Setup Guide: Install Leopoldo on Claude Code (Step by Step)

This guide walks you through installing Leopoldo on Claude Code from scratch. No technical background required. Every step is explained.

What Is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic's official command-line tool for working with Claude. It runs in your terminal (the black window where developers type commands) and gives Claude access to your files and projects.

If you do not have Claude Code yet, install it first from docs.anthropic.com. You need a Claude Pro, Team, or Enterprise subscription.

What Is Leopoldo?

Leopoldo is an expertise system that makes Claude a specialist. Out of the box, Claude is a generalist. Leopoldo adds deep domain knowledge (finance, legal, consulting, development) plus an orchestrator that routes every request to the right expert automatically.

You choose a domain. You get the full system.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• Claude Code installed and working (type claude in your terminal to check)
• A project folder (any folder on your computer where you want to work)
• The Leopoldo ZIP file you received by email

That is everything you need.

Step 1: Download Your ZIP

After requesting access at leopoldo.ai, you receive an email with a download link. Click it to download the ZIP file. The link is valid for 7 days and allows up to 3 downloads.

The ZIP file name looks something like: leopoldo-investment-core-v1.0.0.zip

Save it anywhere. Your Desktop is fine.

Step 2: Extract to Your Project

Open the ZIP file and extract (unzip) its contents directly into your project folder. The result should look like this:

your-project/ - .claude/ (folder) - .leopoldo/ (folder) - skills/ (folder) - agents/ (folder) - CLAUDE.md (file)

The key thing: the .claude folder must be at the root of your project folder. Not inside a subfolder. Not somewhere else.

On macOS: Double-click the ZIP, then drag the extracted contents into your project folder.

On Windows: Right-click the ZIP, select "Extract All", then copy the extracted contents into your project folder.

On Linux: Run unzip leopoldo-*.zip -d /path/to/your-project in your terminal.

If your project already has a .claude folder, that is fine. The installer merges everything safely.

Step 3: Open Claude Code

Open your terminal and navigate to your project folder:

cd /path/to/your-project

Then start Claude Code:

claude

Step 4: Leopoldo Installs Automatically

On the first session, Leopoldo detects the extracted files and installs itself. This happens automatically. You will see the orchestrator set up hooks, create the manifest, and load your domain expertise.

This only happens once. On future sessions, everything is already in place and Leopoldo activates instantly.

Step 5: Verify It Works

Now try a simple test. Type something related to your domain:

• Finance domain: "Run a quick screening on Apple Inc"
• Legal domain: "Draft an NDA for a software consulting engagement"
• Consulting domain: "Size the European market for AI-powered legal tools"
• Full Stack domain: "Create a Next.js app with authentication"

If the orchestrator routes your request to a specialized agent and you get structured, professional output, everything is working.

Step 6: Learn the Key Commands

Leopoldo adds a management layer you can use anytime:

• /leopoldo status: Check what is installed and whether everything is healthy
• /leopoldo update: Check for and install available updates
• /leopoldo repair: Fix any missing or corrupted files
• /leopoldo add [domain]: Install an additional domain alongside your current one

Updates are always explicit. Leopoldo never connects to the internet unless you ask it to.

How It Works Behind the Scenes

When you start Claude Code in a project with Leopoldo installed, here is what happens:

1. Leopoldo detects the extracted files and runs the installer (first session only)
2. The orchestrator activates and reads your domain expertise
3. Your request is classified and routed to the right specialized agent
4. Quality gates verify the output before you see it
5. Hooks run automatically for session management and integrity checks

You do not need to think about any of this. Just talk to Claude normally.

Troubleshooting

Claude does not seem to know about Leopoldo. Make sure the .claude folder is at the root of the folder where you started Claude Code. Run ls -la in your terminal to check.

I see an error about missing files. Run /leopoldo repair to fix any corrupted or missing files.

I want to start fresh. Run /leopoldo uninstall to remove everything, then extract the ZIP again.

I have questions. Email hello@leopoldo.ai or book a call at cal.eu/leopoldo.ai/discovery-call.

Next Steps

You are ready. Start working with Claude in your domain. The orchestrator handles the rest: routing, quality checks, and session management.

Explore all domains at leopoldo.ai. Full Stack is free on GitHub. Specialized domains available on request at hello@leopoldo.ai.

Want to see these plugins in action? Browse the catalog.