Claude — a guide

Claude, in plain English.

What it is. How to start. What to ask. What to watch out for.

Claude is the second most-talked-about chatbot, after ChatGPT. It is known for careful writing and clear thinking. This page walks you through it from the start.

Open Claude →How to sign up

Product details checked: May 2026. AI tools change quickly. If something looks different on screen, the ideas in this guide should still hold.

A note on this guide

Parts of this page were drafted with Claude's help. We mention this for honesty — and because it is itself an example of using AI well: let a tool do the first heavy lifting, then a human reads, checks, and decides what stays. The strengths and limits below are written carefully, including where Claude falls short.

What it is

Claude is a chatbot made by a company called Anthropic. Like ChatGPT, you type and it replies. You can keep the conversation going, ask it to redo or refine an answer, or start fresh.

It is built with a focus on clear, careful writing and on thinking through problems step by step. Many people find it stronger than other tools at long-form drafting, editing, and reasoning out trade-offs.

It can read very long documents in a single sitting — you can paste in a long contract, report, or article and ask it to summarise, find the key risks, or rewrite parts.

How to sign up

Five steps. About five minutes. Free.

  1. 1

    Open the website or app

    Go to claude.ai in your browser. Or download Claude from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone). Both are made by Anthropic — check the maker name before you install.

  2. 2

    Tap Sign up

    Use an email address you can check. A Google account also works.

  3. 3

    Verify your email

    Open the email Anthropic sends you and tap the link. If you do not see it in a few minutes, check your spam folder.

  4. 4

    Add a phone number

    Anthropic uses a phone number for security in some regions. You will get an OTP — type it in to confirm.

  5. 5

    Start typing

    A chat box opens. Type your first message and press send. That's it.

If sign-up fails, the most common reasons are: an email already used, an OTP that arrived late (try again), or your country not yet supported (check the supported-country list on the Claude help pages).

Free or paid?

What you get for nothing. What you get for paying.

Free

Start here
  • Cost: nothing
  • Good enough for: most readers, most days
  • You get: full chat with the latest model, file uploads, web search
  • Limits: a daily message cap that resets every few hours; you'll hit it sooner if you have long back-and-forth conversations

Paid plans

  • Cost: varies. Worldwide there is Claude Pro, with a higher tier called Max for heavy users. India pricing may be lower than US/UK — check the current price when you sign up.
  • Good enough for: writers, builders, students with long documents, professionals who use Claude every day
  • You get: higher daily limits, priority access at busy times, longer conversations before hitting limits
  • Honest take: most people do not need a paid plan. The free tier is generous. Upgrade only when you keep hitting the cap.

I pay for Claude Max because I rely on it every day for work. For daily English practice and most everyday use, the free tier is more than enough.

Your first five prompts

Copy any of these. Change the bracketed bits. Send.

  1. 1

    Edit my writing

    Edit this for clarity and warmth. Keep my voice. Don't make it bland: [paste your text]

    What to expect: A cleaner version with comments on what changed. Reply: "show me three more options" if you want variants.

  2. 2

    Summarise a long document

    Summarise this in three short paragraphs. Then list the three most important questions a reader should ask: [paste document]

    What to expect: A tight summary plus useful follow-up questions. Good for reports, articles, contracts.

  3. 3

    Think through a decision

    I'm trying to decide between [option A] and [option B]. Here is my situation: [context]. Walk me through the trade-offs. Then ask me three clarifying questions.

    What to expect: A balanced take and three questions that sharpen your thinking. Do not let it decide for you.

  4. 4

    Draft a thoughtful email

    Draft an email to [person] about [topic]. Tone: respectful but direct. Goal: [what you want them to do]. Keep it short.

    What to expect: A usable first draft. Read it carefully — fix any details only you know.

  5. 5

    Explain something at three levels

    Explain [topic] three ways: first to a 10-year-old, then to a smart 16-year-old, then to a professional in the field.

    What to expect: The same idea taught three ways. Useful when you are not sure how deep you need to go.

What Claude is good at

  • Long-form writing

    Drafts that feel considered, not generic.

  • Reading long documents

    Whole reports, contracts, articles in one go.

  • Reasoning out loud

    Step-by-step thinking on hard problems.

  • Editing your work

    Keeps your voice while fixing clarity.

What it is not good at

  • Image and video

    Claude is mostly a text tool. It can look at images you upload, but it does not draw or generate new ones.

  • Being snappy

    It tends to be careful and explain its thinking. If you want a one-word answer, ask for it.

  • Saying yes to everything

    Claude refuses some requests other tools would do. Mostly this is fine — sometimes it is over-cautious. Rephrase and try again.

  • Being right when it sounds confident

    Like all chatbots, Claude can make things up. This is called hallucination. Always check anything that matters.

Privacy & safety

What Anthropic sees

Everything you type and send. By default, Anthropic does not use your chats to train new models — this is different from some other tools. Check the latest privacy page for the current rules.

How to control your data

In the app or website, open Settings → Privacy (or similar). Look for options on data retention, chat history, and training. Turn off what you do not want.

Don't paste:

  • Passwords or PINs
  • Bank or card numbers
  • ID numbers (Aadhaar, PAN, passport)
  • Medical records, your own or anyone else’s
  • Other people's private messages or contact details

A simple rule: if you would not write it on a postcard, don't paste it into Claude.

Where to next

Back to AI Basics

The hub: pick another tool, or read the safety basics again.

Master Prompt Builder

Coming soon

A form-driven tool that writes clear, complete prompts for you. Coming in a later sprint.