"The docs index is the first thing I send new team members. One page, every reference they need, sorted by difficulty. Onboarding time dropped noticeably after we started using it."— Viola S. AabergDeveloper · Trellion Laboratories · Copenhagen
Claude AI Docs — Reference Library
A curated index of every reference page on this hub, organised by topic and difficulty. Find the right starting point without reading everything first.
From the field
This library is an independent editorial reference, not Anthropic's official documentation. Every page links to the relevant official source for anything that requires vendor-authoritative confirmation — pricing, rate limits, legal terms. Use this for orientation; use the vendor's docs for final decisions.
How this reference library is organised
The claude ai docs on this hub cover five topic areas: installation and setup, models and API, skills and extensions, pricing and plans, and international resources. Each area has beginner, intermediate, and advanced entries depending on what you already know. The table below is the fastest way to find the right page — scan the topic and difficulty columns, follow the link, and you are reading in under a minute.
A note on how to use this alongside official documentation. This reference hub is best used for the orientation tasks that official docs handle less well: understanding the trade-offs between options, choosing the right starting point, and finding the flag names that matter for your specific setup. Once you have orientation, the vendor's documentation is the right place for authoritative product details. Both are useful; neither is a substitute for the other.
Installation and setup
The installation section is the mandatory starting point for any developer new to Claude Code. The core install walkthrough covers all three major operating systems in one page, with explicit commands for each platform and environment variable guidance. If you have already installed the CLI and are looking for configuration options, the cli-setup page covers CLAUDE.md, project-level settings, and the shell environment variables the CLI reads at startup.
Windows users sometimes encounter path or shell-profile issues that the standard install path does not cover — the dedicated Windows page addresses those with platform-specific troubleshooting. Desktop client users should also check the desktop and download reference pages, which cover the GUI-based install path and version management.
Models and API
The models section covers everything from the high-level tier comparison to deep-dive notes on individual models. Start with the models overview for the side-by-side table; move to the Claude Opus page if you are evaluating the top tier for a specific workload; read the API reference when you are ready to integrate programmatically. The pricing page sits in this section too — token economics are a model-selection input, not just a billing concern.
The Anthropic Claude page provides brand and naming context that is useful when you are documenting technology choices for a client or writing a procurement document. It covers the model family history and the naming convention in plain language.
Reference library index
| Topic | Entry page | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Install Claude Code (all platforms) | install-claude-code | Beginner |
| Claude Code overview | claude-code | Beginner |
| Models side-by-side | claude-models-overview | Beginner |
| Free tier limits | claude-ai-free | Beginner |
| Claude API (HTTP reference) | claude-api | Intermediate |
| API pricing and caching | api-pricing | Intermediate |
| Claude Code skills | claude-code-skills | Intermediate |
| Claude Opus deep dive | claude-opus | Intermediate |
| Claude Code architecture | claude-code-source | Advanced |
| Team and enterprise setup | claude-code-for-teams | Advanced |
Skills and extensions
The skills section covers Claude Code's primary extension mechanism. The skills overview page explains the format and how to write a skill from scratch. For the architecture behind the extension system — including the MCP plugin layer — the source notes page provides the structural context. Teams deploying shared skill libraries will also want the teams configuration reference, which covers how to version-control and distribute skills across a squad.
The tutorials index organises skill-writing content by level — beginner through advanced — and is the recommended entry point for developers who learn better from structured walkthroughs than reference documentation. For research context on extension mechanisms in AI developer tools, the Stanford HAI institute maintains a catalogue of relevant published work on AI-augmented development workflows.
International resources
The reference hub includes pages for developers who searched in languages other than English. The claude ia page serves Spanish and French speakers — "IA" is "AI" in both languages. The claude code 使用教程 page is the bilingual Chinese-English entry point for developers searching in Chinese. Both pages are written in English with orientation sections in the relevant language, and both link to the full English reference library for detailed documentation.
Frequently asked questions about the Claude AI docs library
What does this Claude AI docs reference library cover?
This independent curated index covers installation, model comparisons, API integration, skills, pricing, and international resources. Each entry links to a detailed reference page and is labelled with a difficulty level so you can identify the right starting point quickly.
Where should a beginner start with Claude AI docs?
Start with the install claude code walkthrough to get the CLI running. Then read the claude code overview to understand daily usage. The claude models overview is the natural third stop — it answers the model selection question that arises in the first real session.
Is this the official Claude AI documentation?
No. This is an independent editorial reference hub, not Anthropic's official documentation. For official product documentation, pricing terms, and legal information, consult Anthropic's own published materials. This hub is best used for orientation alongside the vendor's authoritative docs.
How is the docs library organised?
By topic area — installation, models and API, skills and extensions, pricing, and international resources — with a difficulty rating for each entry. The table on this page lets you scan topic and level to find the right page without reading every reference sequentially.
Are there docs for non-English speakers?
Yes. The claude ia page serves Spanish and French speakers; the claude code 使用教程 page is the bilingual Chinese-English entry point. Both include orientation in the relevant language and link to the full English reference library for detailed content.
Related topics
The install claude code walkthrough is the entry point for all new users. From there, the claude code overview explains the day-to-day workflow, and the claude models overview covers the model selection decision. For API integration, the claude api and api pricing pages together give the complete picture. The claude code skills reference covers the extension system once the basics are in place.
International readers should note the dedicated entry points: claude ia for Spanish and French, and claude code 使用教程 for Chinese-language orientation. For brand context, the anthropic claude page covers the company and model family relationship. The claude ai free page is worth checking early — it clarifies whether the free tier meets your evaluation needs before you commit to a paid plan or API spend.
New to Claude Code?
The install guide is the right first page — it covers all platforms in one walkthrough with explicit commands.
Open the install guide