Module 10 · Lesson 01
Getting Started — Accounts, Plans, and First Access
Reading time: 14 minutes Track: Claude Fluency for Teams · Required for all learners
Your two entry points
There are two primary ways your team will interact with Claude:
Claude.ai — the web and mobile chat interface. This is where most knowledge workers will spend their time: drafting documents, asking questions, running analysis, working with uploaded files. It requires no technical setup beyond creating an account.
The Anthropic API (used by Claude Code and integrations) — programmatic access to Claude, used by developers building tools, automations, and by the Claude Code CLI. This requires an API key and, for Claude Code, a CLI installation.
Most teams need both. Let's set up Claude.ai first, then the API.
Claude.ai setup
- Go to claude.ai and create an account with your work email
- Choose your plan (see plan overview below)
- You're ready — the interface is self-explanatory
Plan overview (as of mid-2026; verify current pricing at anthropic.com):
- Free: Limited messages per day on standard models. Good for initial exploration, not team use.
- Claude.ai Pro (~$20/month per person): Much higher usage limits, access to the most capable models (Opus, Sonnet), file uploads, Projects. This is the right tier for any individual doing serious knowledge work.
- Claude.ai Teams: Pro features plus team management, centralized billing, enhanced data handling. Right for groups of 5+.
- Claude.ai Enterprise: Advanced admin controls, SSO, expanded data privacy commitments, custom usage limits. Right for larger orgs or those with specific compliance requirements.
For most teams getting started, Pro or Teams is the right starting point.
API access for developers
Developers who want to use Claude programmatically (or use Claude Code CLI) need an API key:
- Go to console.anthropic.com
- Create or join your organization's workspace
- Generate an API key under Account Settings → API Keys
- Store this key securely — never commit it to version control, never paste it into a chat interface
Model selection for API use: The API gives you access to the full model lineup. For most tasks, Sonnet offers the best balance of capability and cost. Use Opus for the most demanding reasoning tasks. Use Haiku for high-volume, lower-stakes tasks where speed and cost matter.
Choosing the right model for your use case
| Use case | Recommended model |
|---|---|
| Complex analysis, multi-step reasoning | Opus |
| Everyday coding, drafting, review | Sonnet |
| High-volume simple tasks (summaries, classification) | Haiku |
| Claude Code default | Sonnet |
First steps to take today
- Create your Claude.ai account and spend 15 minutes having a real conversation — ask about something you're currently working on
- Try uploading a document (Pro+) and asking questions about it
- If you're a developer, generate your API key and confirm it works with a simple test call
- Bookmark the Anthropic documentation (docs.anthropic.com) — it's excellent and kept up to date