Claude Code in 2026: from the terminal to the IDE, how we use it at our agency

If you follow software development even casually, you've heard about AI tools that write code. The question our clients ask is no longer whether they work, but how to use them properly on projects that then go to production. In this article we tell you about Claude Code, Anthropic's agentic coding tool, and how we've integrated it into the way we work at our agency.

What Claude Code is and where you can use it

Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool: instead of suggesting the next line while you type, it receives a task, explores the project, edits the files and verifies the result. The key word is agentic: it works toward goals, not completions.

In 2026 you'll find it in four forms:

• CLI in the terminal, the original form, the one we use most;
• desktop app for Mac and Windows;
• web app at claude.ai/code, handy when you're not on your own machine;
• IDE extensions for VS Code and JetBrains, for those who want to stay in the editor.

The substance is the same everywhere: you describe what you want to achieve and the tool works on the project's code. The choice of form depends on the developer's habits, not on capabilities.

How we use it at the agency

In the projects we run, Claude Code has settled into three types of activity, in order of frequency.

Repetitive, well-defined tasks. Migrating a series of components to the same pattern, updating calls to a library that changed its interface, adding error handling where it's missing. These are jobs a developer can do blindfolded but that eat up hours: this is where the tool performs best, because the correctness criteria are clear and verifiable.

Tests and coverage. Writing tests for existing code is the work teams have always postponed. Having the tests generated and then reviewing them case by case is much faster than writing them from scratch, and human review remains the quality filter.

Exploring someone else's code. When we inherit a project written by others, using the tool to map the structure, find where a feature lives and reconstruct the dependencies shortens the study phase considerably.

Two rules we've set for ourselves and recommend to everyone: every change goes through human review before landing on the main branch, and tasks are assigned small and verifiable, because a vague task produces vague code.

Fast mode: when you need speed

A feature we use often is fast mode, activated with the /fast command. The interesting part is how it works: it uses Claude Opus with faster output, and it's available on Opus 4.8, 4.7 and 4.6. Most importantly, it doesn't downgrade the request to a smaller model: the extra speed isn't paid for with lower-quality answers.

For us it makes the difference in short cycles: when you're iterating on a change and every round of fixes means a wait, output speed changes the rhythm of the work session. On long, complex tasks, on the other hand, generation time matters less than review time, so the mode matters little.

The limits: where the developer is still needed

It would be convenient to tell you the tool does everything on its own, but that's not our experience, and whoever tells you otherwise is selling you something.

• Architecture decisions stay human. An agentic tool executes well inside a structure someone has decided; if the structure is wrong, it executes it with the same efficiency.
• Security must always be checked. Generated code should be read with the same eyes you'd use for a new colleague's code: input handling, permissions, sensitive data.
• Responsibility can't be delegated. If a client's management system loses an order, the client doesn't care who wrote that line. That's why human review is non-negotiable for us.

That said, the balance is clear: with the same team, we now deliver the repetitive parts faster and spend more hours on the parts where the value comes from thinking, that is, understanding the client's problem and designing the right solution.

Want software built with this approach?

We build custom software for companies with specific processes to automate: management systems, integrations, internal panels. Tools like Claude Code let us dedicate the project budget to the parts that matter to you, instead of to mechanical activities. If you have a project in mind and want to understand timelines and costs, book a free call: the first analysis costs you nothing.