Setting up the Basecamp CLI with Claude Code

This guide walks through installing the Basecamp CLI and connecting it to Claude Code on a Mac or Windows machine.

Before you start, you'll need an active Claude subscription. If you don't have one yet, sign up at claude.ai before continuing.

Install Claude Code

  1. Open Terminal. You can find it by searching "Terminal" in Spotlight (⌘ + Space).
  2. Go to Claude Code quickstart and copy the install command, or paste this directly into Terminal and hit Enter:
    curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
    This may take a few minutes to download and install.
  3. Once installation finishes, you may see a PATH setup command at the end of the output. If you do, copy the full line, paste it into Terminal, and hit Enter:
    echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc
  4. Start Claude Code by typing claude and hitting Enter.
  5. Follow the prompts to authorize your account. Claude will open a browser window — review the permissions and click Authorize.
  6. Back in Terminal, hit Enter to complete login.
  7. Once setup is confirmed, exit Claude Code by typing /exit and hitting Enter.

Install the Basecamp CLI

  1. Go to basecamp.com/agents and copy the Quick Start command, or paste this directly into Terminal and hit Enter:
    curl -fsSL https://basecamp.com/install-cli | bash
  2. A browser window will open asking you to authorize Basecamp access — click Yes, I'll allow access.
  3. Back in Terminal, follow the prompts to select your account, set project defaults, and install the agent skill.
  4. That's it — Claude Code and Basecamp are connected. Type claude in Terminal any time to start prompting.

Prefer to follow along with video? Watch the setup walkthrough on YouTube and the full examples playlist to see what's possible once you're up and running.

Install Claude

  1. Download the Claude desktop app at code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop-quickstart.
  2. Open the installer and follow the setup instructions.
  3. Claude should open on its own once installed. If not, open it manually.
  4. Click the Code tab at the top of the window.

Install the Basecamp CLI

  1. In Claude, enter this prompt:
    Install the Basecamp CLI using the quickstart instructions on basecamp.com/agents
  2. Claude will ask for permission to access certain paths — click Allow Once for each.
  3. When Claude asks if you want to log in to Basecamp, type: yes please login to my Basecamp account
  4. A Basecamp authentication window will open in your browser — click Yes, I'll allow access.
  5. If you have multiple Basecamp accounts, select your default account when prompted.

You're ready to go. Here's an example first prompt to try:

Create a new project called Basecamp Agent Use. Create a message on the message board that explains best practices for using an agent with Basecamp. Then create 15 todos of great prompts that put agents to good use in Basecamp. Assign them to me and schedule them across the next two days.