How can I use my API key without signing in?

[crowdwave]

Or how can I use a separate user id/password to API key?

I have an API key and I have a user account but Claude Code seems to require them to be connected in some way.

I want to configure them independently.

[AlejandroEsquivel]

Bump

[theodormarcu]

+1 Think an API key login option this would be an interesting use case for CI

[bcherny]

Hey! When you log in, we'll generate an API key for you under the hood. It's still using API keys and will be billed to your Console account like other API requests.

[crowdwave]

When you log in, we'll generate an API key for you under the hood

Exactly what I don't want. I have an API key and account to Claude - I want to use that one.

[Stewart86]

+1, can we reopen this?

[wazzan-kahunas]

+1 I also have a key different than my console.anthropic.com account, how can I use it? @bcherny

[zkreutzjanz]

Hey! When you log in, we'll generate an API key for you under the hood. It's still using API keys and will be billed to your Console account like other API requests.

@bcherny look at how https://github.com/antinomyhq/forge handles this. Right now now way to mimic the preset auth state.

[c4ffein]

Hello, I wanted this feature too, as I want to run Claude Code (thanks for this btw, it is awesome) in virtual machines for which I don’t want full compromise of my Anthropic Console account to be possible (for example, a VM used for a coding dojo, accessed by multiple people).

The API key is the best solution for this, I don’t care about leaking a temporary rate-limited api key that I can delete just after the session.

Turns out that you can complete the setup with a burner account and replace the api key in the .claude.json file.

Also turns out that you can drop a very incomplete .claude.json file in your home directory that will bypass the setup, and as this tool is well made, the missing pieces will all get filled, you just need to replace the primaryApiKey.

Please keep in mind that it can break anytime soon, but for now it will let me secure my setups 👀

{
  "changelogLastFetched": 1000000000000,
  "primaryApiKey": "sk-ant-apiXX-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "isQualifiedForDataSharing": false,
  "hasCompletedOnboarding": true,
  "lastOnboardingVersion": "0.2.107",
  "maxSubscriptionNoticeCount": 0,
  "hasAvailableMaxSubscription": false,
  "lastReleaseNotesSeen": "0.2.107"
}

[johns10]

Also want. My organization only provided me with an API key and no console access

[bluepuma77]

Hi @bcherny, why did you close this issue? I don't think it's solved, similar to the many comments.

We would like to use the Anthropic console API key directly with Claude Code. We do not want to use the OAuth Login functionality, as the account owner could be another person in the organization. Why have API keys when we can't use them?

[nandatheguntupalli]

Exactly I have an API key from my org but I do not have console access. Is there anyway i can use this API key without having to login to my org's console?

[Jiripoz]

I'm in the same situation - only have an API key from my org without console access.

You can use claude code directly with just your API key:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-org-api-key"
claude config add allowedTools Edit Bash
claude -p "your prompt here"

hope this helps 🤙