Anthropic

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get your API key">
    Create an API key in the [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/).
  </Step>
  <Step title="Run onboarding">
    ```bash
    openclaw onboard
    # choose: Anthropic API key
    ```

    Or pass the key directly:

    ```bash
    openclaw onboard --anthropic-api-key "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
    ```
  </Step>
  <Step title="Verify the model is available">
    ```bash
    openclaw models list --provider anthropic
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Config example

```json5
{
  env: { ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: "example-anthropic-key-not-real" },
  agents: { defaults: { model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8" } } },
}
```

<Steps>
  <Step title="Ensure Claude CLI is installed and logged in">
    Verify with:

    ```bash
    claude --version
    ```
  </Step>
  <Step title="Run onboarding">
    ```bash
    openclaw onboard
    # choose: Claude CLI
    ```

    OpenClaw detects and reuses the existing Claude CLI credentials.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Verify the model is available">
    ```bash
    openclaw models list --provider anthropic
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
Setup and runtime details for the Claude CLI backend are in [CLI Backends](/gateway/cli-backends).
</Note>

<Warning>
Claude CLI reuse expects the OpenClaw process to run on the same host as the
Claude CLI login. Docker installs can persist a container home and log in to
Claude Code there; see
[Claude CLI backend in Docker](/install/docker#claude-cli-backend-in-docker).
Other container installs such as [Podman](/install/podman) do not mount host
`~/.claude` into setup or runtime; use an Anthropic API key there, or choose
a provider with OpenClaw-managed OAuth such as
[OpenAI Codex](/providers/openai).
</Warning>

### Config example

Prefer the canonical Anthropic model ref plus a CLI runtime override:

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8" },
      models: {
        "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8": {
          agentRuntime: { id: "claude-cli" },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

Legacy `claude-cli/claude-opus-4-7` model refs still work for
compatibility, but new config should keep provider/model selection as
`anthropic/*` and put the execution backend in provider/model runtime policy.

### Billing and `claude -p`

OpenClaw uses Claude Code's non-interactive `claude -p` path for Claude CLI
runs. Anthropic currently treats that path as Agent SDK/programmatic usage:

- Anthropic's June 15, 2026 support update paused the previously announced
  separate Agent SDK credit plan.
- Subscription-plan Claude Agent SDK, `claude -p`, and third-party app usage
  still draw from the signed-in subscription's usage limits.
- The previously announced monthly Agent SDK credit is not available while
  Anthropic revises that plan.
- Console/API-key logins use pay-as-you-go API billing and do not receive
  the subscription Agent SDK credit.

See Anthropic's [Agent SDK plan
article](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/15036540-use-the-claude-agent-sdk-with-your-claude-plan)
for the pause notice, and the Claude Code plan articles for
[Pro/Max](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11145838-use-claude-code-with-your-pro-or-max-plan)
and
[Team/Enterprise](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11845131-use-claude-code-with-your-team-or-enterprise-plan)
subscription behavior.

Anthropic can change Claude Code billing and rate-limit behavior without an
OpenClaw release. Check `claude auth status`, `/status`, and
Anthropic's linked docs when billing predictability matters.

<Tip>
For shared production automation, use an Anthropic API key instead of
Claude CLI. OpenClaw also supports subscription-style options from
[OpenAI Codex](/providers/openai), [Qwen Cloud](/providers/qwen),
[MiniMax](/providers/minimax), and [Z.AI / GLM](/providers/zai).
</Tip>

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8": {
          params: { thinking: "high" },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": {
          params: { cacheRetention: "long" },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6" },
      models: {
        "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": {
          params: { cacheRetention: "long" },
        },
      },
    },
    list: [
      { id: "research", default: true },
      { id: "alerts", params: { cacheRetention: "none" } },
    ],
  },
}
```

Config merge order:

1. `agents.defaults.models["provider/model"].params`
2. `agents.list[].params` (matching `id`, overrides by key)

This lets one agent keep a long-lived cache while another agent on the same model disables caching for bursty/low-reuse traffic.

| Command | Maps to |
|---------|---------|
| `/fast on` | `service_tier: "auto"` |
| `/fast off` | `service_tier: "standard_only"` |

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6": {
          params: { fastMode: true },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

<Note>
- Only applies to direct `api.anthropic.com` requests made with an API key. OAuth/subscription-token requests and proxy routes never get a `service_tier` field.
- Explicit `serviceTier` or `service_tier` params override `/fast` when both are set.
- On accounts without Priority Tier capacity, `service_tier: "auto"` may resolve to `standard`.

</Note>

| Property        | Value                 |
| --------------- | --------------------- |
| Default model   | `claude-opus-4-8`     |
| Supported input | Images, PDF documents |

When an image or PDF is attached to a conversation, OpenClaw automatically
routes it through the Anthropic media understanding provider.

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      models: {
        "anthropic/claude-sonnet-5": {},
        "anthropic/claude-mythos-5": {},
        "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": {},
      },
    },
  },
}
```

Older configs can keep `params.context1m: true`; it is a harmless no-op for
these models and OpenClaw no longer sends the retired
`context-1m-2025-08-07` beta header regardless. Older `anthropicBeta` config
entries with that value are dropped during request header resolution, and
unsupported older Claude models stay on their normal context window.

`params.context1m: true` behaves the same way for the Claude CLI backend
(`claude-cli/*`): eligible GA-capable Opus and Sonnet models already get the
1M window automatically, so the param is optional there too.

<Warning>
Requires long-context access on your Anthropic credential. OAuth/subscription token auth keeps its required Anthropic beta headers, but OpenClaw strips the retired 1M beta header if it remains in older config.
</Warning>