Claude Setup Map
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Set Up Claude Once, Properly

The beginner's map: what to download, what to lock down, and how to make Claude build the rest itself.

Six steps  ·  about 45 minutes  ·  no technical skills needed
1

Download the kit ~20 min

Five installs, in this order.

Claude desktop appclaude.ai/download
File access + Cowork. Paid plan for most features.
Browser extensionclaude.ai/chrome
Forms, inbox triage, web tasks. Chrome, Edge, Arc, Brave.
Claude Codecode.claude.com/docs
The automation engine. One pasted command, no Node.js.
Pythonpython.org/downloads
Claude's local scripts run on it — most computers don't have it yet.
Git for Windowsgit-scm.com/download/win
Windows only — Claude Code expects it.
Friction points: tick "Add Python to PATH" during install · extension from the official Anthropic listing only · Claude Code installs with curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash (Mac) or irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex (Windows PowerShell).
2

Lock it down first ~10 min

Turn off model trainingSettings → Privacy → "Help improve Claude" → off (personal plans).
MFA everywhereClaude account + cloud storage. Password manager, no reuse.
Approve sites one at a timeExtension access per site. No blanket approvals.
Human on the send buttonEverything outbound stops at draft. You approve, every time.
Never delegate credentials or moneyNo passwords, cards or transfers — do those steps yourself.
Mind the folderSynced = cloud-hosted. No IDs, payroll or confidential files.
3

One folder, in the cloud ~5 min

Host it in OneDrive or Google Drive (Dropbox works too) so it syncs to your phone — the mobile app reads the same context anywhere.

CLAUDE COWORK/ ├── ONBOARDING/ the interview prompt — run first ├── ABOUT-ME/ who you are, how you write, what you'd never say ├── PROJECTS/ one folder per project: brief, references, drafts ├── TEMPLATES/ your best work, saved as reusable patterns ├── CLAUDE-OUTPUTS/ the only folder Claude writes to ├── SECURITY/ the checklist from step 2 └── SETUP-PROMPTS/ copy-paste automations + install guide
4

Get interviewed — don't fill in forms ~15 min

The trick that removes the most friction: Claude asks the questions, then builds your setup from your answers about who you are and what you want to achieve.

"I'm setting up Claude for the first time. Interview me before you build anything — ask what I do, what I want to achieve, which tasks eat my week, how I write, and what tools I use. Then generate my setup files and show me everything before saving."
5

Add plugins for your role ~5 min

Official Anthropic capability packs. Ask Claude to recommend and install them — or type /plugin in Claude Code.

small-businessproductivitymarketingsalesdatacustomer-support
6

Switch on the automations ongoing

Inbox & message triageReviews unreplied email and messages, drafts replies in your voice. → drafts only
Form fillingReads the form, pulls details from your folder, fills it in. → stops before submit
Document auto-filingDownloads, renames and files attachments by type and date. → propose first, move second
Template documents"Notes → client summary using my template." One sentence. → pattern from TEMPLATES/
Scheduled tasks7am morning brief, Friday wrap-up — runs without being asked. → outbound stays in draft
Setup by codeClaude installs its own plugins, then lists what it configured. → read the list
Context in files. Security first. Human on the send button.
Downloads → security → folder → interview → plugins → automations
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