What to Know

• Claude is an AI-driven chatbot. Send it text, images, or files, and it will respond to your questions in seconds.
• You can use the chatbot on the web and with desktop and mobile apps.
• Claude AI is free to use with some restrictions. Paid plans are available that unlock more features.

This article explains how to get started with the Claude AI chatbot.

How to Use Claude AI

Claude can help you brainstorm, rephrase text, generate stories, write and run code, translate languages, analyze images, and more. Below, we'll look at how to use the web version of this conversational chatbot to answer questions about a file.

1. Visit Claude.ai and enter your email address to log in.

2. Select theattachment iconbelow the text box to locate a file to attach to the chat.

   Lots of files are supported, including PDF, DOCX, EPUB, HTML, JS, and PY files.

3. Use the text box to send your command, and then press thearrowto submit it.

   

4. After a few seconds (or longer, depending on your request), Claude will return an answer. If you're not satisfied with the answer or want more information, use the text box at the bottom of the screen to write something else.
   

   

5. Conversations with Claude are separated into chats. Opening new chats for each new topic isn't required, but it helps keep the chatbot on task and your conversations organized. SelectStart new chaton the left to begin a new thread.

   

   This side menu is how you access recent chats. To place a conversation in the Starred section, click the star at the top of a chat.

Where Can I Use Claude AI?

Claude AI runs on desktop and mobile devices from several different countries. You can download the app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad, or visit the website at Claude.ai. You can also download a desktop app for Windows and macOS that makes it easy to summon Claude with a keyboard shortcut. Claude is also accessible through an API and a Slack app.

What Is Claude AI?

Anthropic, the company behind this family of LLMs, describes Claude as a next-generation AI assistant built to be helpful, honest, and harmless. It can handle conversations and tasks related to writing, research, coding, and math through context-aware responses.

Claude is not a web search engine like Google. It can't access real-time information like the current weather or the latest news. This limitation is due to its cutoff date (the end date of its training data). It's also unable to read URLs or videos. It can, however, summarize and answer questions about the text you provide, like a recent article or a video transcript.

The first Claude model launched in early 2023. It's still in development, with each new version focusing on improvements, whether it's to better understand context, minimize errors, or improve how it engages in conversations. For example, Claude 2.1 is less likely to produce false statements compared to earlier models. The Claude 3 family, launched in 2024, includes several versions designed for speed and intelligence.

The basic version of Claude is free but limits how many messages you can send. You can upgrade to the Pro plan for up to five times more usage, priority bandwidth, projects (for organizing chats), and access to the latest models and features. It also has Team and Enterprise plans.