Claude Code in action
Anthropic
Last updated October 13, 2026
Claude Code in action is a free, short course from Anthropic for developers who use Claude Code for one-off prompts and are ready to give it longer work with less oversight. It is a next step after the basics, not a first introduction. The first part is about keeping long sessions on course: scoping the work in plan mode, telling Claude what to keep when it compacts a long session into a summary, backing up with the rewind menu, and deciding when to steer by hand and when to let goal and loop runs proceed on their own. Next comes configuration: a short CLAUDE.md that Claude follows, skills that package procedures you repeat, a permission mode matched to each task, and hooks for rules that must never be skipped. The automation lessons cover routines that run prompts on a schedule on Anthropic's infrastructure, headless mode for running Claude inside your own pipeline, and Claude's role in pull requests through the GitHub action and managed code review. The course ends on checking unattended runs more closely the less you watched them, using hooks to tie each turn to real test results, and turning a setup you trust into a plugin your team can install. It runs about an hour across nine lessons and ends with a quiz that earns a completion badge.
What you'll learn
- Keeping long sessions on course with plan mode, compaction, and the rewind menu
- Deciding when to steer by hand and when to use autonomous goal and loop runs
- Writing a lean CLAUDE.md, packaging repeated procedures as skills, and matching a permission mode to each task
- Enforcing must-follow rules with hooks
- Scheduling routines, running headless, and bringing Claude into pull requests with the GitHub action and managed code review
- Checking unattended runs and tying each turn to real test results
- Turning a trusted setup into a plugin your team can install
Frequently asked questions about Claude Code in action
Who is Claude Code in action for?
Developers comfortable using Claude Code for single prompts who want to hand it longer, less supervised work and share their setup across a team.
Is Claude Code in action free?
Yes — Claude Code in action is free to take. Following along needs your own access to Claude Code, which the course assumes you already use.
What are the prerequisites for Claude Code in action?
You should already be using Claude Code for single prompts, and have basic familiarity with Git and the command line.
Do you need to code for Claude Code in action?
Yes — Claude Code in action involves hands-on coding.
Why we suggest this course
Worth taking once single prompts in Claude Code are routine for you and you want to trust it with longer work you do not watch. The course gives as much weight to checking results as to automating them: it covers using hooks to tie each turn to real test results, and matching how closely you review a run to how much of it you saw. It also moves from individual use to team use, ending with a setup your whole team can install as a plugin. One thing to know: it assumes you already use Claude Code and have basic familiarity with Git and the command line, so it does not cover installation or first steps.