claude setup-token

The Anthropic CLI command that exchanges a Claude Pro or Max subscription for a long-lived OAuth token (sk-ant-oat01-…) you can use against the Anthropic API. Same endpoints as a paid API key, billed against your subscription's quota instead.

The four steps

1. Install the Claude CLI. npm i -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code. Requires Node 18+. macOS, Linux, and Windows (WSL) all work.
2. Run claude setup-token. The CLI prints a URL and waits.
3. Authorize in the browser. Open the URL, sign in to your Claude Pro or Max account at claude.ai, approve the access request. Claude shows you a short code.
4. Paste the code back into the CLI. The token (starting sk-ant-oat01-) is stored at ~/.claude/config.json. Done.

oat01 vs api03 — which token type is this?

Anthropic issues two kinds of Bearer tokens against api.anthropic.com. Both hit the same endpoints. They differ in where the cost lands:

Same wire format, same headers (x-api-key: $TOKEN), same JSON request body. A naive HTTP client can't tell them apart — only Anthropic's billing layer can. Most third-party AI tools only document the api03 path; tools that explicitly call out oat01 support (VibeKit, Claude Code itself, a few others) let subscribers route their Pro/Max quota through them.

What does the token actually look like?

sk-ant-oat01-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

sk = secret key. ant = Anthropic. oat01 = OAuth access token, version 01. The remaining ~95 characters are a random base64url body, no checksum. (For a deeper breakdown of the format and how it compares to api03 keys, see Anthropic API key format.)

Using the token

Anything that accepts an Anthropic Bearer token accepts this one. The Claude CLI itself uses it automatically once stored. To send a manual request:

curl -s https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
  -H "x-api-key: $TOKEN" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"claude-sonnet-4-6","max_tokens":50,"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"hi"}]}'

A 200 with a completion confirms the token works. A 401 means it's expired or revoked — re-run claude setup-token. A 429 with a "subscription quota exceeded" message means you've hit Pro or Max's daily ceiling; wait or upgrade. A standard 429 without that note is just a per-minute rate-limit and clears in seconds.

Common pitfalls

• Free Claude account. The OAuth flow completes and issues a token, but every request returns "subscription required." You need an active Pro or Max subscription on the account.
• Wrong account. If you have multiple Claude accounts (work + personal), the browser auth picks whichever you're currently signed in to. Sign out first, then run claude setup-token, to make sure the right subscription backs the token.
• Tools that gate on the prefix. Some third-party hosts validate against sk-ant-api03- only and reject oat01 on the assumption it's the wrong kind of key. Look for explicit "subscription token" or "OAuth token" support in their docs.
• Stale token after password change. Rotating your Claude.ai password invalidates active OAuth sessions. Re-run setup-token to mint a fresh one.
• Token doesn't refresh under heavy load. The token's refresh mechanism is silent and rarely fails — but if you're seeing repeat 401 after ~12 months of uptime, that's the cue.

Where to plug it in

Claude Code itself

Nothing to do — once stored at ~/.claude/config.json, the CLI uses it for every request. claude in a terminal just works.

VibeKit (Telegram / iOS / web)

Paste the token into Profile → AI Provider → Anthropic. The agent's next call runs through your subscription. Both Pro and Max tokens work the same way. More on BYOK →

Any other Anthropic-compatible tool

Set it as the value of whatever env var the tool uses for an Anthropic API key — usually ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. The tool doesn't need to know it's an OAuth token; the Anthropic API handles the difference server-side.

Is this allowed?

Yes. The OAuth flow is Anthropic's official mechanism for letting Pro/Max subscribers use their subscription with their own tooling. The token is rate-limited by Anthropic the same way claude.ai chat is — heavy automation can soft-cap earlier than human-paced interactive use, but using oat01 with a coding agent is well within the intended use. The terms that apply are the same Acceptable Use Policy that governs any Anthropic API access.

FAQ