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341 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
341 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "Use Anthropic Claude via API keys or Claude CLI in OpenClaw"
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read_when:
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- You want to use Anthropic models in OpenClaw
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title: "Anthropic"
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---
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Anthropic builds the **Claude** model family. OpenClaw supports two auth routes:
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- **API key** — direct Anthropic API access with usage-based billing (`anthropic/*` models)
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- **Claude CLI** — reuse an existing Claude CLI login on the same host
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<Warning>
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Anthropic staff told us OpenClaw-style Claude CLI usage is allowed again, so
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OpenClaw treats Claude CLI reuse and `claude -p` usage as sanctioned unless
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Anthropic publishes a new policy.
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For long-lived gateway hosts, Anthropic API keys are still the clearest and
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most predictable production path.
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Anthropic's current public docs:
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- [Claude Code CLI reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference)
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- [Claude Agent SDK overview](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/overview)
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- [Using Claude Code with your Pro or Max plan](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11145838-using-claude-code-with-your-pro-or-max-plan)
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- [Using Claude Code with your Team or Enterprise plan](https://support.anthropic.com/en/articles/11845131-using-claude-code-with-your-team-or-enterprise-plan/)
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</Warning>
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## Getting started
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<Tabs>
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<Tab title="API key">
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**Best for:** standard API access and usage-based billing.
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Get your API key">
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Create an API key in the [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/).
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</Step>
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<Step title="Run onboarding">
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```bash
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openclaw onboard
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# choose: Anthropic API key
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```
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Or pass the key directly:
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```bash
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openclaw onboard --anthropic-api-key "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
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```
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</Step>
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<Step title="Verify the model is available">
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```bash
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openclaw models list --provider anthropic
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```
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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### Config example
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```json5
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{
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env: { ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: "sk-ant-..." },
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agents: { defaults: { model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6" } } },
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}
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```
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</Tab>
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<Tab title="Claude CLI">
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**Best for:** reusing an existing Claude CLI login without a separate API key.
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Ensure Claude CLI is installed and logged in">
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Verify with:
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```bash
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claude --version
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```
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</Step>
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<Step title="Run onboarding">
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```bash
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openclaw onboard
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# choose: Claude CLI
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```
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OpenClaw detects and reuses the existing Claude CLI credentials.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Verify the model is available">
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```bash
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openclaw models list --provider anthropic
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```
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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<Note>
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Setup and runtime details for the Claude CLI backend are in [CLI Backends](/gateway/cli-backends).
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</Note>
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### Config example
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Prefer the canonical Anthropic model ref plus a CLI runtime override:
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-7" },
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agentRuntime: { id: "claude-cli" },
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},
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},
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}
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```
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Legacy `claude-cli/claude-opus-4-7` model refs still work for
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compatibility, but new config should keep provider/model selection as
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`anthropic/*` and put the execution backend in `agentRuntime.id`.
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<Tip>
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If you want the clearest billing path, use an Anthropic API key instead. OpenClaw also supports subscription-style options from [OpenAI Codex](/providers/openai), [Qwen Cloud](/providers/qwen), [MiniMax](/providers/minimax), and [Z.AI / GLM](/providers/glm).
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</Tip>
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</Tab>
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</Tabs>
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## Thinking defaults (Claude 4.6)
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Claude 4.6 models default to `adaptive` thinking in OpenClaw when no explicit thinking level is set.
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Override per-message with `/think:<level>` or in model params:
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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models: {
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"anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": {
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params: { thinking: "adaptive" },
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},
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},
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},
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},
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}
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```
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<Note>
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Related Anthropic docs:
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- [Adaptive thinking](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/adaptive-thinking)
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- [Extended thinking](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/extended-thinking)
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</Note>
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## Prompt caching
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OpenClaw supports Anthropic's prompt caching feature for API-key auth.
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| Value | Cache duration | Description |
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| ------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------- |
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| `"short"` (default) | 5 minutes | Applied automatically for API-key auth |
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| `"long"` | 1 hour | Extended cache |
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| `"none"` | No caching | Disable prompt caching |
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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models: {
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"anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": {
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params: { cacheRetention: "long" },
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},
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},
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},
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},
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}
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```
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<AccordionGroup>
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<Accordion title="Per-agent cache overrides">
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Use model-level params as your baseline, then override specific agents via `agents.list[].params`:
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6" },
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models: {
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"anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": {
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params: { cacheRetention: "long" },
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},
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},
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},
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list: [
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{ id: "research", default: true },
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{ id: "alerts", params: { cacheRetention: "none" } },
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],
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},
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}
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```
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Config merge order:
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1. `agents.defaults.models["provider/model"].params`
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2. `agents.list[].params` (matching `id`, overrides by key)
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This lets one agent keep a long-lived cache while another agent on the same model disables caching for bursty/low-reuse traffic.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="Bedrock Claude notes">
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- Anthropic Claude models on Bedrock (`amazon-bedrock/*anthropic.claude*`) accept `cacheRetention` pass-through when configured.
