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Connect Claude Code / Cline / Cursor to ClaudeAPI.com in (Copy-Paste JSON Templates Included)

Step-by-step guide to connecting Claude Code, Cline, and Cursor to ClaudeAPI.com. Includes ready-to-use JSON config templates for Windows, Mac, and Linux — so you never have to guess where the settings live.

ToolsClaude APIJsonEst. read
2026.04.23 published
Connect Claude Code / Cline / Cursor to ClaudeAPI.com in (Copy-Paste JSON Templates Included)

The most common setup question is not “Which model should I use?” It is usually one of these:

  • How do I configure Claude Code in VS Code?
  • Which Base URL should I enter in Cline?
  • Which provider should I select in Cursor?

This guide gives you copy-paste templates for Claude Code CLI, the Claude Code VS Code extension, Cline, and Cursor using ClaudeAPI.com.

The key rule is simple:

Anthropic-compatible tools -> https://gw.claudeapi.com
OpenAI-compatible tools    -> https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Anthropic-compatible tools -> https://gw.claudeapi.com
OpenAI-compatible tools    -> https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Use the wrong one and you will usually get 401, 404, model errors, or connection timeouts.

Get your API key first

Log in to the ClaudeAPI dashboard and create or copy an API key.

You need:

  • API key: the key shown in your ClaudeAPI account
  • Anthropic-compatible Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com
  • OpenAI-compatible Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Do not mix provider keys. A ClaudeAPI key, an Anthropic official key, and an OpenAI key are not interchangeable.

URL decision table

Tool Recommended mode Base URL
Claude Code CLI Anthropic-compatible https://gw.claudeapi.com
Claude Code VS Code extension Anthropic-compatible via Claude Code settings or CC Switch https://gw.claudeapi.com
Cline Anthropic provider for Claude-only workflows https://gw.claudeapi.com
Cline OpenAI Compatible for gateway-style multi-model workflows https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1
Cursor OpenAI-compatible custom endpoint https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

If a field is named “Base URL” and the tool speaks Anthropic’s Messages API, do not add /v1. If the tool speaks OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions, include /v1.

Claude Code CLI

Claude Code can route requests through a gateway by using environment variables. The two important variables are:

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

macOS and Linux

Add these lines to ~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, or the shell profile you actually use:

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://gw.claudeapi.com"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY"

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://gw.claudeapi.com"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY"

Then reload the shell:

source ~/.zshrc

source ~/.zshrc

Use source ~/.bashrc if you edited .bashrc.

Test:

claude "Reply with one short sentence to confirm the configuration works."

claude "Reply with one short sentence to confirm the configuration works."

Check the active Base URL:

echo $ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL

echo $ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL

Windows CMD

For the current terminal session:

set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://gw.claudeapi.com
set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY

set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://gw.claudeapi.com
set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY

Check:

echo %ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL%

echo %ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL%

Windows PowerShell

For the current PowerShell session:

$env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = "https://gw.claudeapi.com"
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY"

$env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = "https://gw.claudeapi.com"
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY"

Check:

echo $env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL

echo $env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL

Windows permanent environment variables

For a persistent setup:

  1. Press Win + R.
  2. Run sysdm.cpl.
  3. Open Advanced → Environment Variables.
  4. Add user variables:
    • ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = https://gw.claudeapi.com
    • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = your ClaudeAPI key
  5. Restart every terminal and restart VS Code if you use the integrated terminal.

Claude Code also supports /status, which is useful for checking whether it is using an API key and whether a gateway Base URL is active.

Claude Code VS Code extension

If you use the Claude Code VS Code extension, you have two practical options.

Option A: configure Claude Code settings

Claude Code settings can define environment variables for Claude Code.

Global settings file:

System Path
macOS / Linux ~/.claude/settings.json
Windows C:\Users\<your-username>\.claude\settings.json

Example:

{
  "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/claude-code-settings.json",
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://gw.claudeapi.com",
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY"
  }
}

{
  "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/claude-code-settings.json",
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://gw.claudeapi.com",
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY"
  }
}

Save the file and fully restart VS Code.

The $schema line is optional, but useful. It gives VS Code JSON validation and completion for Claude Code settings.

Option B: use CC Switch

If your team uses CC Switch, the cleaner approach is often to let CC Switch manage provider switching for Claude Code CLI and the Claude Code VS Code extension.

