--- title: "Meet Claude and ask your first question" url: https://aiguideson.com/courses/claude-for-beginners/meet-claude-and-ask-your-first-question/ course: "Claude for beginners" lesson: "1 of 5" minutes: 10 published: 2026-10-09 updated: 2026-10-09 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: "en-GB" --- # Meet Claude and ask your first question Lesson 1 of 5 in [Claude for beginners](https://aiguideson.com/courses/claude-for-beginners/) · 10 minutes Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic. You type to it in plain English, and it types back. In this lesson you’ll see what it is, check you can use it, log in, and ask your first questions. ## You need - A computer, phone or tablet - An email address, or a Google account - About ten minutes A narrated walkthrough of this lesson is coming. The steps below cover everything in it. ## Steps ### Step 1: See what Claude is Claude is a large language model built by Anthropic. Its makers say it’s trained to be a helpful, honest and harmless assistant with a conversational tone. You talk to it with prompts, which is just what you type. Anthropic’s advice is to speak to Claude the way you would to a coworker or friend. ![Anthropic’s Claude Help Center page “Get started with Claude”, showing the heading “What is a prompt?” and the advice to speak to Claude like a coworker or friend.](https://aiguideson.com/courses/claude-for-beginners/l1-get-started.png) (screenshot captured 9 October 2026) 1. A prompt is what you type to Claude 2. Talk to it like a coworker or friend Checkpoint: You can say what a prompt is. ### Step 2: Check you can use it You’ve got to be at least 18, and in a place Claude supports. You can use it in a web browser at claude.ai, in the desktop app for Mac or Windows, or in the mobile apps for iOS and Android. If you’ve used a free ChatGPT account, think of it as the same idea from a different company. (Screenshot to come.) Checkpoint: You know you can use Claude where you are, and on which devices. ### Step 3: Log in Go to claude.ai. You’ll see two ways to log in: Continue with Google, or Continue with email. With email, Claude sends you a message with the subject “Secure link to log in to Claude.ai”, and the link logs you in. If you open it on a different device, you’ll be given a code to type in on the first one. There’s no password to set. If the email doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder, then try again after a few minutes. ![Anthropic’s help page “Log in to your Claude account”, showing the two options: Continue with Google, and an email box with a Continue with email button.](https://aiguideson.com/courses/claude-for-beginners/l2-login-help.png) (screenshot captured 9 October 2026) 1. Option 1: Continue with Google 2. Option 2: Continue with email, then use the link Checkpoint: You’re logged in to Claude, and you can see the box to type in. ### Step 4: Ask your first question Anthropic’s own example of a simple question is how to hang a picture frame. Type it in and send it. We got a numbered method with a list of tools, and at the end Claude offered to be more specific if we gave it the frame’s size, weight and wall type. Your reply will be worded differently. The prompt (works in Claude): ```text How do I hang a picture frame in my room? ``` - A simple question is the best way to see how Claude answers. (Screenshot to come.) Checkpoint: You have a reply to a plain question. ### Step 5: Try five kinds of job Claude’s help page lists what people use it for: writing, learning something new, summarising, brainstorming, translating, coding and looking at images. Ask it for one idea in five of them. We asked for one line each and got a ready-to-send prompt for every job, such as an email declining a meeting and a Spanish translation of a casual message. Just pick the one you’d use first. The prompt (works in Claude): ```text I'm new to Claude. Suggest one practical thing I could ask you to help with this week for each of these: writing, learning, summarising, brainstorming and translating. One line each. ``` - “One line each” keeps the list short enough to scan. ![Anthropic’s help page “What are some things I can use Claude for?”, listing writing, learning something new, summarising text, coding, brainstorming, translating and analysing images.](https://aiguideson.com/courses/claude-for-beginners/l1-uses.png) (screenshot captured 9 October 2026) 1. Write 2. Learn something new 3. Summarise 4. Brainstorm 5. Translate Checkpoint: You’ve picked one job you’d like Claude to do first. ## Common problems ### The login email doesn’t arrive Check your spam and junk folders, wait a few minutes and try again. Anthropic’s emails come from the mail.anthropic.com address. ### Claude says it isn’t available where you are Claude only works in supported locations. “AI for beginners” works with ChatGPT instead. ### It asks for a phone number Anthropic has a help page called “Verify your phone number”. Search for it in the Claude Help Center. Steps 1, 3 and 5 show Anthropic’s public help pages (captured by tools/capture/claude-for-beginners.mjs on 2026-10-09). The chat screens are behind a login, so steps 4 and 5 have no chat screenshot yet; the prompts and replies are in outputs/. ## Sources - [Claude Help Center: Get started with Claude](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8114491-get-started-with-claude) (checked 2026-10-09) - [Claude Help Center: Log in to your Claude account](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13189465-log-in-to-your-claude-account) (checked 2026-10-09) - [Claude Help Center: What are some things I can use Claude for?](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/7996845-what-are-some-things-i-can-use-claude-for) (checked 2026-10-09)