Claude Code: Build Your First AI Agent

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through building your first AI agent using Claude Code and Visual Studio Code (VS Code). You don't need programming experience to create an agent that can research, plan, and deliver results autonomously. By the end of this tutorial, you will understand how to set up your environment, create a CLAUDE.md file, and build a functional research agent.

Step 1: Understand Agentic Workflows

• An agentic workflow allows AI to work towards a goal by determining the necessary steps autonomously.
• The three levels of working with AI are:
  • Chat: Interacting with AI in a conversational manner.
  • Building: Developing applications or scripts.
  • Agentic: Creating workflows where AI takes initiative.

Step 2: Set Up Visual Studio Code with Claude Code

• Download and install Visual Studio Code from here.
• Open VS Code and install the Claude Code extension by following these steps:
  • Go to the Extensions view by clicking on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar.
  • Search for "Claude Code" and click Install.

Step 3: Orientation of VS Code

• Familiarize yourself with the layout of VS Code:
  • Explorer: For file management.
  • Editor: Where you write code or text.
  • Terminal: For running commands and scripts.

Step 4: Create Your CLAUDE.md File

• Create a new file in your project and name it CLAUDE.md.
• This file is crucial for detailing the goals and steps for your AI agent.
• Structure your CLAUDE.md file as follows:
  • Title: The name of your agent.
  • Purpose: A brief description of what your agent will accomplish.
  • Steps: List of actions your agent will take to complete its goal.

Step 5: Use CLAUDE.md for Project Management

• Compare using CLAUDE.md versus not using it:
  • With CLAUDE.md, you maintain organization and clarity in your project.
  • Without it, projects may become chaotic and hard to manage.

Step 6: Implement Automatic Memory in Claude Code

• Automatic memory allows your AI to remember previous interactions and results, improving its ability to refine processes.
• To enable automatic memory:
  • Specify memory settings in your CLAUDE.md file.
  • Use the following example code snippet:

    # Memory Settings
    - Enable automatic memory: true
    

Step 7: Build Your First Agent Using Plan Mode

• In your CLAUDE.md, define the plan mode:
  • Outline the goals and the steps your agent should take.
• Example structure:

  # Plan Mode
  - Goal: Conduct research on a specified topic.
  - Steps:
    1. Identify key sources.
    2. Collect data.
    3. Analyze findings.
  

Step 8: Run the Research Workflow

• Execute your research workflow live:
  • Open the terminal in VS Code.
  • Use the command to run your agent script.
  • Monitor the output to see how your agent processes the information.

Step 9: Iterate and Refine Results

• After running your workflow, analyze the results:
  • Identify areas for improvement.
  • Update your CLAUDE.md file with new steps or adjustments based on findings.

Step 10: Avoid Common Mistakes and Implement Pro Tips

• Five common mistakes to avoid:

  • Not clearly defining the agent’s goals.
  • Skipping the CLAUDE.md setup.
  • Ignoring the importance of automatic memory.
  • Failing to test the agent thoroughly.
  • Overcomplicating the workflow.

• Pro tips:

  • Keep your CLAUDE.md file updated.
  • Regularly test and refine your agent's performance.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to set up Claude Code within VS Code, create a CLAUDE.md file, and build a basic AI research agent. By following these steps, you can harness the power of agentic workflows without needing to code. For your next steps, consider exploring more complex agent behaviors or integrating additional functionalities into your current agent. Happy coding!