Agent skill

anth-install-auth

Install and configure Anthropic Claude SDK authentication for Python and TypeScript. Use when setting up a new Claude API integration, configuring API keys, or initializing the Anthropic SDK in your project. Trigger with phrases like "install anthropic", "setup claude api", "anthropic auth", "configure anthropic API key", "claude sdk setup".

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Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills/tree/main/plugins/saas-packs/anthropic-pack/skills/anth-install-auth

SKILL.md

Anthropic Install & Auth

Overview

Set up the official Anthropic SDK for Python or TypeScript and configure API key authentication. The SDK wraps the Claude Messages API at https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+ or Python 3.8+
  • Package manager (npm, pnpm, yarn, or pip)
  • Anthropic account with API access at console.anthropic.com
  • API key from Console > API Keys

Instructions

Step 1: Install SDK

bash
# Python
pip install anthropic

# TypeScript / Node.js
npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk

# With pnpm
pnpm add @anthropic-ai/sdk

Step 2: Configure API Key

bash
# Set environment variable (recommended)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-..."

# Or add to .env file
echo 'ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-api03-your-key-here' >> .env

# Verify it's set
echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY | head -c 15
# Expected: sk-ant-api03-...

Step 3: Verify Connection (Python)

python
import anthropic

client = anthropic.Anthropic()  # reads ANTHROPIC_API_KEY from env

message = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
    max_tokens=64,
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Say hello in exactly 5 words."}]
)
print(message.content[0].text)
print(f"Model: {message.model}, Tokens: {message.usage.input_tokens}+{message.usage.output_tokens}")

Step 4: Verify Connection (TypeScript)

typescript
import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';

const client = new Anthropic();  // reads ANTHROPIC_API_KEY from env

const message = await client.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514',
  max_tokens: 64,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Say hello in exactly 5 words.' }],
});

if (message.content[0].type === 'text') {
  console.log(message.content[0].text);
}
console.log(`Stop reason: ${message.stop_reason}`);

Output

  • Installed SDK package (anthropic for Python, @anthropic-ai/sdk for TS)
  • Environment variable ANTHROPIC_API_KEY configured
  • Successful API response confirming authentication works

Error Handling

Error HTTP Code Cause Solution
authentication_error 401 Invalid or missing API key Verify key starts with sk-ant-api03-
permission_error 403 Key lacks required scope Generate new key in Console
not_found_error 404 Invalid API endpoint Ensure SDK is latest version
ModuleNotFoundError N/A SDK not installed Run pip install anthropic or npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk
connection_error N/A Network/firewall blocking Ensure HTTPS to api.anthropic.com is allowed

Enterprise Configuration

python
# Custom base URL (for proxied environments)
client = anthropic.Anthropic(
    api_key="sk-ant-...",
    base_url="https://your-proxy.internal.com/v1",
    timeout=60.0,
    max_retries=3
)

# With explicit headers
client = anthropic.Anthropic(
    default_headers={"anthropic-beta": "messages-2024-12-19"}
)

Security Considerations

  • Never commit API keys to source control
  • Use .env files with .gitignore exclusion
  • Rotate keys periodically via Console > API Keys
  • Use separate keys per environment (dev/staging/prod)
  • Consider Anthropic's Workspace feature for team key isolation

Resources

Next Steps

After successful auth, proceed to anth-hello-world for your first Messages API call.

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