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Claude API

Direct Anthropic API access with per-token billing.

Setup

  1. Run "Sidekick: Set API Key" from the Command Palette
  2. Enter your Anthropic API key
  3. Set sidekick.inferenceProvider to claude-api in settings

How It Works

  • Uses @anthropic-ai/sdk with your API key
  • Per-token billing — costs depend on usage
  • API key stored securely in VS Code's secret storage

Session Monitoring

Claude API mode does not include session monitoring (there are no CLI sessions to monitor). Session monitoring is only available for Claude Code, OpenCode, and Codex CLI.

Best For

  • Users without a Claude Max subscription
  • Low-volume usage where per-token cost is acceptable
  • CI/CD or automated workflows

Troubleshooting

API key issues

  • Run "Sidekick: Set API Key" to update your key
  • Ensure your API key has sufficient credits
  • Run "Sidekick: Test Connection" to verify connectivity