Look for this option:

CC Switch -> Settings -> General -> Apply to Claude Code plugin

CC Switch -> Settings -> General -> Apply to Claude Code plugin

After enabling it:

  1. Select the ClaudeAPI.com provider in CC Switch.
  2. Fully restart VS Code.
  3. Open the Claude Code extension.
  4. Send a short test message.

This option affects the Claude Code extension. It does not configure Continue, Cline, or Cursor.

Cline

Cline supports more than one provider mode. For ClaudeAPI, choose the mode based on what you need.

Option A: Anthropic provider mode

Use this when you want Claude-focused workflows and the most direct Anthropic-compatible behavior.

Field Value
API Provider Anthropic
Custom Base URL https://gw.claudeapi.com
API key Your ClaudeAPI key
Model claude-sonnet-4-6 or another enabled model

General steps:

  1. Open Cline in VS Code.
  2. Click the settings gear.
  3. Select Anthropic as the provider.
  4. Enable custom Base URL if the UI requires a checkbox.
  5. Enter https://gw.claudeapi.com.
  6. Paste your ClaudeAPI key.
  7. Select or enter the model ID.
  8. Save and send a short test message.

Do not use https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1 in Anthropic provider mode.

Option B: OpenAI Compatible mode

Use this when you want Cline to talk to ClaudeAPI through the OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions surface, or when you need one gateway style alongside other OpenAI-compatible models.

Field Value
API Provider OpenAI Compatible
Base URL https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1
API key Your ClaudeAPI key
Model ID claude-sonnet-4-6 or another enabled model

This mode must include /v1.

Direct VS Code settings example

If your Cline version supports these settings keys, the Anthropic-style configuration may look like:

{
  "cline.apiProvider": "anthropic",
  "cline.apiKey": "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY",
  "cline.anthropicBaseUrl": "https://gw.claudeapi.com",
  "cline.apiModelId": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
}

{
  "cline.apiProvider": "anthropic",
  "cline.apiKey": "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY",
  "cline.anthropicBaseUrl": "https://gw.claudeapi.com",
  "cline.apiModelId": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
}

OpenAI-compatible mode may look like:

{
  "cline.apiProvider": "openai-compatible",
  "cline.openAiCompatible.baseUrl": "https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1",
  "cline.openAiCompatible.apiKey": "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY",
  "cline.openAiCompatible.modelId": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
}

{
  "cline.apiProvider": "openai-compatible",
  "cline.openAiCompatible.baseUrl": "https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1",
  "cline.openAiCompatible.apiKey": "YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY",
  "cline.openAiCompatible.modelId": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
}

Configuration keys can change between extension versions. If the UI and settings.json disagree, prefer the current Cline UI.

Cursor

Cursor uses an OpenAI-compatible custom endpoint flow for this setup.

Field Value
OpenAI API Key Your ClaudeAPI key
Override OpenAI Base URL https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1
Custom model Exact ClaudeAPI model ID

Steps:

  1. Open Cursor Settings.
  2. Go to Models.
  3. Add or enable the OpenAI API key field.
  4. Paste your ClaudeAPI key.
  5. Enable Override OpenAI Base URL.
  6. Enter https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1.
  7. Add a custom model ID.
  8. Select the model in Cursor Chat and test.

Example model IDs:

claude-sonnet-4-6
claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
claude-opus-4-8

claude-sonnet-4-6
claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
claude-opus-4-8

Check the ClaudeAPI console for the exact model IDs enabled on your account. Do not use UI display names or shortened names such as sonnet or haiku.

Important Cursor note: custom OpenAI Base URL behavior can affect other OpenAI-key workflows because it is an override. If other Cursor models fail after enabling a custom endpoint, turn off the override or isolate this setup in a separate Cursor profile/workspace.

Model selection

For IDE work, start with a balanced model and only upgrade when the task justifies it.

Model Good fit Notes
claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 Simple questions, comments, quick response tasks Best for speed and low cost
claude-sonnet-4-6 Daily coding, code review, documentation, refactors Recommended default
claude-opus-4-8 Complex architecture work, difficult refactors, long-context analysis Use for high-value tasks

Model availability and pricing can change. Check the ClaudeAPI dashboard before setting team-wide defaults.

Quick verification scripts

Use these tests when you are not sure whether the problem is the tool UI or the API connection.

