Web Sessions: Cloud Development from Your Browser
Not everyone has a powerful local machine or wants to set up a full development environment. Claude Code web sessions run in your browser—connect a GitHub repo, edit and test in the cloud, and create PRs without ever cloning locally.
This guide covers starting a web session, connecting repos, moving between web and CLI with --teleport, and coordinating work across devices. For the local-first alternative with a native terminal and git panel, see the desktop app; once your PRs are created, automate the review cycle with GitHub Actions and Claude Code.
Starting a Web Session
Open https://claude.com/code in your browser and click '+ New Session'. Choose 'Cloud Repository' and authenticate with GitHub. Select the repo you want to work on, and Claude Code opens the repo in your browser with a file tree, editor, and chat panel.
No installation, no local cloning, no setup—your code is ready to edit in 10 seconds. The session runs in a cloud container with your project indexed and ready.
Quick reference
- Navigate to https://claude.com/code and sign in with your Anthropic account
- Click '+ New Session' and select 'Cloud Repository'
- Authenticate with GitHub (one-time) and select the repo
- Editor opens with your code indexed—all features (search, chat, diffs) work immediately
- Session persists: close the browser, come back later, and your session is still there
Remember this
Cloud sessions eliminate setup—your code is ready in your browser instantly.
GitHub Repo Connection and Authentication
The first time you start a web session, Claude Code asks permission to read your GitHub repos. Grant permission, select the repo, and Claude Code clones and indexes it on a cloud server.
You stay authenticated across sessions—switching browsers or coming back next week, Claude Code remembers your repos and re-opens them instantly.
Quick reference
- GitHub OAuth: grant permission once, Claude Code remembers it
- Public repos: accessible immediately (no special permissions needed)
- Private repos: Claude Code authenticates as your GitHub account for full access
- Repo list: shows your recent repos + search to find any repo you own or collaborate on
- Permissions: Claude Code respects your GitHub access—if you can't access a repo on GitHub, you can't access it in Claude Code
Remember this
GitHub integration means no manual authentication—one OAuth handshake, then seamless access.
Cloud Editing and Testing Workflow
Edit files in the cloud editor exactly like the desktop app: select code, ask Claude Code to refactor it, review inline diffs, and accept. The cloud session runs your project's test suite, dev server, and build commands in a Linux container.
Ask 'Run the tests' and they execute in the cloud. If you need to see output or interact with the terminal, a terminal pane opens in your browser.
Quick reference
- Editor: full VS Code-like experience in the browser with syntax highlighting
- Terminal: click to open a bash shell in your project directory
- Tests: run npm test, python -m pytest, or your test runner—output streams to Claude Code
- Dev server: ask Claude Code to start the dev server; it runs in the cloud and outputs a public URL
- Build: run make, cargo, go build, or any build command from the cloud terminal
Remember this
Cloud execution means you don't need local Node, Python, or Go—everything runs on our servers.
Moving Between Web and CLI with --teleport
Start a web session, make changes, then want to switch to your local machine? Use the --teleport flag with the Claude Code CLI to resume the same session locally.
From the web, copy your session ID (visible in the URL), then run: claude-code --teleport <session-id> --path /path/to/local/repo. Claude Code connects to the web session, syncs changes from the cloud to your local machine, and continues the session locally.
Quick reference
- Web session URL: https://claude.com/code/sessions/<session-id>
- Copy session ID and run:
claude-code --teleport <session-id> --path ~/my-project - Teleport syncs: cloud changes come down to your local machine; local changes go up to the cloud
- Bidirectional: switch web → CLI → web → CLI as needed; changes sync in both directions
- Same chat history: switching preserves your conversation—no losing context
Remember this
--teleport flag means seamless movement between browser and local machine—one session, multiple devices.
Creating Pull Requests from the Web
After making changes in a web session, click the Git panel and stage your changes. Ask Claude Code 'Create a pull request' and it prompts you for a PR title and description. Claude Code creates the PR on GitHub, posting a link in the chat so you can review and share it.
The PR creation workflow is seamless: you never leave the browser, never run git push from your local machine, and your CI/CD pipeline starts immediately on GitHub. This is especially valuable when working from mobile or unreliable internet—the cloud infrastructure handles all the heavy lifting.
