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Get your Anthropic API key

This is the regular key an app's connect box asks for. It starts with sk-ant-api. It stays on your device and the app talks to Anthropic directly with it, billed to your own account.

Heads up: this is your API account, not your Claude subscription. The API account lives at platform.claude.com and has its own balance, separate from a Claude Pro or Max plan. The key only works once that balance has credit, so add a few dollars under Billing if your account is new.

Steps

A

Sign in to the Claude Console

Go to platform.claude.com and sign in, creating the account if you don't have one. Older links to console.anthropic.com land in the same place.

B

Open the API keys page

Go straight to platform.claude.com/settings/keys, or open Organization settings, then API keys.

The Claude Console API keys page with the sidebar entry and the Create key button marked
1  API keys in the sidebar.  2  Create key, top right.
C

Click Create key

If Anthropic first offers identity federation, choose Continue with an API key. Federation is for cloud servers, not for plugging an app into your account.

Anthropic's identity federation prompt with the Continue with an API key link marked
The screen some accounts see first. Pick the plain option.
D

Fill in the dialog

Name it after the app you're connecting. Set Expires to Never: the default is 30 days, and an expiring key takes the app down with it. Leave Linked account and Scope as they are, then click Create key.

The Create API key dialog with the Name field, Expires menu and Create key button marked
1  Name  ·  2  Expires  ·  3  Create key
The Expires menu open with Never marked
Never is the last option in the Expires menu.
E

Copy the key and paste it into the app

Copy the sk-ant-api... key right away. It is shown only once. If you lose it, delete it there and make a new one. Paste it into the app's connect box. To cut the app off later, delete that key on the same page.

If a key starts with sk-ant-admin, stop. That is an admin key. It controls your whole organization and no app should ever see it. Apps take sk-ant-api keys; the admin key is only for connecting your account to Outlet.

Learn more

Anthropic's official pages: Get started with Claude and API key best practices.