.
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</Tip>
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## Authentication
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Claude Code authenticates in two ways:
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1. **OAuth (recommended)** — Sign in with your Anthropic account at `claude.ai`. Run `claude` for the first time and follow the browser prompt.
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2. **API key** — Set the `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` environment variable. Useful for CI pipelines and non-interactive sessions.
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See [Authentication](/guides/authentication) for the full priority order and cloud provider options (AWS Bedrock, GCP Vertex AI).
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## Ready to get started?
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
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Get Claude Code running in under 5 minutes
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</Card>
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<Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/installation">
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Detailed installation instructions for all platforms
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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