docs(anthropic): clarify api key and doctor recovery

This commit is contained in:
Peter Steinberger
2026-04-05 18:04:36 +01:00
parent 2d7157b424
commit fe93f29486
18 changed files with 193 additions and 433 deletions

View File

@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ Quick answers plus deeper troubleshooting for real-world setups (local dev, VPS,
<Accordion title="What does onboarding actually do?">
`openclaw onboard` is the recommended setup path. In **local mode** it walks you through:
- **Model/auth setup** (provider OAuth, Claude CLI reuse, and API keys supported, plus local model options such as LM Studio)
- **Model/auth setup** (provider OAuth, API keys, Anthropic legacy setup-token, plus local model options such as LM Studio)
- **Workspace** location + bootstrap files
- **Gateway settings** (bind/port/auth/tailscale)
- **Channels** (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Mattermost, Signal, iMessage, plus bundled channel plugins like QQ Bot)
@@ -581,14 +581,17 @@ Quick answers plus deeper troubleshooting for real-world setups (local dev, VPS,
**local-only models** so your data stays on your device. Subscriptions (Claude
Pro/Max or OpenAI Codex) are optional ways to authenticate those providers.
We believe Claude Code CLI fallback is likely allowed for local,
user-managed automation based on Anthropic's public CLI docs. That said,
Anthropic's third-party harness policy creates enough ambiguity around
subscription-backed use in external products that we do not recommend it
for production. Anthropic also notified OpenClaw users on **April 4, 2026
at 12:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM BST** that the **OpenClaw** Claude-login path
counts as third-party harness usage and now requires **Extra Usage**
billed separately from the subscription. OpenAI Codex OAuth is explicitly
For Anthropic in OpenClaw, the practical split is:
- **Anthropic API key**: normal Anthropic API billing
- **Claude subscription auth in OpenClaw**: Anthropic told OpenClaw users on
**April 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM BST** that this requires
**Extra Usage** billed separately from the subscription
Our local repros also show that `claude -p --append-system-prompt ...` can
hit the same Extra Usage guard when the appended prompt identifies
OpenClaw, while the same prompt string does **not** reproduce that block on
the Anthropic SDK + API-key path. OpenAI Codex OAuth is explicitly
supported for external tools like OpenClaw.
OpenClaw also supports other hosted subscription-style options including
@@ -603,30 +606,27 @@ Quick answers plus deeper troubleshooting for real-world setups (local dev, VPS,
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Can I use Claude Max subscription without an API key?">
Yes, via a local **Claude CLI** login on the gateway host.
Yes, but treat it as **Claude subscription auth with Extra Usage**.
Claude Pro/Max subscriptions **do not include an API key**, so Claude CLI
reuse is the local fallback path in OpenClaw. We believe Claude Code CLI
fallback is likely allowed for local, user-managed automation based on
Anthropic's public CLI docs. That said, Anthropic's third-party harness
policy creates enough ambiguity around subscription-backed use in external
products that we do not recommend it for production. We recommend
Anthropic API keys instead.
Claude Pro/Max subscriptions do not include an API key. In OpenClaw, that
means Anthropic's OpenClaw-specific billing notice applies: subscription
traffic requires **Extra Usage**. If you want Anthropic traffic without
that Extra Usage path, use an Anthropic API key instead.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Do you support Claude subscription auth (Claude Pro or Max)?">
Yes. Reuse a local **Claude CLI** login on the gateway host with `openclaw models auth login --provider anthropic --method cli --set-default`.
Yes, but the supported interpretation is now:
Anthropic setup-token is also available again as a legacy/manual OpenClaw path. Anthropic's OpenClaw-specific billing notice still applies there, so use it with the expectation that Anthropic requires **Extra Usage**. See [Anthropic](/providers/anthropic) and [OAuth](/concepts/oauth).
- Anthropic in OpenClaw with a subscription means **Extra Usage**
- Anthropic in OpenClaw without that path means **API key**
Important: We believe Claude Code CLI fallback is likely allowed for local,
user-managed automation based on Anthropic's public CLI docs. That said,
Anthropic's third-party harness policy creates enough ambiguity around
subscription-backed use in external products that we do not recommend it
for production. Anthropic also told OpenClaw users on **April 4, 2026 at
12:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM BST** that the **OpenClaw** Claude-login path
requires **Extra Usage** billed separately from the subscription.
Anthropic setup-token is still available as a legacy/manual OpenClaw path,
and Anthropic's OpenClaw-specific billing notice still applies there. We
also reproduced the same billing guard locally with direct
`claude -p --append-system-prompt ...` usage when the appended prompt
identifies OpenClaw, while the same prompt string did **not** reproduce on
the Anthropic SDK + API-key path.
For production or multi-user workloads, Anthropic API key auth is the
safer, recommended choice. If you want other subscription-style hosted