Use Claude Code with Claude API Key in 5 Minutes: A Beginner-Friendly CC Switch Setup Guide
If you are getting started with Claude Code and want to connect it to ClaudeAPI.com without manually editing config files, this guide is for you.
CC Switch is a desktop configuration manager for AI coding tools. Instead of hunting down settings.json, memorizing environment variables, or maintaining multiple provider configs by hand, you can add your API key in a visual interface and switch providers with one click.
In this walkthrough, you will set up ClaudeAPI.com in CC Switch, activate it for Claude Code, and verify that your CLI is using the correct model.
What Is CC Switch?
CC Switch is a cross-platform desktop app for managing API configurations across AI coding tools such as Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.
Instead of editing JSON or TOML files manually, CC Switch gives you a provider-based interface where you can configure API endpoints, tokens, model mappings, and MCP settings in one place.
In practical terms:
Open CC Switch, add your ClaudeAPI.com API key, set the base URL, click Activate, and Claude Code is ready to use.
Key Features
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Visual provider management | Configure API providers through forms instead of editing config files manually. |
| One-click switching | Switch between providers from the tray menu without rebuilding your setup. |
| Built-in presets | Start from common API provider presets instead of configuring everything from scratch. |
| MCP management | Keep MCP server settings synchronized across supported tools. |
| Connection testing | Check latency and verify whether a provider is reachable before using it. |
| Cloud sync | Sync settings through Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, or WebDAV when needed. |
Before You Start: Install Claude Code
CC Switch manages configuration for Claude Code, so Claude Code needs to be installed first.
Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
macOS or Linux
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
After installation, verify that Claude Code is available:
claude --version
claude --version
If the command returns a version number, Claude Code is installed correctly.
Prefer a GUI workflow? You can also install the Claude Code desktop app, available for Windows and macOS.
Step 1: Create a ClaudeAPI.com Account and Get an API Key
- Go to ClaudeAPI.com and create an account.
- Verify your email address and open the dashboard.
- Open the API Keys page and click Create New Key.
- Copy your API key and save it immediately. It will only be displayed once.
Available ClaudeAPI.com Model Examples
| Model | Model ID | Input price | Recommended use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.7 | claude-opus-4-7 |
$4.000 / 1M tokens |
Complex reasoning, architecture review, long-context tasks |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | claude-opus-4-6 |
$4.000 / 1M tokens |
Complex reasoning and advanced development workflows |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
$2.400 / 1M tokens |
Everyday coding, refactoring, debugging, and general development |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 |
$0.800 / 1M tokens |
Lightweight tasks, batch jobs, and fast responses |
For most developers, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is a good default choice for daily coding work.
Step 2: Download and Install CC Switch
GitHub repository: github.com/farion1231/cc-switch Official website: ccswitch.io Releases page: github.com/farion1231/cc-switch/releases
Windows
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CC-Switch-v{version}-Windows.msi |
Recommended installer with auto-update support. |
CC-Switch-v{version}-Windows-Portable.zip |
Portable version. Extract and run without modifying the registry. |
Requirement: Windows 10 or later, x64.
macOS
Option 1: Install with Homebrew
brew tap farion1231/ccswitch
brew install --cask cc-switch
brew tap farion1231/ccswitch
brew install --cask cc-switch
Option 2: Download Manually
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CC-Switch-v{version}-macOS.dmg |
Recommended. Drag the app into Applications. |
CC-Switch-v{version}-macOS.zip |
ZIP archive version. |
Requirement: macOS 12 Monterey or later.
CC Switch for macOS is code-signed and notarized, so it should open without additional security workarounds.
Linux
| Distribution | Recommended package | Install command |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu / Debian | .deb |
sudo apt install ./CC-Switch-*.deb |
| Fedora / RHEL | .rpm |
sudo dnf install ./CC-Switch-*.rpm |
| Arch Linux | .AppImage |
chmod +x CC-Switch-*.AppImage && ./CC-Switch-*.AppImage |
| Other distributions | .AppImage |
Same as above. |
Step 3: Add ClaudeAPI.com as a Provider in CC Switch
Open CC Switch after installation and create a new provider for ClaudeAPI.com.
