How to Start Using Claude: 5 Free Steps for Beginners

If you have only used ChatGPT, Claude can feel like a blank page at first. The screen looks similar, but once you know about the setting where you describe your work in advance and artifacts, which open results in a separate panel, it gets much easier. This post is the step-by-step version of the Sol AI card news "New to Claude? Start with these 5 steps."

Step 1: Sign up for free

Go to claude.ai and create an account. According to the pricing page, the Free plan is $0, and chat on web, desktop and mobile plus creating artifacts are listed in the free plan. Free usage limits can change, so check the pricing page.

Step 2: Add one line about your work in settings

You don't need to explain "I work in marketing…" every time.

1. Click your initials at the bottom left.
2. Choose Settings → Your Claude (called "Account" on older screens).
3. Write in the Instructions field (called "Instructions for Claude" on older screens).

The Help Center suggests writing down your preferred tone, terms you use often, situations you deal with often and how you like to communicate. What you write here applies to every conversation.

I handle marketing at a 5-person company. Give me a 3-line summary first, then details. Use a table when it fits.

Step 3: Upload a file and just ask

Click the + button at the bottom left of the chat box and choose Add files or photos, or drag a file into the chat. According to the Help Center, you can upload documents such as PDF, DOCX, CSV and TXT and images such as JPEG and PNG, up to 20 files per chat and 500 MB per file.

Step 4: "Make it a table": get it as an artifact

Longer results worth reusing, such as documents, tables and simple web pages, open in a separate artifact panel next to the chat. According to the Help Center, the free plan can also create artifacts in chat. Code execution and file creation must be turned on in Settings → Capabilities.

Step 5: Refine it with one sentence

If the result isn't quite right, don't start over. Just say what to change, such as "make it shorter" or "add an owner column to the table." For documents and Markdown files, you can also select the part you want to change and click Edit with Claude to edit only that part.

3 questions to try first

Summarize the key points of this PDF in 5 lines

Look at this table and find 3 things that stand out this month

Turn the above into a table I can share with my team

• Check your company's policy before uploading files with confidential or personal information
• Compare numbers and dates with the original once more

References

• Claude pricing: https://claude.com/pricing
• Claude Help Center, Understanding Claude's personalization features: https://support.claude.com/ko/articles/10185728
• Claude Help Center, Uploading files to Claude: https://support.claude.com/ko/articles/8241126
• Claude Help Center, What are artifacts and how do I use them?: https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9487310-what-are-artifacts-and-how-do-i-use-them

We post AI tips like this every week on Sol AI's Instagram, @sol_ai_kr.

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