Claude, an AI platform developed by Anthropic, allows developers to integrate natural language processing capabilities into their applications using its API. If you’re new to Claude or looking to get started with its API for testing and development, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to claim an API key and access its services, using the screenshots provided.
Step 1: Access the Anthropic Console
To begin, navigate to the Anthropic Console and log in to your account. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to register one. Once logged in, head over to the Settings section from the top navigation bar.
Step 2: API Keys Section
In the Settings tab (Image 1), you’ll find a section labeled API keys. This is where you manage and generate API keys. Each API key allows access to Claude’s capabilities. In this example, an API key has already been created. However, if you haven’t generated one yet, click the + Create Key button.
Step 3: Plan and Billing
As seen in Image 2, Claude offers an Evaluation access plan for testing purposes. This is a great way to explore Claude’s capabilities before committing to a paid plan. To get started with Claude in a commercial or larger-scale application, you will need to upgrade your plan and purchase credits. In the Plans & Billing tab, you can see the available credit balance (in this case, a $5 credit for evaluation purposes). If you want to proceed with more usage, you’ll need to either claim free credits or purchase additional credits by selecting a plan.
Step 4: Claiming Free Credits
As seen in Image 2, you can claim free credits for testing. In this example, a $5 credit can be claimed, which is valid for 14 days after being claimed. Simply click the Claim button to apply these free credits to your account.
Step 5: Upgrading Your Plan
To fully utilize Claude’s API for larger projects, you can upgrade your account from the Evaluation plan by clicking the Upgrade button, as shown in Image 3. You can also add more funds and enable auto-reloading thresholds to ensure uninterrupted API usage.
Step 6: Invoice and Usage History
In Image 3, the invoice history and usage details are shown. This section allows you to track your expenses and monitor API usage. It is important to regularly check your billing details to ensure you stay within your allocated budget.
So, how to use it?
To begin using Claude, you have two primary options: directly using the platform on the site or leveraging the service via software. Below is an example of how to use Claude 3.5 Sonnet through Python with the `anthropic` package. I only recommend this way for someone who is good at Python.
import anthropic
client = anthropic.Anthropic(api_key='YOUR_API_KEY')
response = client.messages.create(
model="claude-3–5-sonnet-20240620",
max_tokens=1024,
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, world"}]
)
print(response)This code snippet demonstrates how to interact with the Claude 3.5 Sonnet AI model by sending a message and receiving a response.
If you are confident in your programming skills or wish to incorporate this into your software, you can refer to the snippet above. In fact, you can find many more use cases in the Claude documentation.
For those of you who want to test the model right away, you can try it out on the official Claude website, [claude.ai](https://claude.ai). Another option is OpenRouter, which allows you to compare and analyze various LLMs.
If you’d like to use this easily in desktop software, similar to an AI assistant, using VividNode is also an option.
VividNode not only offers the LLM discussed here but also supports a variety of other LLMs, providing features such as managing conversation history and advanced prompt engineering functionalities.
Conclusion
Claude offers an excellent way for developers to experiment with AI capabilities through its API. By following the steps above, you can easily register for an API key, claim free credits, and start testing Claude’s features in any applications. For advanced use, upgrading your plan provides more resources and flexibility for larger-scale projects.