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Your First 5 Minutes

Beginner

No setup, no jargon. In five minutes you'll get one genuinely useful result and understand why it worked.

:::tip Add a screenshot here This page is the beginner floor — it deserves annotated screenshots or a short GIF. If you can contribute visuals, please open a PR. :::

Minute 1 — Open Claude​

Go to claude.ai and sign in (the free tier is enough to start). You can also use Claude on the mobile app or by voice — see Which Claude Should I Use? for the full map.

Minute 2 — Don't "search". Ask like you'd ask a sharp colleague​

The single biggest beginner upgrade: give context and say what you want. Compare:

❌ "marketing email"

✅ "Write a friendly 120-word email inviting existing customers to a webinar on June 30 about our new analytics dashboard. Warm but not salesy. End with a clear RSVP call to action."

The second prompt names the goal, length, audience, tone, and what 'done' looks like. That's 80% of prompting, and it works on every AI. (More in Prompting Basics.)

Minute 3 — Read, then refine​

You don't have to get it perfect first try. Just reply in plain language:

  • "Make it shorter and more casual."
  • "Add a sentence about the free Q&A at the end."
  • "Give me 3 subject-line options."

This back-and-forth — iterative refinement — beats agonising over one perfect prompt.

Minute 4 — Try a second, different task​

Prove to yourself it's general-purpose. Pick one:

  • "Summarise this article in 5 bullet points: [paste text]."
  • "Explain compound interest to me like I'm 12, with one example."
  • "I have chicken, rice, and spinach. Give me a 20-minute dinner."

Minute 5 — Learn the one safety habit​

:::warning Verify before you trust AI can sound confident and still be wrong — especially about facts, numbers, dates, quotes, and citations. For anything that matters, check it. This isn't a flaw you can prompt away; it's how the tool works. See Hallucinations & How to Reduce Them. :::

You're off the ground 🎉​

Where to next: