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intermediateCertificateFree

Claude Code in Action

by Anthropic · Anthropic

1-2 hoursUpdated 2026-06

Our Verdict

Worth taking

"Claude Code in Action" is Anthropic's free, official course on using Claude Code, its agentic terminal-based coding assistant, to do real development work. In roughly one to two hours of video plus hands-on lessons, it moves from setup and adding project context through advanced topics like custom commands, hooks, MCP servers, GitHub integration, and the Claude Code SDK. As first-party training it reflects exactly how Anthropic intends the tool to be used, which makes it the most reliable way to learn Claude Code's real workflow. It is pitched at developers who already work in a terminal and want operational depth, not at complete beginners. Worth taking if you use or plan to use Claude Code, with the caveat that fast-moving tooling means specifics can age.

Free, official, and tightly focused: it is the most direct path to learning Claude Code's real workflow and advanced features straight from Anthropic, and the time cost is low.

Best for: Developers who already work comfortably in a terminal and want to use Claude Code productively, including its advanced features like custom commands, hooks, MCP servers, and the SDK.

Skip if: Complete programming beginners, non-developers, or anyone not using Claude Code specifically; the course assumes you are doing real coding work in a CLI environment.

About This Course

Anthropic's free, hands-on course on Claude Code, its agentic command-line coding assistant, covering setup, context management, custom commands, hooks, MCP servers, GitHub integration, and the Claude Code SDK.

What You'll Learn

What Claude Code is and how an agentic coding assistant reads files, runs commands, and edits code
How to set up Claude Code and add effective project context
How to control and manage the context window for better results
How to create custom commands to automate repeated workflows
How to connect MCP servers and integrate Claude Code with GitHub
How to define and implement hooks, including common gotchas and useful examples
How to use the Claude Code SDK to extend and automate the tool

Curriculum

What is Claude Code?

Introduction, what a coding assistant is, and Claude Code in action.

Getting Hands On

Claude Code setup, project setup, adding context, and making changes.

Advanced Topics

Controlling context, custom commands, MCP servers with Claude Code, and GitHub integration.

Hooks and SDK

Introducing, defining, and implementing hooks, hook gotchas, useful hooks, and the Claude Code SDK.

Conclusion

Quiz on Claude Code plus summary and next steps.

Prerequisites

  • Comfort with the command line and a normal coding workflow
  • Claude Code installed and configured (requires an Anthropic account/access)
  • Helpful to first understand the basics of Claude Code (e.g. via Claude Code 101)

Instructor

Anthropic

Instructor · Anthropic

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Free, official training that reflects exactly how Anthropic intends Claude Code to be used
  • Short (about 1-2 hours) but covers genuinely advanced features (hooks, MCP, SDK, GitHub)
  • Hands-on and workflow-oriented rather than purely conceptual
  • Logical place in Anthropic's Claude Code learning path after the 101 introduction

Cons

  • Assumes existing developer/CLI comfort; not suitable for beginners
  • Claude Code is evolving quickly, so some specifics may age between course updates
  • No public star rating or review count to independently gauge quality
  • Value is limited to people who actually use (or plan to use) Claude Code

Alternatives To Consider

How we reviewed this course

This is an independent editorial assessment by Cursarium, based on Anthropic's published course materials and aggregated public learner feedback (last reviewed 2026-06). We have not independently completed the course. Links to providers are standard references, not paid placements.