Claude Code base_url

Claude Code Base URL (ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL) Setup Guide

Claude Code has no setting literally called base_url — it reads the ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL environment variable. This guide covers what to set it to, which auth variable goes with it, where to put it so it always applies, and the most common mistakes.

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ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL

Use the gateway root https://gw-link.com (or the US endpoint https://gw-link.ai) without /v1 — Claude Code appends /v1/messages itself.

ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN

Your gw-link sk- key, sent as Authorization: Bearer. ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (x-api-key header) is accepted too, but Claude Code asks you to confirm it on first launch.

The env block in settings.json

Values in the env block of ~/.claude/settings.json apply to every terminal and IDE session — more reliable than exporting them in one shell.

Recommended setup

Create an API key in the gw-link console and open Use Key to see the Claude Code configuration.
Put ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN in the env block of ~/.claude/settings.json.
Optionally pin a default model with ANTHROPIC_MODEL, using an ID returned by /v1/models.
Open a new terminal, run claude and confirm you get a reply.

Configuration examples

~/.claude/settings.json

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://gw-link.com",
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "sk-your-gw-link-key",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC": "1"
  }
}

Current shell only

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://gw-link.com"
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="sk-your-gw-link-key"
export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1
claude

Verify the key and network with curl

A model list means the key works and the endpoint is reachable; a 401 means the key is wrong.

curl https://gw-link.com/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-gw-link-key"

FAQ

What should Claude Code's base URL be?

Set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://gw-link.com, or https://gw-link.ai for the US endpoint. Never add a /v1 suffix.

ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN or ANTHROPIC_API_KEY?

Prefer ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN (Bearer auth, no confirmation prompt). gw-link also accepts x-api-key, so ANTHROPIC_API_KEY works too — just don't set both to different values.

What does CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC do?

It turns off Claude Code's telemetry and error-reporting calls so all traffic goes to the gateway you configured, avoiding stalls when those services are unreachable.

My change doesn't take effect — why?

An older export in your shell profile can override settings.json. Remove duplicates and open a new terminal or restart the IDE after editing.

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Last updated: 2026-10-02