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- Non-Anthropic Bedrock models are forced to `cacheRetention: "none"` at runtime.
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- API-key smart defaults also seed `cacheRetention: "short"` for Claude-on-Bedrock refs when no explicit value is set.
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</Accordion>
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</AccordionGroup>
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## Advanced configuration
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<AccordionGroup>
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<Accordion title="Fast mode">
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OpenClaw's shared `/fast` toggle supports direct Anthropic traffic (API-key and OAuth to `api.anthropic.com`).
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| Command | Maps to |
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|---------|---------|
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| `/fast on` | `service_tier: "auto"` |
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| `/fast off` | `service_tier: "standard_only"` |
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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models: {
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"anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6": {
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params: { fastMode: true },
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},
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},
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},
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},
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}
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```
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<Note>
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- Only injected for direct `api.anthropic.com` requests. Proxy routes leave `service_tier` untouched.
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- Explicit `serviceTier` or `service_tier` params override `/fast` when both are set.
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- On accounts without Priority Tier capacity, `service_tier: "auto"` may resolve to `standard`.
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</Note>
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="Media understanding (image and PDF)">
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The bundled Anthropic plugin registers image and PDF understanding. OpenClaw
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auto-resolves media capabilities from the configured Anthropic auth — no
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additional config is needed.
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| Property | Value |
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| -------------- | -------------------- |
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| Default model | `claude-opus-4-6` |
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| Supported input | Images, PDF documents |
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When an image or PDF is attached to a conversation, OpenClaw automatically
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routes it through the Anthropic media understanding provider.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="1M context window (beta)">
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Anthropic's 1M context window is beta-gated. Enable it per model:
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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models: {
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"anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": {
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params: { context1m: true },
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},
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},
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},
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},
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}
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```
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OpenClaw maps this to `anthropic-beta: context-1m-2025-08-07` on requests.
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`params.context1m: true` also applies to the Claude CLI backend
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(`claude-cli/*`) for eligible Opus and Sonnet models, expanding the runtime
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context window for those CLI sessions to match the direct-API behavior.
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<Warning>
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Requires long-context access on your Anthropic credential. Legacy token auth (`sk-ant-oat-*`) is rejected for 1M context requests — OpenClaw logs a warning and falls back to the standard context window.
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</Warning>
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="Claude Opus 4.7 1M context">
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`anthropic/claude-opus-4.7` and its `claude-cli` variant have a 1M context
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window by default — no `params.context1m: true` needed.
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</Accordion>
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</AccordionGroup>
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## Troubleshooting
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<AccordionGroup>
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<Accordion title="401 errors / token suddenly invalid">
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Anthropic token auth expires and can be revoked. For new setups, use an Anthropic API key instead.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title='No API key found for provider "anthropic"'>
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Anthropic auth is **per agent** — new agents do not inherit the main agent's keys. Re-run onboarding for that agent (or configure an API key on the gateway host), then verify with `openclaw models status`.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title='No credentials found for profile "anthropic:default"'>
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Run `openclaw models status` to see which auth profile is active. Re-run onboarding, or configure an API key for that profile path.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="No available auth profile (all in cooldown)">
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Check `openclaw models status --json` for `auth.unusableProfiles`. Anthropic rate-limit cooldowns can be model-scoped, so a sibling Anthropic model may still be usable. Add another Anthropic profile or wait for cooldown.
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</Accordion>
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</AccordionGroup>
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<Note>
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More help: [Troubleshooting](/help/troubleshooting) and [FAQ](/help/faq).
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</Note>
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## Related
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Model selection" href="/concepts/model-providers" icon="layers">
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Choosing providers, model refs, and failover behavior.
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</Card>
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<Card title="CLI backends" href="/gateway/cli-backends" icon="terminal">
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Claude CLI backend setup and runtime details.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Prompt caching" href="/reference/prompt-caching" icon="database">
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How prompt caching works across providers.
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</Card>
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<Card title="OAuth and auth" href="/gateway/authentication" icon="key">
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Auth details and credential reuse rules.
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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