Gate.AI Claude Code CLI Gateway Access Setup

Gate.AI supports connecting Claude Code CLI to a gateway compatible with the Anthropic protocol. Developers can run AI programming workflows in a terminal environment by using a Gate.AI API Key and supported Claude model IDs. This feature is for developers who want to route Claude Code requests through Gate.AI instead of using the Anthropic official channel only. This document details the onboarding process for Gate.AI Claude Code CLI, interface validation, model configuration, and common troubleshooting. It does not cover configuration for Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Codex.

Source: Gate.AI official documentation and Claude Code documentation, as of June 2026.

Prerequisites

• You have a registered Gate.AI account, plus an API Key and sufficient balance.
• You can access the Claude Code CLI in a macOS, Linux, or WSL environment.

What you’ll be able to do after finishing this guide

After you complete the gate.ai claude code setup, you can start Claude Code in your project directory and route Claude Code requests via https://api.gate.ai/anthropic.

This guide covers recommended user-level settings.json configuration, interface connectivity tests, and solutions for common issues such as 401, 404, authentication conflicts, timeouts, and npm installation.

• For broader API gateway integrations, refer to Gate.AI API Integration Guide.
• For IDE-related configuration, refer to Gate.AI Cursor Configuration Guide.

Step 1: Create a Gate.AI API Key

Create your Gate.AI Key first. Claude Code needs it for the subsequent configuration of the Base URL and model.

How to do it:

1. Log in to Gate.AI.
2. Go to Dashboard → API Keys.
3. Create a new API Key.
4. Copy the key that starts with sk-or-v1-.
5. Confirm your account balance is sufficient.

Do not paste the real key into public repositories, issue trackers, shared screenshots, or submitted project files.

Step 2: Test Gateway Connectivity

Before installing or configuring Claude Code, test the Anthropic-compatible interface. This helps you separate key or network issues from CLI configuration issues.

Replace YOUR_GATEAI_API_KEY with your real Gate.AI key:

export GATEAI_API_KEY="YOUR_GATEAI_API_KEY"
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
  -H "x-api-key: $GATEAI_API_KEY" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -d '{"model":"anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6","max_tokens":16,"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"hi"}]}' \
  https://api.gate.ai/anthropic/v1/messages

You should see one of the following results:

Key point: Claude Code must use the Gate.AI route that is compatible with the Anthropic protocol—not a generic path.

Step 3: Install Claude Code CLI

Install Claude Code CLI only after the Gate.AI gateway test passes. After that, you only need local CLI configuration.

Recommended install method (macOS, Linux, or WSL):

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

npm install method:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

After installation, verify that the command works:

claude --version

If your terminal shows command not found: claude, restart the terminal and confirm the installation directory has been added to PATH.

Step 4: Configure Claude Code Settings

In ~/.claude/settings.json, configure Gate.AI’s Anthropic Base URL, API Key, and model ID.

If you want all projects to use Gate.AI Claude Code, use user-level settings:

mkdir -p ~/.claude
cat > ~/.claude/settings.json <<'EOF'
{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.gate.ai/anthropic",
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_GATEAI_API_KEY",
    "ANTHROPIC_MODEL": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6"
  },
  "includeCoAuthoredBy": false
}
EOF

Then clear any old Anthropic or proxy sessions that might conflict with your Gate.AI API Key:

claude /logout 2>/dev/null || true
unset ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN

We recommend keeping credentials in one place. If ~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, or other shell configuration files still contain ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN or a duplicate ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, comment out the duplicates and restart the terminal.

Step 5: Validate Claude Code in Your Project

Start Claude Code in the project directory where you want AI programming assistance.

Run:

cd YOUR_PROJECT_DIRECTORY
claude

After Claude Code starts, run:

Plain / status

Confirm that the Base URL is /anthropic and the authentication method is ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. Then you can send a test prompt:

In one sentence, describe this repository.

If it returns a normal result with no authentication, routing, or model errors, Claude Code has successfully requested through Gate.AI.

What should the correct configuration look like? Quick checklist

Use the table below to quickly verify your gate.ai claude code configuration:

The most common mistake is mixing the Claude Code configuration URL with the original API request URL. Claude Code should use the Base URL, while curl verification requires the full /v1/messages path.

Claude Code not working? Troubleshooting checklist

• Symptom: Claude Code shows Auth conflict: Both a token and an API key are set
  • Cause: Both ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN and ANTHROPIC_API_KEY are enabled
  • Fix: Run claude /logout, unset ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN, and keep only ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
• Symptom: Claude Code returns 401 or authentication fails
  • Cause: Wrong Gate.AI key, expired key, not exported, or overridden by another shell configuration
  • Fix: Re-copy the key from Dashboard → API Keys, then confirm the current value with echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
• Symptom: Claude Code returns 404
  • Cause: Base URL uses an OpenAI route or a full request path
  • Fix: Set Claude Code to https://api.gate.ai/anthropic, and do not use /openai/v1, /v1, or /anthropic/v1/messages
• Symptom: Interface test times out
  • Cause: Local network, DNS, proxy, or firewall blocks the request
  • Fix: Try a different network, check DNS, and retry the curl before changing Claude Code settings
• Symptom: npm installation shows ETIMEDOUT or ECONNRESET
  • Cause: Unstable npm registry connection; it’s unrelated to the Gate.AI gateway
  • Fix: Retry using a mirror source:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code --registry=https://registry.npmmirror.com

If npm installation fails with permission errors, configure a user-level npm prefix and avoid insecure privilege-escalation installs.

What else can be configured or integrated next

After completing the Gate.AI Claude Code configuration, you can expand your developer workflow:

• Refer to Gate.AI API Integration Guide to connect OpenAI-compatible SDKs and standard API workflows.
• If your team needs to use Gate.AI models in Cursor, refer to Gate.AI Cursor Configuration Guide.
• Check Gate.AI’s current model catalog, then add explicit model IDs for different tiers like Sonnet, Opus, or Haiku.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Claude Code use https://api.gate.ai/openai/v1?
No. Claude Code must use the Gate.AI Base URL compatible with the Anthropic protocol: https://api.gate.ai/anthropic. OpenAI paths are only for OpenAI-style tools, SDKs, and interfaces.

Why does /models return 200, but Claude Code still fails?
A successful response from the model list endpoint (200) does not prove that your current key works with Claude Code. You must test with the compatible Anthropic /anthropic/v1/messages via curl, because this test sends an authenticated message request.

Should the Gate.AI API Key be stored in a shell variable or in settings.json?
Choose one. Avoid duplication. For stable local setup, user-level ~/.claude/settings.json is easier to audit; shell variables work for temporary sessions.

Can Claude Code set the model to auto?
We recommend starting with a specific Gate.AI model ID, such as anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6. If Gate.AI has enabled automatic routing and your environment supports it, you can test auto. If you hit a routing error, switch back to a specific model ID.