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Providers

Claude Max API proxy

claude-max-api-proxy is a community npm package (not an OpenClaw plugin) that exposes a Claude Max/Pro subscription as an OpenAI-compatible API endpoint, so you can point any OpenAI-compatible tool at your subscription instead of an Anthropic API key.

Why use this

Approach Cost route Best for
Anthropic API key Pay per token through Claude Console Production apps, shared automation, volume
Claude subscription proxy Claude Code / claude -p plan and credit rules Personal experiments with compatible tools

This proxy lets a Claude Max or Pro subscription work with OpenAI-compatible tools. It is not an unlimited flat-rate path — it inherits Claude Code's usage limits. API keys remain the clearer billing path for production use.

How it works

text
Your App -> claude-max-api-proxy -> Claude Code CLI / claude -p -> Anthropic     (OpenAI format)                (converts format)              (uses your login)

The proxy spawns the Claude Code CLI as a subprocess per request, converts OpenAI-format chat requests to CLI prompts, and streams (or returns) the response back in OpenAI format.

Getting started

  • Install the proxy

    Requires Node.js 20+ and an authenticated Claude Code CLI.

    bash
    npm install -g claude-max-api-proxy # Verify Claude CLI is authenticatedclaude --versionclaude auth login   # if not already authenticated

  • Start the server

    bash
    claude-max-api# Server runs at http://localhost:3456

  • Test the proxy

    bash
    curl http://localhost:3456/healthcurl http://localhost:3456/v1/models curl http://localhost:3456/v1/chat/completions \  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \  -d '{    "model": "claude-opus-4",    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]  }'

  • Configure OpenClaw

    Point OpenClaw at the proxy as a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint:

    json5
    {  env: {    OPENAI_API_KEY: "not-needed",    OPENAI_BASE_URL: "http://localhost:3456/v1",  },  agents: {    defaults: {      model: { primary: "openai/claude-opus-4" },    },  },}
    • Model ID CLI alias Current mapping
    claude-opus-4 opus Claude Opus 4.5
    claude-sonnet-4 sonnet Claude Sonnet 4
    claude-haiku-4 haiku Claude Haiku 4

    Advanced configuration

    Proxy-style OpenAI-compatible notes

    This uses OpenClaw's generic custom /v1 OpenAI-compatible route, the same path as any other self-hosted OpenAI-compatible backend:

    • Native OpenAI-only request shaping does not apply.
    • /fast and service_tier only apply to direct api.anthropic.com traffic; proxy routes leave service_tier untouched (see Anthropic provider fast mode).
    • No Responses store, prompt-cache hints, or OpenAI reasoning-compat payload shaping.
    • OpenClaw's OpenAI/Codex attribution headers (originator, version, User-Agent) are only sent on native api.openai.com OAuth traffic, not on custom OPENAI_BASE_URL targets like this proxy.
    Auto-start on macOS with LaunchAgent
    bash
    cat > ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claude-max-api.plist << 'EOF'<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"><plist version="1.0"><dict>  <key>Label</key>  <string>com.claude-max-api</string>  <key>RunAtLoad</key>  <true/>  <key>KeepAlive</key>  <true/>  <key>ProgramArguments</key>  <array>    <string>/usr/local/bin/node</string>    <string>/usr/local/lib/node_modules/claude-max-api-proxy/dist/server/standalone.js</string>  </array>  <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>  <dict>    <key>PATH</key>    <string>/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:~/.local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin</string>  </dict></dict></plist>EOF launchctl bootstrap gui/$(id -u) ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claude-max-api.plist

    Notes

    • Inherits Claude Code's claude -p billing, usage-credit, and rate-limit behavior.
    • Binds to 127.0.0.1 only; does not send data to any third-party server beyond the CLI's own call to Anthropic.
    • Streaming responses are supported.
    • Auth failures are not checked at startup and only surface once a chat request actually runs; if the CLI is unauthenticated, expect the first request to fail rather than the server to refuse to start.
    Anthropic provider

    Native OpenClaw integration with Claude CLI or API keys.
    OpenAI provider

    For OpenAI/Codex subscriptions.
    Model selection

    Overview of all providers, model refs, and failover behavior.
    Configuration

    Full config reference.
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