Anthropic-compatible test

Use this for Claude Code and Cline Anthropic mode:

curl -X POST https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1/messages \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "max_tokens": 50,
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Reply with: configuration successful"}]
  }'

curl -X POST https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1/messages \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "max_tokens": 50,
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Reply with: configuration successful"}]
  }'

A successful response contains a content field.

Python test

import anthropic

client = anthropic.Anthropic(
    api_key="YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY",
    base_url="https://gw.claudeapi.com"
)

message = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
    max_tokens=100,
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Reply with: configuration successful"}
    ]
)

print(message.content[0].text)
print(f"Input tokens: {message.usage.input_tokens}")
print(f"Output tokens: {message.usage.output_tokens}")

import anthropic

client = anthropic.Anthropic(
    api_key="YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY",
    base_url="https://gw.claudeapi.com"
)

message = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
    max_tokens=100,
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Reply with: configuration successful"}
    ]
)

print(message.content[0].text)
print(f"Input tokens: {message.usage.input_tokens}")
print(f"Output tokens: {message.usage.output_tokens}")

OpenAI-compatible test

Use this for Cursor and Cline OpenAI Compatible mode:

curl -X POST https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Reply with: configuration successful"}],
    "max_tokens": 50
  }'

curl -X POST https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Reply with: configuration successful"}],
    "max_tokens": 50
  }'

A successful response contains a choices array.

Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized

Common causes:

  • API key copied incorrectly
  • extra spaces before or after the key
  • key from the wrong provider
  • key disabled or out of quota

Fix:

  1. Copy the key again from ClaudeAPI.
  2. Confirm the same key works in the curl test.
  3. Restart the tool after changing environment variables.

404 Not Found

This is usually a Base URL mismatch.

Use:

Claude Code / Cline Anthropic mode:
https://gw.claudeapi.com

Cursor / Cline OpenAI Compatible mode:
https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Claude Code / Cline Anthropic mode:
https://gw.claudeapi.com

Cursor / Cline OpenAI Compatible mode:
https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Do not use:

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

That is wrong for Claude Code.

Cline agent features do not work as expected

If you are using Cline for file edits, terminal commands, and agent workflows, start with Anthropic provider mode. OpenAI-compatible mode can be useful for gateway routing, but provider-specific tool behavior may differ.

Claude Code extension still asks for login

The extension may not be seeing the environment variables.

Check:

  • ~/.claude/settings.json or Windows equivalent exists
  • JSON syntax is valid
  • ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL is https://gw.claudeapi.com
  • VS Code was fully restarted
  • no conflicting login/session configuration is taking priority

Windows environment variables do not apply

Close all PowerShell/CMD windows and reopen them. If you use VS Code’s integrated terminal, fully restart VS Code.

CC Switch changed, but the VS Code plugin did not

Check:

  1. CC Switch selected provider is ClaudeAPI.com.
  2. “Apply to Claude Code plugin” is enabled.
  3. VS Code was fully restarted.

Configuration quick card

ClaudeAPI.com quick configuration

Claude Code CLI
  ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = https://gw.claudeapi.com
  ANTHROPIC_API_KEY  = YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY

Claude Code VS Code extension
  ~/.claude/settings.json
  or CC Switch -> Apply to Claude Code plugin
  Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com

Cline Anthropic mode
  Provider: Anthropic
  Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com

Cline OpenAI Compatible mode
  Provider: OpenAI Compatible
  Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Cursor
  OpenAI API Key: YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY
  Override OpenAI Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

ClaudeAPI.com quick configuration

Claude Code CLI
  ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = https://gw.claudeapi.com
  ANTHROPIC_API_KEY  = YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY

Claude Code VS Code extension
  ~/.claude/settings.json
  or CC Switch -> Apply to Claude Code plugin
  Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com

Cline Anthropic mode
  Provider: Anthropic
  Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com

Cline OpenAI Compatible mode
  Provider: OpenAI Compatible
  Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Cursor
  OpenAI API Key: YOUR_CLAUDEAPI_KEY
  Override OpenAI Base URL: https://gw.claudeapi.com/v1

Sources

Disclosure

This article was translated and adapted from a Chinese ClaudeAPI draft with AI assistance, then reviewed against public documentation available on July 15, 2026. ClaudeAPI is an independent third-party API service and is not Anthropic, Cline, or Cursor.

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