Frequently Asked Questions

Claude Code is an intelligent programming assistant based on Claude AI that helps you write, debug, refactor, and optimize code. It supports 50+ programming languages, integrates with mainstream IDEs, and provides real-time code suggestions and solutions.

You can install Claude Code via npm, Homebrew, or by downloading binaries. After installation, you need to configure your Anthropic API key, then you can use it in the command line or IDE. For detailed steps, please refer to our Getting Started Guide.

Claude Code itself is a free open-source tool, but it requires an Anthropic API key to function. New users can get free API credits to try out the features. For detailed pricing information, please check Anthropic Console.

Claude Code supports 50+ programming languages and frameworks, including but not limited to: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, Go, Rust, PHP, Ruby, Swift, Kotlin, and mainstream frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, Django, Spring, etc.

Claude Code provides various features:

• Intelligent code generation and completion
• Code debugging and error fixing
• Code refactoring and optimization
• Automatic test case generation
• Code documentation generation
• Security vulnerability detection
• Performance analysis and suggestions

Claude Code analyzes your entire codebase, including file structure, dependencies, programming patterns, etc. It uses advanced semantic analysis techniques to understand the context and intent of code, providing more accurate and relevant suggestions.

Claude Code generates high-quality code with a 95% accuracy rate. It follows best practices and coding standards, includes appropriate error handling, comments, and documentation. However, we recommend you always review generated code and perform necessary testing.

Yes, Claude Code provides rich configuration options. You can set coding styles, naming conventions, framework preferences, etc. You can also define project-specific rules and patterns through configuration files.

Claude Code currently supports two major IDE families:

• Visual Studio Code (including popular forks like Cursor and Windsurf)
• JetBrains IDEs (including PyCharm, WebStorm, IntelliJ IDEA, and GoLand)

For VS Code installation:

1. Open VSCode
2. Open the integrated terminal
3. Run claude - the extension will install automatically

These installation instructions also apply to VS Code forks like Cursor and Windsurf. You can also use the /ide command in any external terminal to connect to your IDE.

Install the Claude Code plugin from the marketplace and restart your IDE. The plugin may also auto-install when you run claude in the integrated terminal. A full IDE restart is required for it to take effect.

IDE integration provides comprehensive features:

• Quick Launch: Use Cmd+Esc (Mac) or Ctrl+Esc (Windows/Linux) to open Claude Code directly from the editor
• Diff Viewing: Code changes display directly in the IDE diff viewer instead of the terminal
• Selection Context: Current selection/tabs in the IDE are automatically shared with Claude Code
• Diagnostics Sharing: Diagnostic errors from the IDE (lint, syntax, etc.) are automatically shared with Claude
• File Reference Shortcuts: Use Cmd+Option+K (Mac) or Alt+Ctrl+K (Linux/Windows) to insert file references

To configure IDE integration:

1. Run /config in Claude Code
2. Set the diff tool to auto for automatic IDE detection
3. Claude Code will automatically use the appropriate viewer based on your IDE

If using an external terminal, you can still connect to your IDE using the /ide command after starting Claude Code.

Yes, Claude Code requires an internet connection to work because it needs to communicate with Anthropic's API servers. All AI processing is done in the cloud, ensuring optimal performance and access to the latest model capabilities.

Claude Code takes your privacy and code security very seriously. Your code is only temporarily sent to Anthropic servers when processing requests, and is not permanently stored or used for model training. For detailed privacy policy, please refer to Anthropic Privacy Policy.

For code containing sensitive information, we recommend:

• Use environment variables to store sensitive configurations
• Remove sensitive data before sending
• Consider using enterprise version for private deployment
• Configure ignored files and directories

Claude Code's response time is typically within 1-3 seconds, depending on request complexity and network conditions. We continuously optimize performance, including intelligent caching, request optimization, and other technologies to improve user experience.

Please check the following:

• Confirm Claude Code is properly installed
• Check if API key is correctly configured
• Ensure network connection is working
• Check error logs for detailed information
• Try reinstalling or updating to the latest version

Slow response may be caused by:

• Unstable network connection
• High API server load
• Too much code in the request
• Local cache needs clearing

You can try reducing the amount of code per request or retry later.

If you encounter API limits, you can:

• Check your API quota usage
• Upgrade to a higher API plan
• Optimize request frequency and size
• Use caching to reduce duplicate requests

For details, please check Anthropic Console.

You can contact us through:

• Submit an Issue on GitHub
• Join our Community Forum
• Email us at [email protected]
• Contact us on social media

If the VS Code extension isn't installing:

• Ensure you're running Claude Code from VS Code's integrated terminal
• Check that the CLI for your IDE is installed: code command for VS Code, cursor for Cursor, windsurf for Windsurf
• If not installed, use Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) and search for "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"
• Verify VS Code has permissions to install extensions

For JetBrains plugin issues:

• Ensure you're running Claude Code from the project root directory
• Check that the JetBrains plugin is enabled in IDE settings
• Fully restart the IDE. You may need to do this multiple times
• For JetBrains remote development, ensure the Claude Code plugin is installed on the remote host, not the local client

Yes, Claude Code provides enterprise-grade features:

• Private deployment options
• Team management and access control
• Audit logs and compliance
• SLA guarantees and technical support
• Custom integrations and APIs

Please contact our enterprise sales team for details.

Claude Code supports team collaboration features:

• Shared project configurations and rules
• Unified team coding styles
• Collaborative code reviews
• Knowledge base and best practices sharing
• Usage statistics and analytics

We provide multi-level technical support:

• Community support (free users)
• Email support (paid users)
• Priority support (enterprise users)
• Dedicated customer success manager (large enterprises)
• On-site training and consulting services