01 / Browser walkthrough
Claude Code in
your browser.
Work on a GitHub project without installing development tools on your computer.
Before you start
You need a GitHub account, a repository, and eligible Claude access. Cloud sessions are documented as a research preview for Pro, Max, Team, and eligible Enterprise seats. Organization settings can restrict access. Confirm the options shown in your own account.
If you do not have a project, follow GitHub basics to create claude-practice with a README. It gives Claude an initial commit and gives you something safe to change.
Connect and start your first task
Open Claude Code on the web
Go to claude.ai/code ↗ and sign in. Use the Code experience, rather than an ordinary Claude chat.
Connect GitHub
Follow the GitHub authorization flow. For private repositories, install the Claude GitHub App on the repositories you want it to use. Choose only the repositories needed. Organization repositories may require owner approval.
Choose your environment
Use the Default environment for a first experiment. Its Trusted network setting permits selected destinations, rather than unrestricted internet access. Add project-specific tools later if a task requires them.
Select the repository and base branch
Choose your practice repository and its main branch. Select Plan mode to discuss the change before implementation. Other cloud modes may run commands, edit files, and push a branch without asking at each step.
Send a small task
Read the README and explain this repository in plain English.
Then propose a simple one-page personal website with a heading,
an About section, and a contact link. No frameworks or accounts.
Do not implement it until I approve the plan.Approve the plan when it matches your goal
Ask Claude to implement only the approved scope and verify the page. Read its activity and follow up in the same conversation.
Review the diff and open a pull request
Inspect the branch changes. Ask Claude to explain unfamiliar lines. Create a PR when ready, check the latest test results, and merge only after review. Creating or merging a PR does not automatically host a website unless deployment is configured.
What a good completion report contains
Explain what changed and why. List the files changed.
Show which checks actually ran and their results.
Say what you could not test. Include the branch and PR link,
if one exists. Do not merge or deploy anything.Your task may continue after you close the tab. Return to the session to review it or stop it. Local files on your laptop are not automatically available to a cloud task.
Where do slash commands go?
Once you’re comfortable with your first task, return here to learn about commands. You can skip this section for now.
The complete terminal command list is not a promise that every command works in the browser. Use the web interface for repository selection, permission modes, diffs, and session management. If its input offers commands, use the commands shown there. For an unsupported command, ask for the outcome in plain language.
| Terminal intent | Browser-friendly wording |
|---|---|
/init | “Draft project instructions in CLAUDE.md from the actual repository.” |
/diff | “Explain the changes on this task branch.” Also inspect the interface’s diff. |
/code-review | “Review this branch for correctness. Report findings without editing.” |
claude -c | Reopen the existing web conversation. This is a shell command, not a chat message. |
When the cloud setup needs more
Use this section if setup fails or your project needs extra tools. It is not a required step in your first walkthrough.
Check the project README and lockfile before adding a setup script. A Node project might need its existing package manager’s locked install; Python may need the project’s documented environment setup. There is no universal install command for every repository.
If dependency downloads fail, check the environment’s network settings and the exact blocked domain. Keep credentials in the platform’s appropriate credential or secret mechanism. Ordinary environment variables may be visible to other environment users. Do not paste production keys into the task prompt.
Official references: Cloud quickstart ↗ · Cloud environments and sessions ↗ · Commands reference ↗
Was this chapter useful?
Report an errorVotes are shared only if you enable optional measurement in Privacy settings.