Go to the official Autodesk website
Create or sign in to your Autodesk account
Check the Autodesk Education plan if you are a student or educator
Select AutoCAD from the available products
Choose the free trial option if you want temporary access
Download the installer from the Autodesk download page
Run the installer and follow the setup prompts
Activate AutoCAD using your Autodesk account
Verify your eligibility if using the education license
Avoid unofficial download sites and cracked versions