Master Claude Code in 8-11 hours. Go deep on what matters to you with optional deep dives.
This is your structured entry point. Follow the modules in order, then jump into the full guide for depth.
| Module | Time | Focus | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01-Installation & Setup | 15 min | Get Claude Code running | ⭐ Beginner |
| 02-Core Loop | 45 min | How Claude Code actually works | ⭐ Beginner |
| 03-Memory & Config | 1 hour | CLAUDE.md and settings | ⭐⭐ Intermediate |
| 04-Agents & Specialization | 1.5 hours | Creating focused agents | ⭐⭐ Intermediate |
| 05-Skills & Automation | 1.5 hours | Reusable capabilities | ⭐⭐ Intermediate |
| 06-Hooks & Events | 1 hour | Triggering automation | ⭐⭐ Intermediate |
| 07-Advanced Patterns | 2-3 hours | Multi-agent orchestration | ⭐⭐⭐ Advanced |
Total: 8-11 hours base learning + optional deep dives.
Beginner (day 1 of Claude Code):
- Take the quick path: 01 → 02 → 03 (2 hours)
- Then jump to full guide
Part 1: Quick Start
Intermediate (using Claude Code 1-4 weeks):
- Take the full path: 01 → 07 (8-11 hours)
- Focus on modules 04, 05, 06, 07 for depth
Advanced (using Claude Code 1+ months):
- Skim 01-03, deep-dive 04-07
- Jump to guide Part 9: Advanced Patterns for orchestration
Track A: Master the Fundamentals (11 hours)
- Follow modules 01-07 in order
- Complete all exercises
- Take
/lesson-quiz [topic]after each module - Finish with
/self-assessment comprehensive
Track B: Skill-Focused Deep Dive (4-6 hours)
- Module 01-02 (basics)
- Skip to Module 04, 05, or 06 based on your goal
- Go deep on that one module
- Link to advanced patterns as needed
Track C: Team Adoption (5-7 hours)
- Module 01-02 (teach fundamentals)
- Module 03 (team configuration)
- Modules 04-07 (team workflows)
- Run
/self-assessmentacross team, identify gaps - Create follow-up training plan from gaps
Each module includes:
- 📖 Reading (10-30 min) — Concepts and mental models
- 🔨 Hands-on practice (20-45 min) — Real examples from
examples/ - 📝 Validation —
/lesson-quiz [topic]to verify understanding
After this path, you have options:
Option A: Deep Reference
→ Jump to relevant section in guide/ultimate-guide.md
Option B: Master a Domain
→ Read dedicated guides (e.g., guide/security/, guide/ops/)
Option C: Build with Plugins
→ Install a plugin bundle from examples/plugins/
Option D: Self-Assess
→ Run /self-assessment comprehensive to identify remaining gaps
Goal: Get Claude Code running and confirm it works
- Install for your platform (macOS/Linux/Windows)
- Run your first command
- Understand the prompt → output loop
- Exercise: Complete the "First 5 Minutes" workflow
Complexity: ⭐ (Beginner) Read: 01-installation.md Then: Part 1: Quick Start in main guide
Goal: Understand how Claude Code works at the system level
- The interaction loop (prompt → tool → decision → feedback)
- Context and sessions
- Plans and thinking modes
- Exercise: Use
/planto plan a real task, observe the flow
Complexity: ⭐ (Beginner) Read: 02-core-loop.md Then: Part 2: Core Concepts in main guide
Goal: Configure Claude Code for your workflow
- CLAUDE.md structure and hierarchy
- Settings precedence (global → project → session)
- Environment variables
- Exercise: Create your first CLAUDE.md, customize settings
Complexity: ⭐⭐ (Intermediate) Read: 03-memory.md Then: Part 3: Memory & Settings in main guide
Goal: Create focused agents for specific tasks
- When to use agents vs a single session
- Tool restriction and isolation
- Creating agents (AGENT.md format)
- Exercise: Build 2 agents (generalist + specialist), test them
Complexity: ⭐⭐ (Intermediate) Read: 04-agents.md Then: Part 4: Agents in main guide
Goal: Build reusable capabilities that trigger automatically
- Skill lifecycle and frontmatter
- Auto-invocation patterns
- Bundling scripts with skills
- Exercise: Create a skill that solves a repeated problem
Complexity: ⭐⭐ (Intermediate) Read: 05-skills.md Then: Part 5: Skills in main guide
Goal: Automate responses to system events
- Hook events and matching
- Pre-validation vs post-execution
- Writing safe hooks
- Exercise: Add 2 hooks (one pre, one post) to your config
Complexity: ⭐⭐ (Intermediate) Read: 06-hooks.md Then: Part 7: Hooks in main guide
Goal: Orchestrate multi-agent workflows
- Multi-agent teams and dependencies
- Orchestration patterns
- Error handling and recovery
- Exercise: Design a 3-agent workflow for a realistic scenario
Complexity: ⭐⭐⭐ (Advanced) Read: 07-advanced.md Then: Part 9: Advanced Patterns in main guide
Take /self-assessment comprehensive to:
- Measure where you stand
- Identify knowledge gaps
- Get a personalized next-step plan
Choose where to go next:
| Interest | Path |
|---|---|
| Security & Production | → guide/security/ (43KB) |
| DevOps & Operations | → guide/ops/ (113KB) |
| Architecture & Design | → guide/core/architecture.md (77KB) |
| Building with AI | → guide/roles/learning-with-ai.md (53KB) |
| Teams & Adoption | → guide/roles/adoption-approaches.md (15KB) |
Try one of the practice projects from /self-assessment results:
- Project 1: Your first automation workflow
- Project 2: Team configuration
- Project 3: Production-grade setup
For different goals:
- Just getting started: 2 hours (Modules 01-02 only)
- Daily usage: 6 hours (Modules 01-05)
- Team adoption: 8-11 hours (Modules 01-07)
- Deep mastery: 15-20 hours (Path + guide deep-dives)
- Specialization: 20-30+ hours (Path + domain expertise)
After this learning path, you'll:
✓ Navigate Claude Code without the docs ✓ Create custom agents and skills for your workflow ✓ Configure team-level settings and governance ✓ Build multi-agent orchestration ✓ Automate repetitive tasks with hooks ✓ Know where to go for deeper expertise
Q: Can I skip modules? A: Yes, but 01-03 are prerequisites. If you know basics, start at 04.
Q: How long does it really take? A: 8-11 hours for the full path. Budget extra time for exercises.
Q: Do I need prior Claude Code experience? A: No, start at Module 01. If you've used it before, skim 01-02.
Q: After this, what's the full guide?
A: guide/ultimate-guide.md (25K lines) is your reference. This path gets you to the point where you can read it effectively.
First time: → Module 01: Installation Already using Claude Code: → Assess your level, jump to relevant module Team adoption: → Module 03: Memory & Config
Or take the quick assessment: /self-assessment quick (5 minutes)