Fill in the provider configuration.
Use the following values:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Provider name | ClaudeAPI |
| API base URL | https://gw.claudeapi.com |
| API key / token | Your ClaudeAPI.com API key |
Then configure the model mapping.
Recommended model mapping:
| Field | Recommended value |
|---|---|
| Default main model | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
| Default Opus model | claude-opus-4-7 |
| Default Sonnet model | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
| Default Haiku model | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 |
Click Save when you are done.
Step 4: Activate the Provider and Test the Connection
Activate ClaudeAPI.com
In the provider list, find the provider you just created and click Activate or Enable.
CC Switch will write the required Claude Code configuration automatically, including:
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN
That means you do not need to manually edit ~/.claude/settings.json.
Test the Provider
CC Switch includes a built-in connection test.
- Click Test next to the provider.
- Wait for the latency check to complete.
- A green status indicator means the provider is reachable.
Verify Claude Code
Open a terminal and run:
claude
claude
If Claude Code starts normally and responds, your setup is working.
You can also check the active model inside Claude Code:
/model
/model
This opens the model selection menu so you can confirm which model is currently active.
Step 5: Use CC Switch in Your Daily Workflow
Switch Providers from the System Tray
After installation, CC Switch runs in the system tray. If you use multiple providers — for example, ClaudeAPI.com for day-to-day development and another provider for testing — you can right-click the tray icon and switch providers without opening the main app.
Change Models Inside Claude Code
Inside a Claude Code session, run:
/model
/model
This opens an interactive model picker, so you can switch models without restarting your entire workflow.
Create Multiple Providers for Different Workloads
A common setup is to create several ClaudeAPI.com providers with different default models:
| Provider name | Suggested use case |
|---|---|
ClaudeAPI-Sonnet |
Daily coding, debugging, refactoring, and general development. |
ClaudeAPI-Opus |
Complex reasoning, architecture reviews, and high-stakes analysis. |
ClaudeAPI-Haiku |
Fast, lightweight, or batch-style tasks. |
The configuration process is the same. The only difference is the default model you choose in the model mapping section.
Troubleshooting
Claude Code does not use the new provider after switching. What should I do?
Restart your terminal, or exit Claude Code with:
/exit
/exit
Then run claude again.
If you are using CC Switch’s local proxy mode, hot switching may work without restarting the terminal.
What happens if ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL is incorrect?
Claude Code may return a 401 error or a connection error.
Make sure the base URL is:
https://gw.claudeapi.com
https://gw.claudeapi.com
Note the gw subdomain. Do not use api here.
I forgot to save my API key. Can I view it again?
No. For security reasons, the API key is only shown once.
Go back to the ClaudeAPI.com dashboard, create a new API key, and revoke the old one if needed.
Does CC Switch upload or store my API key on its own servers?
CC Switch stores data locally in a SQLite database:
~/.cc-switch/cc-switch.db
~/.cc-switch/cc-switch.db
It does not upload your API key to CC Switch servers.
If you enable cloud sync, your configuration is synced through the storage provider you choose, such as Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, or WebDAV. In that case, your keys are stored in your own sync destination, not by CC Switch itself.
Final Workflow
After setup, your development workflow looks like this:
- ClaudeAPI.com provides model access and API credits.
- CC Switch manages provider configuration and model mapping.
- Claude Code runs as your AI coding assistant in the terminal or desktop app.
The whole setup takes only a few minutes. Once configured, you can switch between providers and models without manually editing config files, which makes Claude Code much easier to use across different development scenarios.
Need Help?
If you run into issues during setup, you can visit ClaudeAPI.com for support or check the Issues page in the official CC Switch GitHub repository.
