---
title: Claude basics — Claude Code in seven short lessons
description: Seven short lessons on Claude Code, the AI on your computer: what it is, context, effort and models, where you start it, CLAUDE.md, permissions, connectors.
url: https://instibrain.ai/guides/claude-basics
updated: 2026-10-28
site: https://instibrain.ai/llms.txt
---

# Claude Code, in seven short lessons.

Claude Code is the AI that works on your computer. These lessons say what it is, what it can see, and what it may do. Each takes a few minutes.

Lesson 1: What Claude Code is  →  Then instibrain basics

Read this tutorial first. Have Claude open beside this page and try each step.

the lessons

## Seven lessons, a few minutes each.

Your browser marks the ones you finished, so you start where you stopped. Each lesson is the idea in one line, the new words, the lesson, a picture, Try it, and You should see.

- 1What Claude Code is Claude working on your computer: it reads files, writes files and runs commands.
- 2Context Everything Claude can see right now, its working memory for this session.
- 3Effort and models Which Claude does the work, and how long it thinks before it acts.
- 4Where you start Claude, and what it loads The folder you start in decides which instructions load.
- 5.md files and CLAUDE.md Plain text with a few marks: a document for people, instructions for Claude.
- 6Permissions What Claude may do without asking you first.
- 7Connectors How Claude reaches another app with your own account.
Start lesson 1   →

what you learned

## Keep this beside your keyboard.

The keys and commands from the seven lessons, on one card.

| Type or press | What it does |
| Esc | Stops Claude. The work done so far stays. |
| Esc twice | On an empty prompt, opens the menu that goes back to an earlier point. |
| Shift + Tab | Moves to the next permission mode. |
| /context | Shows what fills Claude's working memory. |
| /compact | Summarizes the conversation now. |
| /clear | Starts an empty conversation. |
| /model | Shows the models and lets you switch. |
| /effort | Shows or sets how long Claude thinks. |
| /mcp | Shows your connectors and signs you in. |

next tutorial  instibrain basics

Spaces, specialists, tools, the button, the inbox, and where a lesson goes.
the connection  Claude Code

One command adds the brain, and what Claude Code then reaches.
both tutorials  Guides

The two tutorials, what you need, and how a lesson works.

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