Visit claude.ai to chat with Claude!

To start using Claude via API, you'll need to set up a Console account and obtain an API key. An API key will allow you to integrate Claude directly into your application and use cases.

This guide will walk you through the process step by step.

Step 1: Sign up for a Console account

To access Claude, you'll first need to create an account on our Console:

1. Visit Anthropic's web Console and enter your email.
2. Verify your email address by clicking the link in the confirmation email sent to you.
3. Once your account is verified, log in to the Console.

Step 2: Explore the Console

The Console is your central hub for interacting with Claude. It offers a variety of features to help you evaluate Claude's capabilities and start developing with Claude:

• Workbench: The Workbench is where you can experiment with prompts, interact with Claude, and export code snippets directly from your browser. The Workbench is an excellent place to test and refine your prompts before integrating them into your application.
  • To simulate a multiturn conversation, click the Add Messages button on the bottom left of the Workbench window.
  • To control parameters and select your model, click on the model settings tool at the bottom right of the prompting area.
  • To generate code from your prompt, click the </> Get Code button on the top right of the Workbench window.
• Invite collaborators: You can invite new users to your organization and control user access levels in the Members & Invites tab within Settings.
• Track usage and credits: Usage Logs allow you to monitor usage metrics for your organization. Select your access plan and view and add credits in Plans & Billing.
• API keys: In the API Keys section of your Account Settings, you can generate, disable, and delete your API keys. These keys are essential for authenticating your API requests and integrating Claude into your application.
• Documentation: The Console links to our comprehensive documentation (where you are right now), which covers everything from model overviews to prompting guidelines to advanced usage patterns.

Step 3: Generate an API key

To develop with Claude, you'll need an API key. Here's how to generate one:

1. Log in to the Console.
2. Navigate to the API Keys section within your Account Settings.
3. Click the Create Key button on the top right.
4. Give your key a descriptive name (e.g., "My_First_Claude_App") and click Create Key.
5. Copy the generated API key and store it in a secure location. Note that you won't be able to view the key again once you leave this page, so make sure to save it somewhere safe.

Next steps

With your account set up and API key in hand, you're ready to start coding with Claude. Here are some next steps to consider:

• Review the API documentation to learn about the available endpoints, request parameters, and response formats.
• Experiment with different prompts in the Workbench to understand how to best communicate with Claude and achieve the desired results. Visit our prompt library for inspiration!
• Check out our quickstart guide for step-by-step instructions on how to make your first API call to Claude.
• Join our Discord developer community to connect with other developers, ask questions, and share your projects.

We're excited to see what you'll create with Claude! If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.