Fix 'command not found: claude' After Install
The Error
After running the Claude Code installer, you get one of these errors when trying to run claude:
zsh: command not found: claude
bash: claude: command not found
'claude' is not recognized as an internal or external command
claude : The term 'claude' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet
Quick Fix
The installer places the claude binary at ~/.local/bin/claude. Add that directory to your PATH:
# macOS (zsh)
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
# Linux (bash)
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
On Windows PowerShell:
$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', 'User')
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', "$currentPath;$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin", 'User')
Restart your terminal, then verify:
claude --version
What’s Happening
The Claude Code installer downloads the binary to ~/.local/bin/claude on macOS and Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin\claude.exe on Windows. Your shell searches for programs in directories listed in the PATH environment variable. If ~/.local/bin is not in your PATH, the shell cannot find the claude command even though the binary exists on disk.
This is the most common installation issue and affects all platforms equally. The installer adds a note about updating PATH, but if you close the terminal or miss the message, the next session will not find the binary.
Step-by-Step Fix
Step 1: Confirm the binary exists
Check that the installer actually placed the binary:
ls -la ~/.local/bin/claude
On Windows:
Test-Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\claude.exe"
If the file does not exist, the installation did not complete. Re-run the installer.
Step 2: Check your current PATH
See if ~/.local/bin is already in your PATH:
echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n' | grep local/bin
On Windows:
$env:PATH -split ';' | Select-String 'local\\bin'
If there is no output, the directory is missing from PATH.
Step 3: Add to PATH permanently
On macOS (default shell is zsh):
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
On Linux (default shell is bash):
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
On Windows PowerShell:
$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', 'User')
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', "$currentPath;$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin", 'User')
Restart your terminal after the Windows change.
Step 4: Check for conflicting installations
If you previously installed Claude Code via npm, you may have multiple binaries:
which -a claude
Check for an npm global installation:
npm -g ls @anthropic-ai/claude-code 2>/dev/null
If you find duplicates, remove the extra installations. The native install at ~/.local/bin/claude is recommended:
npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
On macOS, remove a Homebrew install if present:
brew uninstall --cask claude-code
Step 5: Verify the fix
claude --version
You should see the Claude Code version number.
Prevention
After any fresh install, verify immediately:
claude --version
If you use a shell configuration manager like oh-my-zsh or starship, ensure your PATH modifications load before other plugins that might reset PATH. Place the export PATH line near the top of your shell configuration file.
For teams, add the PATH requirement to your onboarding documentation. Alternatively, use Homebrew on macOS or WinGet on Windows, which handle PATH automatically:
# macOS/Linux
brew install --cask claude-code
# Windows
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode
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