Quick reference
- Git panel: visible changes to all files; stage with the + icon
- Commit: type a message or ask Claude Code to generate one from the diff
- Create PR: click 'Create PR' button or ask Claude Code to create one
- PR workflow: title + description (auto-generated or custom), branch name, target branch
- No checkout/push needed: Claude Code handles all Git operations in the cloud
Remember this
PR creation from the web means code review can happen without CI/CD waiting on your local machine.
Real Scenario: Bug Fix from a Remote Cafe
A critical bug is reported on production. You're at a cafe with only your laptop and spotty WiFi. No time to clone the repo locally or wait for CI.
Step 1: Start web session. Open Claude.com/code, select the repo, and Claude Code opens your code in the browser in 10 seconds.
Step 2: Locate the bug. Use search (Cmd+Shift+F) to find the bug, ask Claude Code 'What's wrong with this?', and it diagnoses the issue.
Step 3: Fix. Ask Claude Code to fix it, review the inline diff, and accept. Run tests in the browser—they execute in the cloud, no local setup needed.
Step 4: PR and notification. Ask Claude Code to create a PR, click the link to review on GitHub, and notify your team on Slack. The fix is deployed from GitHub Actions, not your laptop.
Quick reference
- Web session starts instantly—no waiting for local setup or npm install
- Search across entire codebase: Cmd+Shift+F works even with spotty WiFi (cloud-powered)
- Testing: runs in the cloud, so slow WiFi doesn't affect test speed
- PR creation: fully in the cloud, no git push from your laptop
- Deployment: GitHub Actions and CI run from GitHub, independent of your machine
Remember this
Remote bug fixes that took hours (setup + test + deploy) now take 20 minutes from anywhere.
Cloud Resources and Performance
Web sessions run on shared cloud infrastructure with generous limits: up to 4 cores, 8GB RAM, and 50GB storage per session. For most projects (web apps, CLI tools, small services), this is plenty. For large codebases (monorepos, ML projects), you may hit limits—in that case, use the desktop app or CLI locally.
Cloud sessions automatically scale: if you start 5 web sessions simultaneously, each gets its own container.
Quick reference
- Resource limit: 4 cores, 8GB RAM, 50GB storage per session
- Large codebase: clone locally or use desktop app for faster indexing
- Idle timeout: sessions expire after 24 hours of inactivity (saved in browser history)
- Multiple sessions: you can run 10+ sessions in parallel—each gets isolated resources
- Performance: node, python, go, and rust programs run nearly as fast as on your laptop
Remember this
Cloud resources are sufficient for most projects; use local setup only for massive monorepos.
Troubleshooting Web Sessions
Most web session issues are network-related. If the editor is slow, it's usually your WiFi latency, not our servers. Open the browser console (F12) to check network errors.
Common issues: repo too large (indexing takes 30 seconds), GitHub auth expired (re-authenticate), or container storage full (delete old sessions to free space).
Quick reference
- Slow editor: check your network latency (ping claude.com in a terminal)
- GitHub auth failed: click 'Re-authenticate' in the session and grant permissions again
- Session won't start: clear browser cache (Cmd+Shift+Delete) and try again
- Repo indexing slow: wait up to 1 minute for large repos; don't refresh the browser
- Terminal not responding: close terminal pane and reopen it
Remember this
Network quality matters for web sessions; a fast internet connection makes a huge difference.
Key takeaway
Web sessions are the fastest way to start coding if you're on the go or don't have a powerful local machine. No setup, no cloning, no waiting—your code is ready in your browser in 10 seconds.
Quick practice: Open https://claude.com/code, start a web session on a small GitHub repo (even a personal one), and make a quick edit. Accept the diff and create a PR. You'll see how fast cloud development can be.
Then try --teleport to resume the same session on your laptop. You'll appreciate how seamlessly you can move between browser and local machine, keeping the same chat history and session state.
Polo Khan
Lead Author & Systems ArchitectSoftware engineer and distributed systems architect specializing in backend scalability, cloud-native infrastructure, databases, and AI engineering workflows. Author and maintainer of Core Concept Learning.
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