Get set up: Claude, Node.js, GitHub and a host

In this course, you don’t write code. You tell Claude Code what you want, and it builds your site. Then it saves your site to GitHub and puts it on the internet. That’s how we build Astro Nursery itself.

First, four things to set up. None of them need code.

The checklist

	What	What it does	Cost
1	The Claude app, on a Pro plan	Builds and changes your site when you ask	$20 a month
2	Node.js	The engine Astro needs on your computer	Free
3	GitHub	Keeps a safe copy of your site	Free
4	A host: Spacefast or Cloudflare	Puts your site on the internet	Free plans

How it fits together

1. You + AIwrite the files
2. Your computerbuilds the site
3. GitHubkeeps a copy
4. Your hostputs it online
5. The worldsees your site

1. You and Claude write the files. You say what you want. Claude does the work and shows you every change.
2. Your computer builds the site. Claude runs Astro for you.
3. GitHub keeps a copy. Claude saves each version there.
4. Your host puts it online. Claude publishes it, and your site is live.

Step 1: Get a Claude plan

Go to claude.com/pricing and pick Pro, or a bigger plan if you’ll use Claude a lot. The free plan can chat, but it can’t build sites with Claude Code.

Step 2: Install the Claude app

1. Go to claude.com/download.
2. Click the download for your computer: macOS or Windows.
3. Open the file and install it like any app. Then sign in.

Claude Code lives in the app’s Code tab, at the top of the sidebar. You don’t need to install anything else to use it.

Step 3: Install Node.js

Claude needs Node.js on your computer to run Astro. It’s one installer.

1. Go to nodejs.org.
2. Click the big LTS download. LTS means “the steady version”.
3. Open the file and click Continue or Next until it’s done.

That’s it. You never have to open Node.js yourself. Claude uses it.

Step 4: Set up GitHub

GitHub keeps a copy of every version of your site. Your host can publish from it, and if anything ever goes wrong, nothing is lost.

1. Make a free account at github.com.
2. Install the GitHub command tool from cli.github.com. Click the download for your computer and install it.
3. Sign in once. Open Terminal on a Mac (press Command and Space, type Terminal, press Enter) or PowerShell on Windows. Type this and press Enter:

gh auth login

It asks four questions. Use the arrow keys and Enter to answer:

It asks	Pick
Where do you use GitHub?	GitHub.com
Your preferred protocol for Git?	HTTPS
Authenticate Git with your GitHub credentials?	Yes
How would you like to authenticate?	Login with a web browser

It shows a short code. Press Enter, and your browser opens GitHub. Type the code there and click Authorize. Back in the terminal, it says you’re logged in. You won’t need to do this again.

Step 5: Pick a host

A host keeps your site online. You only need one. Both of our picks have free plans:

• Spacefast is our pick for most sites. Claude publishes your site to it with one command. It’s made by the company behind WordPress.com.
• Cloudflare is our pick if you’ll use EmDash later, or expect lots of visitors. It’s what runs this site.

You’ll make the account in lesson 4. Our hosting guide compares them.

Do I need VS Code?

No. Claude shows you every change before it makes it, so you can see what’s happening without another app. If you’d like to open your files yourself, VS Code is free, and our Learn by hand course shows how.